Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-10-10

big black rat gets loose where there
are women around there is bound to be
excitement.
That is what happened at the Bijou
Theatre short time before the curtain
was raised on "The Golden Wedding"
last Saturday evening.
Had the rat which then walked into
the main entrance from Broadway ap
peared little later, when the lobby
was full of women. there is no saying
what might have happened.
The rodent was first discovered by
rather an unsteady young man who
saw the rat looking curiously around,
as though uncertain whether to go into
the theatre or not. The young man
stared in alarm, but was reassured
when he noticed its color, which was
neither red, pink nor green.
Then there was scream. One OF
two young women, attended by an ell
derly gentleman as escort, saw the rat
as che entered.
"Oh, rat A horrid rat - she
screamed.
The other young woman promptly
caught up her skirts and ran. The
first young woman jumped on chair,
which fell over, adding to the confu-
sion
Policeman Cahill was standing on
guard along side the box office. He
thought of his pistol, but seized Il broom
from the hands of boy instead. The
rat started up the balcony stairs.
Manager Rosenqucst heard the noise
and joined the chase. Half o dozen
ushers followed.
There were severa' women at the
head of the stairs. They stopped 10
find out what all the racket was about.
They heard the cry of Rats and
waited no longer. They caught their
skirts closely about them, fled into the
balcony and climbed on the backs of
the chairs, 10 the wonder and alarm OF
those already seated. Some of the
women in the balcony thought the
climbers must be out of their senses,
but when they heard the ominous shout
of Rats, rats - they showed decided
symptoms of uneasiness and began to
consider the best way of getting on the
backs Of their own chairs themselves.
An usher ran out in time to intercept
the nowthoroughly frightened little ami
NAL at the head Of the stairs. He gave
it kick and the rat turned upon the
broom brigade.
Everybody hit at the sametime and hit
everything and everybody except the
rat. The rat made made its escape be-
tween the legs ofits pursuers into the
lobby.
Another party of women had just en-
tered. One Of them saw the rat making
for the protection of her skirts. She
threw her arms around the neck of her
escort and tried to get behind him.
He saw the brooms but not the rat,
and was somewhat surprised until the
other members of his party began to
scream. All ran out of harms way into
the parquet.
The lat was firing fast, but was game
still. He evadcd the kicks and blows aimed
at him and finally reached the balcony stairs
again.
Mr. Rosenquest struck vicious blow with
his broom just as an usher leaned forward to
dispatch the ratswith stick. The broom
caught the usher in the back of the neck.
The rat at the same moment leaped into his
face, but fortunately didn't bi:c. The ushers
teeth ratified like clStapets.
To Policeman Cahill belonged the honor
o: getting in the first solid blow. Mr.. Kos
enquest followed with poke Of his big broom
and the rat was carried into the street i'll
triumph.
1t was not until an usher made an official
announcement to the women in the balcony
that the rat was dead that their alarm sub
sided. Some of them were uneasy. however,
all the rest of th1 evening aud ouked around
fearfully every time they heard noise as
though they expected more ras.
! Police Captain Connor, of the West Thir-
tieth street station, says the trouble was all
due to the operations of the Midnight Band
| of Mercy.
Since they have begun to kill cats" said
the Captain, the rats have become so bold
that they walk the streets. You can sec them
on the curbing almost any night in front of
the theatres. The rat killers will have to get
to work now that the cat killers are busy
". Y. Herald.