The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-01
COL. CODY TELLS a TALE.
How a Stage Trick Got Actor Bob Neil
Out of a Scrape.
From The New York Press.


Newark, n. j., June 23.-Col. William
F. Cody Buffalo Bill has number of
friends in this city, and is frequent Wis
itor here. Years ago he became very in
innate with Robert Neil the actor, but
they had not met for long time. Col.
Cody and Neil renewed their acquaint
ance the other day, and INDUCED in
number of oldtime "reminiscences.
Finally Col. Cody said: Neil, do you
remember that night on the Mississippi
river, when you had such a narrow escape
from being thrown overheard" Neil
flushed and tried to turn the conversation
into another channel, but several of the
group sitting around scented a story and
insisted on its being told. Col. Cody
laughed so heartily at the recollection
that 1t aroused the interest of those pres
ent. He said that as Bob was the central
figure, he, doubtless, had the most vivid
remembrance; but Bob wouldn't tell the
story at first, so the colonel started it.
LAS far as | can remember it was about
fifteen years ago, and Bob was member
Ofmy theatrical company. We were going
down the Mississippi river on steamer.
| The boat was pretty well filed with pas
sengers, and the trip was uueventful until
Bob, here, created the biggest kind of a
row. To better understand the story
SuOulu explain Iildb dDDuJ lulS lIulc Il
gang of thieves Systematically piled their
trade on these boats and several big 70 b.
| berries had taken place. Their manner of
working was TO create a disturbance by
| fighting, yelling Fire - or shouting Man
OverboardN and during the excitement
that followed the thieves got in their
work. This had happened 50 frequently
that the regular passengers and bOatmen
were waiting a chance TO deal summary
Justice We were telling stories, when it
came Bob's turn to spin a yarn and he
started in l forget what the story was
what was it, B0b?'
Il don't exactly remember said Neil
"but know it was something about fire
in the Old Odeon, in Newark
That's it, said Cody Bob was tell
ing his story in that highly dramatic
style he uses when he spurns the william
and tells him to do his worst. We'll. in
one part of his story Bob was describing
the COnhagratiOn, as they say in the
western papers, and he cried out in
highly dramatic manner: Fire! fren
That story was never finished. In less
than minute all the passengers were in
high state of excitement. Az the first
cry of fire a woman screamed, another
tainted and then there was the deuce to
| pay. Women and children were shrieking
and crying, men were shouting and bawl-
ing until one of the deck hands cried out
There is no fire; thieves are on board =;
look out for your yalua bles' That sub
sided the excitement somewhat, until a
big siX-footer, pulling a pistol, said with
some western embellishments. Lets
| look for the thieves The deck hands
and a dozen men began the search by in
quiring for the man who started the
alarm. We know it would be useless to
try and make any explanation while
| they we're excited so we Just kept mum.
Well the story would end here only for a
mulatto girl VINO had been sitting oppo-
site US. She gave an accurate descrip-
tion of BOB to the searchers, and when
we heard that we crowded around Bob
to hide him until he could climb over the
rail and hide behind the paddle wheel
box The girl gave such good dcscrip-
ton of Bob to the men that it would have
been impossible for him to have sneaked
down to his stateroom without being de-
tected There he sat behind the wheel
box, and if the searchers once saw him
he would be in the river or full OF bullets
before we could doanything.
The searchers were doing their work
thoroughly, and it was only question of
time when they would come to where we
were. To get Bob out of his bad box a
member of the company thought of an old
stage trick that has been used in a dozen
plays as part OF the business. 1t is one of
the strong points of Uncle Toms Cabin,
where Eliza makes her escape from
Legree. Acting on the whispered sug-
gestion, we formed ourselves in a
double file near the wheel box, and
this actor spoke out 50 that Bob could
hear him, Now if l was the man who
got into this scrape Iwould get out of
it right away, for the searchers will soon
be on him | would get out of there Just
the way Eliza does when Legree is after
her, and | would get down and walk be-
tween my friends to my stateroom. And
he did concluded Buffalo Bill bob
heard what was said, recognized the old
stage rUse, and elm bed down from his
hiding place. We gathered around him
and hid him from the watchers until he
got TO his stateroom."