Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-06-30
PRESENCE OF MIND.
An Emergency Which Demonstrated thu
Value of Its Possession.

Value of Its Possession.
In time of an emergency, re-
marked an elderly man in a group
of takers, IT would rather have
presence of mind than a gun"
II fancy the gun might do more
harm than good if there were no
presence of mind with it, admitted
another
(Which reminds me of a story
corroborating the wisdom of the
first statement, said a third, who
on an appeal from the others con-
tinued. Something like ten or
dozen years ago. he said, II was
in western town of 10000 people
or SO, and it happened that show
was billed for that night. Having
nothing to do, and not knowing any
body in town, took in the show.
It was a barn storming troop of
Thespians doing a repertory Of blood
and thunders, and the consequence
was they had nearly a full house.
Everything went along very nicely
except the peculiar actions of the
leading man, who seemed to be
drunk or getting that way very fast.
AS no effort was made by the
management to suppress him, the
audience after awhile took hand
and began to hiss This brought mat
tiers to climax at once, and with
an oath the actor stepped to the
center of the stage, and, whipping
out of his clothes pair of revol-
vers, he announced to the audience
and the people on the stage in the
calmest and coolest manner possible
that the time had come when some
body had got to die, but that he was
not yet decided who it should be. |
Somebody started at this, but he
said that the first person who rose
to go out would be shot. Every body |
in the house seemed to be paralyzed
by the mans GOODNESS and nobody
moved. I know I sat we'll down to-
ward the front and would have
given up my place willingly to any
body who asked for it, but when I |
looked up at that cold face and those
two guns pointing down my way
preferred to take chances on remain |
ing as was.
''For at least a minute the acctor |
addressed himself to his trembling
audience, and then deliberately Sc
lecting conspicuously white haired
man in the very center of the
house, he commanded him to rise
and be shot. Otherwise he would
shoot promiscuously into the crowd.
Sat this point in the proceedings
am willing to state without bias
that I never was in the midst of so
much suppressed excitement. For a
second the house was as still as
death, and then, as the white haired
man began to twist about as if he
were going to obey the actors COM
mand, woman shrieked, and as a
half dozen followed suit and tainted
the actor suddenly disappeared from
the stage, nobody knew where, but
he was gone and the panic was
averted, though everybody made a
break to get out as fast as possible.
1.-THE curtain went down quickly
then, and the management, white
and scared, came out and announced
that the actor had gone crazy over
the loss of his wife, and that, thanks
to the presence of mind of the stage
carpenter, that gentleman had bur-
ried under the stage and pulled the
trap on which fortunately the crazy
man stood. The fall had rendered
him helpless, and he was then wait
ing at the stage door to be taken
away by the authorities =
Which proves what I said in the
first place." said the elderly man,
with an air Of pride, and the proof
was accepted.