The St. Louis Republic., 1901-09-01
How Frank Frayne, Playing "Wil-
liam Tell" Accidentally
Shot His Wife.
MARROW ESCAPES RECORDED.
Miss Lighthawk, Brookin's Victim
at Omaha, Still in a Hospital,
Making a Game Fight
for Her Life.

New York Aug 29.-Actors and actresses
who are gathered here for the beginning o
the theatri season are 1nterestedlS ois
c;fssing the most recent real Tragedy ehac,
ed on the stage-the shooting OF hl'lie Al
len known on the piav bills as Miss ls'ght
hawk by Thad Brookin and the suicide o
Brookin, on the stage of the Hyper:an Ihea'
ter in Omaha
Miss IJghthawk is still in an Omaha hos
p;tal making a game fight for life against
odds. for she was seriously wounded
Brookin was buried in potter's field
The Omaha tragedy was sensational
enough to be more than nine days Won
der in the ranks OF the profession 1t oc-
CURED at dress rehearsal of play, Inc
Female Bandit written by Miss Light
hawk Miss Lighthawk had the leading
psrt that Of Norma Schultz. Br0ekin was
Oueakley, the villain. Brookiu had been a
devoted admirer of the actress and pia!
wright and his attentions were acceptable
until few weeks a3o. when Bert ADAMS
an employe of n Wholesale wallpaper mouse.
appeared. Miss LighthawkS S partiai1ty Tor
his society rendered Brookin inssnely jeai-
Gus. Accusations and recriminauons end-
ing in bitter uuarreis occurred with Mucn
frequency between Brookin and the woman
he loved. He had q violent temper and for
this reason members Of the Female Ban
dit company kept the couple apart. he
squently friends of both prevented him from
carrying weapons. But the dress rehearsal
gave Brookin the opportunity for wnicn he
was waiting.
Quite a number of spectators were pres
ent and they were struck by the Intensity
and force the man put into his acting IheY
appiauded often ana uproariously. me yit-
fain's realism affected Miss Lighthawk also.
She felt Ill at ease and played her part with
an effort.
Tragedy ON the stage.
vas reached A bank robbery planned by
Queakley. the villain. has been forestaued
and a Jail delivery thwarted. Capture by
the the bsn = sns gehn,s iss
rests the power to save the villain. Queak-
ley (Mr. BROOKLYN. She refuses to come to
the Villains assistance and is shot. Queak-
ley and Bill Desmond, the girls lover. then
fighting out old scores.
Brookin became more and more vehe-
ment The climax was reached when the VII
lain commanded in the words of the play:
Say quickly. shall II be me and lie. or
Bill Desmond and death?'
:, For answer the heroine points to Desmond
hurrying down the mountain side.
Thad Brookin pulled the trigger and
watched Miss Lighthawk as she fell to the
fioor.
1t seemed SO fine piece OF acting to the
spectators that they clapped loud and long
Brookin. after looking at the doorway a
pressed the revolver. still smoking at the
muzxle. against his temple and fired a sec
end shot. Immediately players and onlook-
ers knew that crime had been committed.
Brookin had substituted bullets for blank
cartridges. and reality had usurped the place
Of pretense.
Frank Frayne'. Fatal Shot.
Among the stage tragedies recalled on
the Rialto by the Observation-Disclosures affair
Is the killing OF Frank Frayne's wife by the
actor himself They were playing William
Tell In Cincinnati about twelve years ago.
His wife took the part of the boy and stood
with the apple on her head for William Tell
to hft. Frayne was fine marksman. and
every night for three or four years he had
spiit the apple easily. One night he was
nervous. miscalculated and shot his wife
through the brain.
Some OF the others were not so serious. and
most OF them, unlike the Omaha tragedy.
were accidental. Barry Sullivan. the ia
nous tragedfan. was playing Richard the
Third in London many years ago. He and
his leading man were fighting a duel parts
which both had taken over 1000 times with
out an accident. AT this performance his
opponent hit him behind the eye, the sword
penetrating the hesh and just grazing the
eyeball. For long time It was feared that
Barry Sullivan would lose bis eyesight. The
leading man was go affected he could never
act the same again. His grief at the acct
dent practically ruined him. Sullivan car
ried the scare TO his grave.
e. H. S0thern's Mishap.
e. H.. Sothern. while playing Hamlet
last year in Baltimore. was stabbed so Sc
verefy In the foot that It necessitated the
laying of Of his company for nearly two
months. 1t was feared for time that am