Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-01-22
When Gilmore
Was Shot
POPULAR ACTOR TELLS OF DAN
GERous AND EXCITING Ex.
PERlENcE IN PHOENIX.

a 4 E + /. E Il
IN reminiscent mood yesterday Paul
Gilmore to an Optic man spoke or his
first trip through the southwest
IL was my first attempt at staring. y
he said. Il had a number Of plays,
but the main attraction was The
Three Muskateers.' | had d good
house in Las Vegas and a reception
that made your town favorite with
me for all time. | would always go a
couple Of hundred miles out OF the
way for the sake Of playing Las Veg.
as. For four years II has been the
only New Mexico city have visited,
From here i went to albuquerque.
You remember that the theatre had
been burned. ! was billed to play the
Musketeers In the old orchestrion hall.
We reached albuquerque and went
over to inspect the hall, which is IN
the old town. Well. we were up
against the real thing harder then we
ever were In our lives, The dingy
little hall with its insignificant stage
room and rough benches seemed to
preclude the possibility Of presenting
such play as The Three Muske.
teers.'
But when started out In the dra.
matte business on my own account /
made a resolution always to perform
what promised. / had advertised TO
put on the play With the famous ship
scene and all the scenery and equip
ments complete. It looked tough, but
we resolved to do 1t Some Of orr
scenery and stage equipments could
mt 10 In the doors so we tore down a
section Of the wall al the back of the
hall ana moved our stun in. Then We
heightened and broadened the stage
and we presented the Musleteers
complete. We had a crowded house
and the people were delighted, The
news Of our achievement in rebuild.
ing the. house for our purpose was
told In the papers and widely copied.
4 have always wanted to play Albu.
querque again. but the opera house
trouble they have always had there
prevented. With the opening OF the
new Elks' opera house expect To add
Albuquerque 10 my Itinerary
From Albuquerque, on my first
westward nip. WI wcpi down into
southern Arizona All Phoenix one OF
the most enorable experiences OF MY
life came. Various stories concern.
Ing my being shot have been told, but
the Phoenix papers hnshed up the
matter and we made little Of II, fear.
ing II would affect our patronage. III
tell YOU the story OF that shooting.
There are mighty few people who
know that twenty-five leaden bullets
were fired in the opera house that
night.
I'VE had played the Musketeers To
big house. Late the next afternoon
we decided To put on our patriotic
play. 'The Dawn OF Freedom. had
always before carefully examined all
cartridges before they were used Ia
make sure there were no bullets
aboard. But this time we were In a
hurry My property manager got
twenty-five rounds Of blanks. That Is.
he supposed they were blanks, but In
some way n mistake had been made.
In the opera house In Phoenix you
can still see the holes made by the
bullets that flew that night. One
struck me In the leg, my leading lady
was hit IN the ear and the property
man was wounded In The hand. He
died later from blood poisoning
Several doctors probed for my bul.
lei. but failed 10 find Il was pretty
lame but decided % so on playing.
I retraced my steps and rot as far
as Salt Lake City. Then my leg re.
fused 10 carry me further. | went 10
New York and by the use of the xray
the bullet was taken out Then came
back 10 Chicago was playing in the
Lincoln theatre. Every dollar ] pos
sessed was invested In my scenery
and stage furniture. The Lincoln
-. ..i..t.. a.I -, ...t ...t.h