The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-01-12
GiInOre'S
Presence of Mind
Saved Audience in
Theatre Fire

In an interview with Paul Gilmore
xno presented "The Mummy and the
ummlng Bird here last night, as he
X perched on trunk in his dressing
pom at the Brooks theatre. said:
4 am glad to be here again and to
nd that my friends remember so
ndly my appearance here four years
20 when I played The Musl1eteers'
here Is nothing more hattering to
be than to know he is not forgotten.
"Yes. the Chicago theater FIRE seems
be the leading question now, to the
tor. You would be surprised 10
now that the people who used to
~ tickets for the balcony now pay
e little extra and come downstairs
you see It does ont affect our re-
lpts AS a matter Of fact, there is
ss danger In a theater FIRE than any
ing else. The Chicago theater was
Il finished; the fire escapes were not
mpleted
n remember my first season out a
e head Of my own company It was
st at the time of the Spanlsh-Amer
an war, and was presenting a play
keeping with The times, called The
AVN Of Freedom, ] had gotten up
agnincent production. and had just
iished a successful run with the plaS
the Fourteenth Street theater, New
prk. and took il to Chicago for 2
- n On my. second night there thc
ncoin tbeater, ia which | was play
&. burned to the ground. The house
Rs packed but not one life was lost
bring our battle scene one OF the
ry wads from the guns set fire tc
gauze scenery in the flies. Al
on as | saw 1t gave the cue for Tho
pats to come on. which was at tho
"a Of the play. The curtain went
,wn and the audience filed out quiet
When efey got out in The streets
ey looked hack and saw that the
age was one blaze. The theatei
as burned 10 the ground and was
Pyer rebuilt.
81 have always had bad luck With
rearms on the stage. After the fire
Chitago which, by the way, seems
~ fated city for big fires, especial
for theaters, the craze for The Mus
hteers' was revived. E II. Sothern
lmes ONeal and several others were
ayiug It, so with my profits. whicl
Jas all had saved from the Chicago
BE, my scenery not having been in
bred, got up a production Of "rhc
usketeers. l opened with it in New
ork at the Star theater. on Broad.
ny. Mr.. oNeal was az another
roadway house and Mr. sothern at
bother, so you see The Musketeers'
ere on Broadway at one time.
"After my success with The Mus
1eteers' in New York, | started on a
bur Of the coast I got as far as
hoenlx. Ari.. where we had two
lghts and rehearsed Don Caesar to
lay second night It was our first
performance OF Don Caesar, and
nd sent my man out to buy the blank
hrtridges to use in the guns in the
xecution scene. He bought what he
Imposed 10 be blank cartridges, but
neyt proved TO be the real article
hey We're what is called target cart
dges first the powder, then the
ali. and on top Of that wax. They
)ok very much like a blank cart
dge, so the mistake can easily be
Understood The guns were loaded
nd Don Caesar (myself stood up be
pre- the execp;ioners; they Ared and
prtunately for me they were not al
imed directly al me. or 7 should moi
e here to tell you the tale was
hot twice just below the knee; N,
uard beside me. who, strange TO say
sas my properly man, and the one
no bought the cartridges. was killed
everal others Of the cast barely es
aped In ten days, however, wal
bic TO play again,
'That was MY nrst season as a star
he next season Mr. Charles Froh
ran put me out in Under the Ret
Iobe There were no pistols In that
nd, while | got some pretty bad cut
Fiih the sword, ana on one occasion
lad 70 play the part for a week wit
BY right arm In a sling. fencing wit
he left. stin had no serious acc
emit was then offered the part q
king Charles with Henrietta CrosmaI
ind played with her at Manack
heater. New York, until the middi
. the summer It was while ! wa
,lavinc this bpaufifll ramanffc nal