The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-01
FOOLS SHOUT IN
THEATRE ALMOST
CAUSES PANIC
CONTINUED From First Pagc.)

who kept their heads while those about
them were losing theirs. calculated
hurricdly on tho horoscopes and the
possible movements of the next sec
ond.
In casting UP the human forces
which aided, or were perhaps con-
trolled by. the interposition of Divine
Providence, the conduct of STEMS Or
chestra deserves all praise. Without
an order. simultaneously upon the cry
ing OF the alarm, 1t began to play. The
strains of tho music Gained muny a
troubled mind. and may have been
tho turning point In averting the i'm
pending tragedy.
Just what did 1t, no ono will ever
know. But had any one Of a dozen
things happened. Richmond's Thanks
giving would have been turned into d
day OF despair.
Two Were on Stnge.
1t was In the middle of the third
and last act Fred 1Yden. playing tho
part Of Richard Grayson. the hus-
band in "The Real Thing" and Jose-
phine Lovett. the wife. were upon the
stage Henrietta Crosman, as Jessie
Lorraine, the widow. and Albert Brown.
playing Tom Bradley. had left a few
moments before, supposedly going IN
the direction of the .sitcncn of tho
Grayson home.
one of the largest matinee crowds
ever seen In the Academy thronged ne
mousse. Nearly every seat was taken
II was, too. thoroughly responsive,
ana az the conclusion of the second
act, MISS Crosman had been called
pack TO less than fivo times. But ut
the moment OF tho alarm all was quiet
save for the relation by tho VIII. OF
the changes that had taken place dur
ahs MS absence on vacation, and Inc
EXPLANATIONS OF surprise from tn.
spouse, who asserted successlvely thut
"e was dreaming, drunk and insane
The Cry of "Fire,n
suddenly the cry OF fire came from
the gallery. In Just what connection
IL arose, may never be known. rb.
, real alarm came from Gilbert's Hote,
al Eighth and Franklin Streets ~
ieet across street. II may be that
| some nEe heard the signal, or saw inc
eio"os gathering at the hotel Who
ever he Was, or whatever no may h.r,
ieAil! SAID tncre is no dissent from
nc opinion that his action was crimJ-
nal. Penitentiary sentences have ,o,.,
iieauehtlS advocated for those ubo
reisc shout at a thca,ru To-day
there are hnnnreds in Iticnncnd who
Misn IL were n law
me cry vas not loud, and was NOT
hedru distinctly on the lower noor
irose. ioiiomed In a momen, ny ,noso
! IN the balcony Every one Iookcd nm
Warns' ana moment more nearly nil
III the mousse hau arisen to their fcot
tentative. inqulring. rresolute. Al
once there spranS through the uu
uteHee eaat lnucnnablc fcIlow-fecliny
of dread
Scores left the gallery BY the ore-
escapes, ana scores more madc ror ,h.
eNlts. Some shouted: "Sit down." some
! forced those with them Into their
seats.
Yet there was no panic. The mil
! hohth OF IL hairs breadth was all that
made the dihercncc between the fright
ana panic but II was not severed
Actors 10 Rescue.
Miss lIovett and Mr.. Tiden srra,,,
TO taeir feet. Through the door bursi
Miss Crosnan and MIR. Brown, the iat-
| ter with his ridiculous kitchen apron
tied about his waist All of them
smiled and danced and waved their
hnnds and spoke soothing things.
~ is all right" spoke out Miss
oroSthan' brarcly. Please sit down.
so that the play may 20 on"
I Ushcrs, Immediately dispatched BY
Manager Wise. walked quietly down
: the alsles, telling everybody to he
, seated. as there was no danger.
Md rhen the orchestra started. The
music told OF in Holy Writ. when the
angels sang for JOY must have been
| very like that produced By Professor
Moses stein and his men in that mo-
ment when those who retained their
reason hoped and prayed for some.
thing which would turn the scale
All that has been related passed in
INFINITELY less time than the most eN-
pert reader could have used In perus-
Ing what is recorded. One by one the
men and women sat down. Somebody
started handclappiEg and he was
joined by others. many Of them from
mere nervousness
Panic Is Avcrtcd.
On the stage Mr.. Brown continued
( his ludicrous skirt dance with a kitch-
en- apron Laughablc as it.would have
been at any other time there was no
laughter now, save for that forced by
the players and by n few in the an
dience. Miss Crosman laughed, and
her merriment could never in her life
! nave been better employed
Then 1t was all over. The word was
] pas seu through the house that the fire
VAS Vas Ear ,r,a away. misunderstanding, per-
den shouted: Its only fight down
the street" a policeman stuck his
mead with its helmet from behind the
S SC mes . ana got some applause 4 man
show. Some people laughed. "All
right said Mr.. Brown. apron in hand
| The orchestra stopped. Perhaps 100
people had left. Everything in mo-
| fnent more was quiet.
In the foyer, Manager Wise. thereto
tore cool and rcsourcefu1. became faint
| In moment he recovered. with the
thought that he should like TO catch
the man who started the alarm, and
VINO had either providcntially left the
| theatre at once or who had been gift
cd suddenly with a glimmering Of
/ sense. and who kept quiet.
Proceed with Plny.
Miss Loyett and Mr.. Tiden sat down.
! The latter pulled n handkerchief from
| his pocket and wiped the perspira-
ton from his brow, the result OF the
strain which he had been under But
Miss Crosmun did not move until she
saw that all danger was past. Then,
with "a CAV little wave of tho hand ,.b i,