The Washington times., 1920-06-26
Actor Shot On Stage
By Kitty Gordon May
Be Victim, of PLotters
Police Convinced Actress Was
lnnocent-Wounded Man In
Serious Condition.

CHICAGO, June 20.--A .32-caliber
bullet. mysteriously slipped into q re-
volver supposed to contain blank
cartridges. caused Miss Kitty Gordon,
the actress. to shoot and seriously
wound Joseph Albert Hack on the
stage OF the Palace Music Hall yes
tcrday afternoon.
The revolver was owned by Jack
Wilson. star Of another act. who has
been playing on the same vaudeville
bills with Miss Gordon for a couple
OF years.
The police believe the shooting was
accidental, although they say there is
q strong possibility IT may be part of
r plot. aimed at another. with Miss
Gordon as the innocent principal.
FART OF WILSON'S ACT.
The shooting was part of the act of
Wilson.
Wilson used the shooting in a far
cical curtain scene involving himself
and Miss Gordon, who walks on the
stage after her own act: Miss Vera
Beres" 'rt., Miss Gordon's daughter.
and Frank Griffith. Mr.. wilson's part
ner in the act.
The act Is the seventh on the bill
ana COHeS oetWccn MtSs ooTuou %
and the acrobatic curtain act In which
Hack appears.
In 1t Miss Beresford takes role Of
the flapper anxious to enter the
movies. and after a great deal OF
horse play on tho part of Wilson,
black face comedian, he tells her .
star is necessary for the movie he
intends to produce.
There is a camera on the stage.
Wilson sighs for star Hike Kitty
Gordon ii.
This is Miss Gordon's cue. She
,comesl ON tho stage, some fepartes
at the end of which he retires into
the wings, leaving Griffiths cfanking
the camera.
REVOLVER - DRAWN.
Griffiths says something in an un-
goes through a. taAtrum Of mock re-
sentiment, finally appealing to Miss
Gordon.
Miss Gordon holds her in her arms
and goes through a frenzy of out
ragged dignity toward Griffiths, at
last drawing a revolver from her
corsage and firing 1t once.
That Is the way the act has gone
for several months. until yesterday.
Miss Gordon. using the same lines
and going through the same motions,
pointed the revolver into the wings
and fired.
For the first time since she has
been doing the act the revolver
kicked" and in surprise she let 1t
fall to the stage.
There was a stifled cry from the
wings, and Hack lurched against one
of the flies for support, then toppled
to the floor.
No one heard the cry. The act
went on.
Wilson reappeared on the stage to
deliver his accustomed line: That's
the rottenest fall / ever saw" ad-
dressed to Griffiths. who falls to the
floor OF the stage at the first shot.
Max Vasold, theater stage manager,
stood in the frst entrance at the
left Of the audience with his hand on
the electric button that regulates the
drop curtain.
KEPT FROM AUDIENCE.
Seeing the end of Wilson's act, he
was about to push the button and
light the figure ''T' that indicated the
appearance of the last act. when Joe
Page. Hacks partner, clutched his
sleeve.
Hack Is shot" he whispered.
Look! For Gods sake get a DOCTOR
Hack writhed on the floor in the
second wing. Reckoning to Wilson,
Vasold told him to explain to the
audience that the last act would not
appear, and Wilson made the an
announcement.
The audience filed out.