New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-07-19
MUCH EXCITEMENT
IN LOCAL THEA7ER
Maraudin8 Rat Runs AmuCk, to
CONSERVATION Of Girls

An ice cream cone, a marauding ro-
dent, an. interrupted act, II fright
ened girls, screams of terror, an ex-
cited female trying to climb over the
back of seat, a flash of hosiery,
ushers to the rescue, confusion in the
audience, a masculine No. 7, call for
the police, bluecoat and a locust
club, triumphant usher and dead
rat all conspired last night to fur
nish a thrill to an audience in To-
cal theater which was not on the pro-
gram and threatened for few min
uteS to create a small sized panic.
1t was during a vaudeville act. A
young lady in the cast vainly tried
to render a solo, amidst the confu-
sion, and it is a tribute to the quality
of her act to state that when the
excitement had cleared away she
again held the attention of her aud
fence. All was quiet and peaceful.
Not even the summer breezes dis
turbed the melodious voice of the
young lady on the stage. In a front
row of seats, sat party of IL young
ladies' The house was about two
thirds full. In the balcony officer 80
was watching the girls on the stage
and peacefully dreaming of the nice
sleep he had coming when his shift
was over. The II young women were
watching the show and occasionally
varied the monotony by raising the
velvet curtain and having a brief
| Irritation with someone in the orches-
! ira. A vender of ice cream cones
had passed that way with his wares
but a few moments before, and upon
these cones hangs a tale.
| Suddenly there was a restless move
ment among the audience. Feet be-
| gan shifting in strange maneuvers,
| interest in the young woman on the
stage seemed to be eclipsed by some
| thing nearer. The restlessness spread
until it became almost widespread
| confusion. 1t reached across the aisle
until by this time hardly a person
realized that the actress still was sing
ing. Finally the girls in the front
how noticed the confusion. Not
knowing the cause Of the trouble,
which up until this time had remained
an undercurrent of apprehension,
scarcely noticeable except to those di-
rectly concerned, yet instinct seemed
to effect them with a feeling of ner-
vousness. The girl on the stage was
| forgotten.
whats the troub1e?' growled a
| masculine voice and the faces of the
young women in front blanched with
fear as the dreaded word, rat" was
whispered in their rear. Hardly had
the word been spoken than the cause
of the disturbance popped out from
under a seat and sauntered nonchal-
antly down the aisle, carrying in it's
l. mi oh, u Of ioo
But Mr.. Rat was destined to learn
! that for some the glare of the bright
lights is the lure of death. He head
ed straight for the spotlight ahead.
The IL young ladies were directly in
his path. But closer to the fatal route
he was traversing reposed a mans
number and inside a foot. Mr.. Rat
i stepped into range; it was a target
too good to miss. In another second
the number had moved and the ro-
dent did an aeropla1e stunt across
the aisle, coming to a full stop against
the seat wherein reposed the person
of the first of the IL young ladies.
Immediately there was wild
scramble for safety. Eleven pairs of
white shoes suddenly disappeared
from the floor and the railing along
the orchestra pit looked like bar
gain display of summer footwear.
| But the cause of all the trouble,
finding he was in wrong, became be-
wildered and in his attempts to es-
cape, darted across the row of seats
where sat the II fair maidens. All
was turmoil and excitement. The feet
on the railing disappeared, no man
knew where. Suddenly young
woman was seen to jump to her seat
and attempt to climb over the back
By this time several of the girls ap-
peared to be on the verge of hys-
Iterics and scream after scream of ter
ror pierced the air and drowned the
voice of the actress on the stage.
The man upstairs in the booth
threw on the house lights and re-
vealed a group of badly frightened
young women, and incidently a flash
of hosiery which must have made the
actress feel like piker. Ushers flew
to the scene An S for police re
serves brought Officer 80 post haste
from the balcony. The excited CIR
was Gained, II young women sat or
II pairs of feet, the lights were turned
off, the spotlight resumed its natur
al position and the show proceeded.
. But the final act was not yet. Wher
the curtain dropped it was seen tina
the rat, still seeking a means of es
Gaping the consequences of the trouble
| it had caused, had tried to sneak
out the other side and ran afoul O.
Officer 90 and his trusty trunchean
One fell sweep and the head of the
I | rat family gave up the ghost as l.
very much relieved young ladies made
S a hurried exit by way of the othel