A CURIOUS ACCIDENT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2976, 8 January 1881, Page 4

A CURIOUS ACCIDENT.

A curious accident occurred at a Marseilles theatre the other night, while Dumas' brilliant play " La- Dame de Montsoreau" was being played. The actor who took the part of Ohicofc, the gallant, noble-hearted jester of Henry 111., got so excited by his part that he forgot to be cautious in one of tho fighting episodes, and wounded a fellowplayer. It is really remarkable, however, how very seldom such accidents take place ; the wonder should rather be, not that they occur at all, but that they occur so seldom. The space in even the largest theatre is limited, and when actors fight with the vehemence and grim semblance of reality, which it is now necessary to give to these mimic combats, it would seem as if the chances wore rather in favour of than against an accident. Sometimes actors themselves are a little reckless. It is told of Booth, the father of the eminent tragedian who is about to revisit London after a long absence, that he was very trying to other actors, because of hi 3 carelessness in fighting on the stage, and tho vigour with Ti ich he fenced. On one occasion, howw*- " mefc I" 8 match. He was playing ever, hv . with a new Lsertos, Hamlet sou.. before the performance •whom he warned "'ted in the fencing that, as he got very eiu. " his opponent, it Bcene, and often wounded _ be careful, therefore behoved Ltertes to » -d OD . Lcertes thanked him for the hint, anserved that he too was very excitable, aw whenever he felt himself wounded he always ran his opponent through the body. _ Booth contrived to keep his mind and his sword under control while fighting with that Loertes,