THE WILLIAM TELL ACT.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 695, 15 December 1902, Page 4

THE WILLIAM TELL ACT.

MAX KILLED OX THE STAGE, (Xew York Sun.) John Volkman, a harbor, who was employed by George Van Ausdall, was accidentally shot and killed the other night I on the stage ol Thespian Hall, in Long Island. Qno of the features of the show was Charles Meinel’s feat of shooting an apple front the head of any person who would volunteer to stand up and take part in the William Tell act. When no one volunteered, a member of the troupe performed this service. On the day in question Volkman expressed a willingness to net as the holder of the apple. Customers in the barber shop at the time tried to dissuade him from taking the risk, and one man went so far as to hid him good-bye and ask where ho wished to be buried. Volkman’s employer made every effort to keep him from the hall, even delaying work in the shop in the hope that this feature of the performance would he over before I oikman reached the hall. Volkman got to the hall in time to volunteer. Meinel did not appear to be in good shooting trim, and had been jeered hut a short time before, because he had missed a card at which lie had been shooting. When the apple had been put on V oikman’s head Meinel began shooting at a distance of about twenty feet-. The first two shots failed to hit cither the apple ortho man, but the third struck Volkman in the forehead, and he dropped to tho stage. Women screamed and fainted. Dr Soder, manager of the show and medicine company, went at once to tho aid of the injured man, and Dr Baldwin, of Main street, was summoned, They extracted a part of tho bullet, but some of it had penetrated tho frontal bone, and Volkman died within an hour. Menicl was arrested by Constable James Wright, and held on a chargo of manslaughter.