SHOT DEAD ON THE STAGE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1057, 20 January 1883, Page 1

SHOT DEAD ON THE STAGE.

The play of ‘ Sir Slocum 5 ended with a real tragely at (ho end of the fourth matinee in the Colosseum Theatre, Cincinatti, on Nov 30th. Frank Wayne’s company was playing with Frayne as Sir Slocum, and Miss Amy von Betren as Mrs Lucy Slocum. Everything went off brilliantly till the end of tne fourth act, when the villain Markham, who was captured by Sir Slocum, says ‘ I’il have your wife’s head, ami with a backward shot.’ Miss Von Betren, who had been performing in the role since the death of Frank Prayne’s iron wife some two year’s ago, stepped lightly to her post, with an apple on her head looking the very personification of wifely trustfulness and confidence. Sir Slocum adjusted his mirrors slowly, the wife being 30ft away. His aim was deliberate and slow, and he was never more steady of nerve. Bang went the rifle. The apple did not fall, hut the. girl dropped full length backward with a dull dreary thud on the floor, and the apple rolled away towards the footlights. Her face was partly hidden behind the wing of the scene. With the flash of the rifle Frayne himself sprang as if he had been shot, and fuming towards the prostrate girl, ran in a wild plunging staggering sort of a way till he fell on the floor beside her, with one arm resting on her body. The curtain then fell overall. Mrs S'ocnm fell without a moan, and lay motionless. Sir Slocum lay in a swoon behind her, while the actors were discreetly silent. As soon as the ct Haiti fell Miss Yon Betren was carefully borne to her state romn. The surgeon arrived immediately, hut he was of no use She never moaned or spoke and scarcely moved. In fifteen minutes after the bullet struck her she was a corpse. Frayne was also carried to a state room. As soon as he recovered sufficiently he came out and knelt by the side of the almost lifeless girl, and pleaded with her to speak. She heard nothing, and gave no sign of

consciousness. The actors rushed up to their rooms after the death scene, ami gave way to overwhelming griet. Fray no was taken tc the station and locked up on a charge of ranrder. When taken there ho said to the officers—- ‘ Make the charge as severe as you can. Make it the worst.’ On the Oth December, James Pert was similarly served by his brother John at an amateur performance in Chicago. A law inhibiiive of this kind of ‘ amusement’ is now spoken of.