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AMUSEMENT.
HOLCOMBE HALL!
ONE NIGHT ONLY.
Monday, September 30th, 1878.
FIRST APPEARANCE, IN THIS CITY, OF BUFFALO BILL (HON. W. F. CODY)
And his GRAND COMBINATION, under the Management of JOHN T. FORD, of Baltimore, when will be presented the new DRAMA, entitled
MAY CODY; or, LOST AND WON!
WITH A FULL COMPANY OF 20 ARTISTS.
Brigham Young and His DANITES! DANITES!
Mountain Meadow Massacre!
WILL APPEAR.
A DUO ENTERTAINMENT, introducing the Pawnees and Nes Perce Indian Chiefs and Squaw; also the Roy Chief of the Pawnees, Master EDDIE, and Government Interpreters, the BURGESS BROTHERS, in Native Pastimes War Dances, Religious Rites, Nuptual Ceremonies, Archery and Fancy Rifle Shooting.
Prices as usual. Reserved seats to be had at Emerson Bros' Book Store, three days in advance.
JOSH E. OGDEN, General Agent
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Fatal Shooting at the Theatre.---In the last act of the frontier drama of "May Cody," played at Ford's Opera House last night by William F. Cody, otherwise known as "Buffalo Bill." and introducing scouts and Indians of the Far West, who have figured in realistic adventures as exciting as those depicted on the boards, an accident occurred of a kind that is fortunately rare, and the result of which, it is hoped, will not be serious. There is a great deal of firing from guns and pistols in the piece, but these weapons, of course, have only blank charges. In one of the exciting scenes near the close of the drama, Buffalo Bill, while riding on a pony up a mimic mountain fired several shots at supposed Indian pursuers, and by some gave mischance one barrel was loaded with ball, and a boy about sixteen years of age, named Micheal Gardner, occupying a front seat in the gallery, received a bullet in the left shoulder. According to one statement, he said at once to those sitting near him that he was shot, while according to another account he did not know he was shot until he left the gallery and reached the street. Anyhow, when the blood began to show on his clothing he was removed to the drug store at the corner of Baltimore and Eutaw streets and Drs. Wall and Crim were summoned to attend him. The doctors probed inward as far as they could without finding the ball. The size of the wound indicated that it had been caused by a mini ball, whereas, it is said, Buffalo Bill fired from a pistol. The wound was bandaged and stopped from bleeding, and the injured lad placed in a carriage and driven to his home, No. 136 West street, accompanied by Dr. Crim, who was yet with him at a quarter of one o'clock this morning. The ball had not had been found at that time, and it was reported to have penetrated very deep in the direction of the lungs. As the accident was not known in the audience during the performance, it caused no excitement.
At a late hour this morning Dr. Crim stated that he regards the wound as a mortal. The ball entered just below the shoulder blade and took a direct downward course, passing through the lungs and lodging somewhere near the spine in the small of the back, although the exact location is not known. It is almost impossible for the lad to recover. It seems that the bullet was fired from a rifle, which was loaded intentionally with bullets, but with a charge of powder so small that it could not carry the bullet a long distance. The charge of powder was five grams for each bullet. At first sight it seems strange that the bullet fired from below it should have taken a downward course into the body of the boy, who was in the gallery. Buffalo Bill was on a height representing a mountain, however, and the boy was leaning far over the front of the gallery. This arrangement of positions readily explains the course taken by the bullet.
The boy cried out that he was struck the moment he was shot, but thought it came from the blow given by a boy behind him. In a few minutes he found out his mistake and war assisted down stairs by comrades.
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AN UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.
The Shooting of a Boy in the Gallery by Buffalo Bill.
The boy (Micheal Gardner), who was shot in Ford's Opera House on Monday night by Mr. William F. Cody, more generally known as "Buffalo Bill," remained in the same critical condition yesterday, and the chances of his recovery are yet very slight. He is at his parents' dwelling. No. 136 West Street, and by direction of Mr. Cody, has been given every attention that money can provide. His father, Benard Gardy is a cooper by raise and is a very industrious man. Micheal, like all the rest of the grown children, worked for his living. He was very fond of [word] dime novels and Indian stories in boys' periodicals, and worshipped Buffalo Bill as a great hero. From his front seat in the gallery, secured by going early and waiting until the doors opened, as Gere was a great rush of boys on the opening night, he watched the performance of the exciting drama with the deepest interest and when the accident occurred was leaning far over the railing. Near the close of the last act, there was a trial of skill between Buffalo Bill and other scouts in the troupe at exciting glass balls sprung from a trap. The rifles need in shooting at the glass balls were loaded with bullets, but the charge of powder was supposed to be so small as not to give the bullets any penetrating power, except at such a short distance as the width of the stage. For some reason, Buffalo Bill was not fortunate in his aim on the opening night. Owing to want of practice, short-range, or the way in which the rifles were loaded, he did not strike the balls as often as was expected, and this circumstance seemed to disturb him. During the shooting, he missed six balls in succession, and misses appeared to be the rule and hits the exception. The contest was then stopped, and Buffalo Bill, mounting his pony, waved adieu to the gathered Indians and scouts, and rode up an accent representing a mountain, taking his victorious leave, as it were, accompanied by the plaudits of the encampment. As he rode up the mountain he fired two shots from the rifle with which he had been shooting at the glass balls. The two shots were fired upward. One of them did no damage, the bullet probably going into the flies above the scenery, but the second one struck the boy in the gallery, entering near the should and passing backward, going through the left lung and lodging somewhere in the back. The ball is so far inward that the doctors have no hope of finding it. Whenever the wound exposes the air from the lungs can be seen passing through it. The boy is kept under the influence of opiates, and during yesterday weakened very much.
Mr. Cody, in an interview last night, said that the shooting was an accident that gave him genuine regret. He had been shooting at the glass balls with his Springfield rifle, and the cartridges he used had small charges of powder, just enough to make the bullet break the glass. He had no idea that the charge of powder was sufficient to carry the bullets from one side of the theatre to the other. He had tried them yesterday just to satisfy himself and found that the bullets did not even penetrate a piece of wood as thin as the side of a cigar box.
In firing at the glass balls he always stood rear the footlights and shot backward the bullets lodging in a large target of some wood suspended in the rear of the stage. The firing at glass balls had ceased, and mounting his pony, he proceeded to make his final exit, going up a "run" at the back of the stage representing a mountain. The Indians of his troupe had not been doing as well as usual, as it was the first night, and they had not been properly stirred up. They are very excitable people and the least little thing starts their enthusiasm. For the purpose of stirring them to such a show of wildness as would make the close of the performance exciting to the audience, he shouted as he urged his pony forward and fired two shots in the air.
He had two kinds of cartridge in his belt to use in the rifle. One kind was blank cartridges, and the others, which he had used in shooting at the glass balls had bullets in them. By mistake, he says, he must have got hold of one of the wrong cartridges. Still, if the boy had worn a coat, the bullet probably would not have scratched him. But as he was in his shirt-sleeves it penetrated the flesh. It was one of those accidents that happen once in a life-
170
the exciting drama with the deepest interest, and when the accident occurred was leaning far over the railing. Near the close of the last act there was a trial of skill between Buffalo Bill and other scouts in the troupe at shooting glass balls sprung from a trap. The rifles need in shooting at the glass calls were loaded with bullets, but the charge of powder was supposed to be so small as not to give the bullets any penetrating power, except at such a short distance as the width of the stage. For some reason, Buffalo Bill was not fortunate in his aim on the opening night. Owing to want of practice, short of range, or the way in which the rifles were loaded, he did not strike the balls as often as expected, and this circumstance seemed to disturb him. During the shooting he missed six balls in succession, and misses appeared to be the rule and hits the exception. The contest was then stopped, and Buffalo Bill, mounting his pony, waved adieu to the gathered Indians and scouts, and rode up an ascent representing a mountain, taking his victorious leave, as it were, accompanied by the plaudits of the encampment. As he rode up the mountain he fired two shots from the rifle with which he had been shooting at the glass balls. The two shots were fired upward. One of them did no damage, the bullet probably going into the flies above the scenery, but the second one struck the boy in the gallery, entering near the shoulder and passing backward going through the left lung and lodging somewhere in the back. The ball is so far inward the doctors have no hope of finding it. Whenever the wound is exposed the air from the lungs can be seen passing through it. The boy is kept under the influence of opiates, and during yesterday weakened very much.
Mr. Cody, in an interview last night, said that the shooting was an accident which gave him genuine regret. He had been shooting at the glass balls with his Springfield rifle, and the cartridges he used had small charges of powder, just enough to make the bullet break the glass. he had no idea that the charge of powder was sufficient to carry the bullets from one side of the theatre to the other. He had tried them yesterday just to satisfy himself, and found that the bullets did not even penetrate a piece of wood as thin as the side a cigar box.
In firing at the glass balls he always stood rear the footlights and shot backward, the bullets lodging in a large target of some wood suspended in the rear of the stage. The firing at glass balls had ceased, and, mounting his pony, he proceeded to make his final exit, going up a "run" at the back of the stage representing a mountain. The Indians of his troupe had not been doing as well as usual, as it was the first night, and they had not been properly stirred up. They are a very excitable people, and the least little thing that starts their enthusiasm. For the purpose of stirring them to such a show of wildness as would make the close of the performance exciting to the audience, he shouted as he urged his pony forward and fired two shots in the air.
He had two kinds of cartridges in his belt to use in the rifle. One which were blank cartridges, and the others which he had used in shooting at the glass balls, had bullets in them. By mistake, he says he must have got hold of one of the wrong cartridges. Still, if the boy had worn a coat, the bullet probably would not have scratched him. But as he was in his shirt sleeves it penetrated the flesh. It was one of those accidents that happen once in a lifetime, and he was really and truly sorry for it. He had been to see the boy, and spent some time with him. He had been informed on good authority that the wound was not at all dangerous, and he intended, with the consent of the parents, taking the boy along with him as soon as he recovered. He was very sure that the reported dangerous character of the wound was an utter mistake.
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FORD'S. Buffalo Bill.
Mr. Cody as a Scout and Indian Fighter has a national reputation. He's appreciated by the military authorities as the first and foremost of frontier heroes.
The Indians that appear to-night are also real Savage Chieftains. The Scouts are Real Scouts.
For One Week Only. commencing To-night, with Matinees September 12 (Thursday) and Saturday,
BUFFALO BILL, (THE HON. W.F. CODY)
And his Dramatic and Indian Combination, in Major Burt's Frontier Drama of
"MAY CODY: or, LOST AND WON."
After the Drama a GRAND TRIAL OF SKILL between THE SCOUTS AND INDIANS, lasting thirty minutes.
The Usual Matiness on Saturday at 2.
On Next Monday the first production in the Atlantic cities of the great Parisian success, "LES FOURCHAMBAULT," which will be under the auspices of the Baltimore Fire Department, for the Benefit of the Yellow Fever Fund. Tickets for sale by the Firemen.
ADMISSION 50 and 25 cents.
In preparation, Shakespeare's "KING JOHN."