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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 occured 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 black 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 purseurs, and by some grade mischance one barrel was loaded with ball, and a boy about sixteen years of age, named Michael 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 began 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 Entaw 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 has been caused by a minic ball, whereas, it is said, Buffalo Bill fired from a pistol. THe wound was bandaged and stopped from bleeding, and the injured was placed in a carriage and driven to his home, No. 136 West street accompanied by Dr. Crimm who was yet with him at a quarter of one o'clock this morning. The ball had not 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 mortal. The ball entered just below the shoulder blade and took a direct downward course passing through the lunds 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 rigle which was loaded intentionally with bullets, but with a charge of poweder so small that it could not carry the bullet at a long distance. The charge of powder was five grains for each bullet. At first sight it seems strange that the bullet fired from below 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 ---- far over the front of the gallery. This arragement 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 that it came from a blow given by a boy behind him. In a few minutes he found out his mistake and was assisted down stairs by comrades.