153

Dangerous Amusement.

Those present at Fulton Hall on Saturday
evening will remember that part of the performance
where Buffalo Bill shot a potato resting
on the head of Miss Cody. Thursday night,
a Mlle. Volante, a trapeze performer, held an
apple in her head and Jennie Folwer, known to
the stage as Miss Franklin, shot at the apple.
The shooter stood with her back to the mark,
taking aim by the reflection in a mirror. The
rifle was discharged and Mlle. Volante fell to
the stage, shot in the forehead. On Sunday
night she died. Now, we have no doubt that
"Buffalo Bill" is a far better marksman than
Jennie Franklin--and in fact one of the very
best shots in the county--but we agree with
the Harrisburg "Independent" that this by no
means gives immunity from accident, which
might occur at the critical moment, in a hundred
ways never thought of by the very best of
marksman. The fact is, as the "Independent"
says, that such exhibitions of rifle practice
should be forbidden by law; and indeed we are
inclined to believe that by a strict construction
they are already prohibited by the statute
passed a few years since prohibiting the pointing
of firearms at people, whether loaded or
not. If this is the case, the law should be enforced,
and if there really is no legal restraints,
then the practice should be abolished by the
potent voice of public opinion. Lives are too
precious to be sacrificed for the mere exhibition
of a marksman's skill.

Dangerous Amusement.

Those present at Fulton Hall on Saturday evening will remember that part of the performance where Buffalo Bill shot a potato resting on the head of Miss Cody. Thursday night, a Mile. Volante, a trapeze performer, held an apple in her head and Jennie Folwer, known to the stage as Miss Franklin, shot at the apple. The shooter stood with her back to the mark, taking aim by the reflection in a mirror. The rifle was discharged and Mile. Volante fell to the stage, shot in the forehead. On Sunday night she died. Now, we have no doubt that "Buffalo Bill" is a far better marksman than Jennie Franklin--and in fact one of the very best shots in the county--but we agree with the Harrisburg "Independent" that this by no means gives immunity from accident, which might occur at the critical moment, in a hundred ways never thought of by the very best of marksman. The fact is, as the "Independent" says, that such exhibitions of rifle practice should be forbidden by law; and indeed we are inclined to believe that by a strict construction they are already prohibited by the statute passed a few years since prohibiting the pointing of firearms at people, whether loaded or not. If this is the case, the law should be enforced, and if there really is no legal restraints, then the practice should be abolished by the potent voice of public opinion. Lives are too precious to be sacrificed for the mere exhibition of a marksman's skill.