Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1893 — AMATEUR TRAGEDY. [ARTICLE]

AMATEUR TRAGEDY.

Watch - Night Fatality at San Francisco. The Leading Lady the Anther e! the Play—An Awfifi Experience at an Amateur Performance. The old year was closed at San Francisco by a sad tragedy in which Sidney McCoy, a young lawyer, lost his life. A party of about fifty had assembled at McCoy’s house to watch the oldi year out and. the new year in. The feature of the evening’s entertainment was the production of a short play, written by McCoy and performed by amateurs! Tho plot was the betrayal of a band of Russian nihilists by one of their number. The nihilists discovered their traitor and condemned him to death. They decide by lot who shall perform the execution, and the number fell to the character portrayed by McCoy, Miss King playing the part of the traitor. She is given the clioTce of belng kllled or stabbing herself, and chooses the latter alternative. Mr. McCoy handed her a stout dagger, which had been in the family for many years. Iu the play, the girl, instead of killing herself was to stabber executioner, and as Miss King received the knifo she reached forwardMcCoy on tiio breast with it. At the same instant McCoy started toward the girl, when sho stumbled, and falling forward with the dagger in her hand, drove it through McCoy's heart. McCoy showed wonderful presence of mind. He walked into the next room and asked for a doctor and then fell dead. Tho girl knew (here had been an accident of somo kind, but did not know McCoy wits killed. She was taken home, and afterward on the advice of her friends r gave herself up to the police. She was taken to the city prison at 3 o'clock in the - morning, and when she entered the prison fainted, and has sinco remainofl unconscious. .McCoy's two brothers secured her release by giving bonds for SIO,OOO for her appearance. The girl was then taken homo, and is iu a critical condition. That aecidont. is explained by tho fact that recently Miss King suffered from a sprained ankle and she bad boon using crutches to walk with, but had laid them aside to practice the part in tho play. As she made a motion to stab McCoy sho rested her weight on the weak foot. It. gave way and she fell forward.