Frank I. Frayne
American actor and sharpshooter
About Frank I. Frayne
Lived 1839 – 1891 (aged 51–52).
Frank Ivers Frayne (March 19, 1839 – March 16, 1891) was a popular American actor and sharpshooter most notable for accidentally killing his fiancée on stage in a botched stunt.
Frayne was known for doing shooting stunts during his stage performances, including most famously shooting an apple off the head of another actor reminiscent of William Tell, and also while standing backward and using a mirror to aim, in a piece called Si Slocum. Tragically he killed his fiancée Annie Von Behren doing this stunt at a show in Cincinnati in 1882 when his firearm malfunctioned. He was arrested and tried for manslaughter, but exonerated at trial.
Frayne died at his apartment in Chicago on March 16, 1891, of heart failure.
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Important facts
People in Frank I. Frayne's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Frank I. Frayne's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Frank I. Frayne?
American actor and sharpshooter (1839–1891)
When was Frank I. Frayne born?
Frank I. Frayne was born in 1839.
When did Frank I. Frayne die?
Frank I. Frayne died in 1891.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Frank I. Frayne. https://biography.guide/frank-i-frayne/
MLA: "Frank I. Frayne." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/frank-i-frayne/.
Chicago: "Frank I. Frayne." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/frank-i-frayne/.
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