Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-07-28
tFrom the Toronto Coonist.l
Destruction of Myers & Madigan's Circus
Tent In Canada by a Mob.

Tent In Canada by a Mob.
One of the most disgraceful riots that ever
occurred in this city took place on Friday last
the circumstances of which we have taken
trouble to ascertain accurately, and they are as
follows :-Howe's managere and Myers and
Madigan's equestrian troupe jointly exhibited
and performed in this city, on the vacant space
near the JAIL Oh the evening of Thursday and
Friday
On Thursday night a row occurred in a
house of ill-fame little west of the old hospital
on King street, in which two or three OF the
circus people were concerned. Two young
men, named Fawcet and Fraser, who, it is said,
belong to the hook and ladder company IN this
citv, were seriously injured, one OF them getting
his jaw broken in two places from the blow of
a decanter The parties who inflicted these
injuries were those concerned with the circus
and, consequently, the friends of the sufferers
vowed vengeance on the whole establishment.
From the inquiries we have made, we have
ascertained that the friends of Fawcete and
Fraser were busy during the whole of Friday
preparing for an attack on the circus establish
ment in the evening Every endeayor was
made to collect such a force as would if
possible overawe both the circus people and
police, and allow the mob to do just as it pleas
ed. Symptoms of the riot were quite perceptible
during the hours Of performance, but no regular
attack was made upon the premises until the
audience had departed. 1t was then that
some one commenced to cut the canvass with a
knife, and a most violent demonstration was
made by yells and shouts. The employees of
the circus armed themselves with such weapons
as they could lay hands upon, sailed out in a
body and made clearance, and again returned
under the canvass. The police here, it seems
made feeble attempt to arrest some persons,
but were prevented by the mob. About this
time we believe it was, that Joseph Bird,
member of the hook and ladder company
received a blow of an iron bar from one of the
circus men, and had to be taken home. A
pistol shot, we understand, was also fired by
one of the party assailed The next step of
the mob was to make an attack on one of the
wagons, which they pulled away and tumbled
over the embankment into the bay. They then
attacked the ticket wagon, which was smash
ed into pieces with their axes and set on fire.
The Mayor had previously been sent for by
Mr.. Yale, one of the managers of the company,
and he soon arrived on the spot and endeavored
to quell the disturbance He advised the
circus men to lay down their weapons and
consider themselves as prisoners and he would
do everything in his power to protect them
to which request they Immediately yielded,
sitting down together in the tent He then
expostulated with the mob outside, and entreat-
ed them to desist but his efforts, although
successful in one quarter, were defeated in
another He managed, however to rescue two
men belonging to the company, who were set
upon by the crowd some of whom shouted
out "kl them-knock them down." &c. and
whom he sent off in a cab to the police station.
The work of destruction still went on.
When the ticket wagon was set on fire. some
of the mob proceeded to st. Lawrence Hall
and caused the fire alarm to be rung, which
proceeding, most likely preconcerted, had the
effect of bringing the hook and ladder wagon
and several of the engines to the ground
Amid demoniac yells and the darkness of the
night, relieved only by the dim light Of the
burning vehicles the hooks were applied to the
chains and ropes of the pavilion, and to the
cry of " this way, rackers," from the ring
leaders, the work of pulling down the canvass
commenced. While this part of the proceed
ingS was going on, several attempts were made
to fire the tent, but the operation was not
successful until it was all pulled down, when
the wardrobe (Which was new and every
thing that could be laid hold of, was thrown
into the fire and destroyed After the tent
was destroyed, the mob rushed toward the
caravan of wild beasts, one of which (that of
the cameeopard) they backed towards the
flames, but the Mayor and his assistants rescued
it. His Worship finally addressed the excited
populace from the roof of one of the wagons,
pointing, pointing out to them the shameful
character of their proceedings and after some
time they began to dispense Myers, one of
the proprietors, who was of the party implicat-
ed in the assault on Thursday evening on
Fawcet and Fraser, is now in custody, having
been arrested at Brampton, on Saturday