Des Arc citizen., 1866-05-05
DAN. RICE BEFORE TIE RECON
 STRUCTION COMMITTEE.
Washington Correspondence Cincinnati Com -l rnorcial

mercal.
 The Committee on Reconstruction still per sists in .suppressing the most important testi- snony elieited before it.. Ban Rice has re- gently been on circus tour through the lately rebellious States and has had opportu- mites such as are offered to few for observing the condition of the Southern people as to loyalty His testimony will Dc found to show the true feeling that exists in the South when the thin crust of prctendcd loyalty is melted away, and true character is revealed us under the exhilcrating influence of managerie, when man stands in the presence of the un- tanned forces of nature. separated therefrom only py the thin partition of an iron- ge. Mir. Rice, being duly sworn, testified thus: o. You have an unruiy animal, known as q pet mule, with'your circus, have you not A. 1 have.
 e., What are the idiosyneracies Of that beast q t89t Nt Ei IA t& fs Gt ls A. He is much given to kicking.
 Q. It is almost impossible to ride him is 1t not?
 A. Itis. I generally offer s25 to any man who will ride him round the ring.
 0. On your late visit to the South, did you receive any offers to ride that mule?
 A. did
 c. State what occurred on these occasions. A. In Richmond, discharged Confeder- ate soldier attempted to ride him, but was immediately thrown flat on his back. Q. What did the Confederate soldier say to this?
 A. He said the mule was D d--d Yankee cuss.
 0. Did any others make the attempt? A. Another of Lees veterans tried to ride him, and succeeded
 O. What did he say?
 A. He said after he had dismounted, that if he'd had 9 regiment O them ere cavalry he'd have whipped Fitzpatrick al to smash l; and that in the war against the Yankees he in tended to ride a brigade of 'em. SAeA3H Cross examined by Mir. Steyens 0. Is that he mule, or she mule? A. It's he mule.
 c. You have monkeys in your show, have you not?
 A. have sa
 0. Have you ever heard any disloyal re- marks in relation to those monkeys? A. can't say that have.
 Q. Have you ever heard anything said in their presence?
 A. Acouple of yol ng ladies were one day standing in front of the cage, and heard one of them say it looked like Freedmen s Bu- reau.
 o How was this remark received? A, It created much laughter.
 0, Were there any personal allusions made on that occasion?
 A. Some one in the crowd said, pointing to the orang outang. That's Sumner'' a 0. Did that please the bystaaders? A. Very much.
 O Did you ever hear any observations about the bears?
 A. Iheard it said once about a one-eyed bear, that he looked like Ben Butler, and about a grizzly bear that thought to be called Ben. Wade. Q. Were the points of resemblance stated A. They were not The observation was made on the tout ensemble, with special refer ence, perhaps, to the ocular deforrnity in tht case of the one-eyed animal
 o Have yousideshows th,yourcircus? A. have.
 Q. State ifyou have ever heard disloyal re marks in relation to them
 A. I believe heard something of the kind once about Daniel in tho lion 5 den. Q. State what it was?
 A. 4 young lady asked mo which was Dan iel and which was the lion.
 c. What was your reply A. I told her it was easy to distinguish Daniel from the Hon. as the former wore swallowtail coat, and had Q cotton umbrella under his arm. ssA
 c. What did she say?
 A. After looking into the cage she said very spitefully, that Daniel looked like mean Yankee and she wished the lion would chaN him up.
 MACK.