The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-05-16
Dan Rice Before the Reconstruction Com
.... uittGe.

:. The Committee on Reconstruction still per
sists in Spppressing the mos important teS,I'
mony elected before it. Dan b'ce has rece"T5
been on a circus tour throughout inc i&'c'F
yebellious States, and has had opportunities
such as afforded to few, for observing tNe con-
dition of the Southern people as to tAEa!'y.
His testimony Will .be found 10 >ho" 't'e true
soI;nc that exists in tie South when the thiN
crust Of pretended loyalty IS melted away ana
true characteris revealed Us under the eXhiler-
sting influence of ,nenagerie, when man
stands in the presence Of the untamed forces
Of nature, separated thcrc(rom only by the
thin partition of an iron cage. Mr.. Rice, be-
ing duly sworn, testified thus:
Q. You have all unruly animal, known as
pet mule, with your circus, have you rot?
A. Ihave.
:. Q. What are the idiosyncrasses Of that
beast?
.s.e 4. He is-much given to kicking.
~ Q. It is almost Impossible to :lde him, IS It
not?
A. is. generally offer $25 to any man
who will ride him round the ring.
0. On your late visit to the Sonth, did you
receive any offer to ride that mule:
- 4. did. ..,
@. State what occurred on these occasions.
a. In Richmond, a discharged Confederate
soldier attempted to ride him, but was lInme-
diately thrown fat on his back.
> @. What did the Confederate soldier say TO
this?
A. He said the mule was id Yankee
cuSs. "........
- Q. Did any other make the attempt? <
4, Another Of Ilee'S veterans tried to ride
him, and succeed d.
Q. What did he say2 g..
i. He SAID, after he had diSmounted, that
If he'd had regiment o them ere cavalry ne d
have whipped Fitzpatrick all to smash; and
= that in The next war against the Yankees TX
intended to raise brigade Of elm.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Stevens:
@. Is that he mule, or she mule:
A. It's he mule.
Q. You have monkeys in your show, have
you not?
A have. .... -
Q. Have. you ever heard any disloyal re.
marks in relation to the monkeys?
A. I 't-say that lhave.
Q. Have you ever heard anything SAID N
their presence?
A. A couple of young ladies were one day
standing in front of the cage, and / heard one
p of them say it looked like Freedmens Bu-
8 reau.
, O. How was theremark received?
---'. A. 1t created much laughter.
Q. Were there any personal illusions made
on that occasion?
a. Some of The crowd said, pointing to the
orang outang, That's Summer, ..
@. Did that please the byStanders?
- A. Very much.
Q. Didyou ever hear any observations about
the bears? - = IL
A. Iheard it said once about a onc-eyed
bear that he looked like Ben. Butler, and
about as grizzly that it, ought to be called
Ben. Wade. .... $3.50 :.
@. Were the points Of resemblance stated:
A. They were. not. ~phe observation was
made on the tosgt ensemble, with special refer
r ence, perhaps, to the occuiar dcformity IN the
case of the one~eyed animal.
0. Have you side shows with your circus
a. have.
O. State if you ever heard any disloyal re-
marks in relation tc them?
"A. believe heard something Of the KIND
once about Daniel in the lions den. ~
@. State what it was ? .--
A. 4 young lady asked me which was Dan
isl and which was the hon.
Q. What was your reply? 49,. -,
- A. told her it was easy to distinguish
Daniel from the lion, as the former wore a
swallow-tail coat, and had cotton umbrella
under his arm.
Q. What didshe say?
S. 4. After looking into the cage she said,
very spitefully, that Daniel looked Ike a mean
Yankee, and she wished the lion would chaw
= S;D,E,,n tin HO?y20p7'eiuL