The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-07-20
SALE OF MOZART HALL.
one of the oldest Buildings in the
City.
A Few Historical Items Regard
to it.

Mozart Hall was sold yesterday at
public auction, and was purchased Dy
Jacob Weiss, who is to pull 1t down
At once. and remove the rubbish, as
wa understand that Mr.. Preston con-
terminates building business block
upon the site st once
This building has long been one of
the old land marks, and it is proper
that it should receive more than a
passing notice on the occasion of its
being torn down
We have consulted with many Of
our oldest citizens, but we cannot
ascertain to a certainty in what year
it was built, but the opinion prevails
that it was put up in 1920, and built
for family residence It was the
second brick house built in the city,
the Court House being first, which still
stands on the corner of Main and
Third. having been remodeled lately
by w. Ii. Walker, Esq.
The house was built by a man
named Thompson, who first occupied
it. 1t is supposed that Daniel Gold
smith done the brick work, as he was
the principal brick layer here at that
time
It's also pretty certain that the
brick we're made by David Negley,
who burned the bricks for the Court
House.
Thompson, the owner of the house,
died shortly after it was built. He
wss painter by trade, and took the
painters cholic while engaged in
painting the building.
The residence was occupied for a
long while by Edward Hopkins, father
of J ohm S. Hopkins, Esq aud at that
time was one of the finest buildings
in the city.
So far as we can learn, the hall was
not built in the rear of the building
until about the year 1887. This Hall
has been used for many and various
purposes during the many years it has
existed, and several tragedies have
been enacted within It's ancient walls.
The most fearful tragedy that ever
occurred in this city took place at
this Hall on the night of the 9TH OF
January, 1861, and resulted in the
death Of the Evans brothers, Robert
and Paul. As great many of our
readers have never read the account
of this tragedy, we republish it from
the files of the DAILY JOURNAL OF
january 8, 1861, as follows:
HEARTRENDING TRAGEDY.
Last night, about midnight, a TRACE
| dy was enacted In this city that prob
ably was never equalled for deadly
effects, ferocity aud unnatural hate.
We have only time for hasty ac-
count of it.
A fierce feud has long existed be-
| tween two brothers named John Paul
Evans and Robert M Evans, mem
bers of an old and we'll known family
of this city. Their grandfather laid
out the town of Evansville They
have made several attempts hereto
fore on each others lives.
Robert went to a ball at Mozart
Hall, yesterday evening with a lady
Over a hundred people were there
About midnight Paul came In intoxi-
Gated He walked up to his brother
and asked him to drink; his brother
refused; whereupon Paul drew q
knife, seeing which, Robert drew &
- Danl okarNnI hall =
drew a six shooter. Robert drew q
knife, and put it between his teeth
and commenced firing. Paul returned
the FIRE, and each fired six shots, anG
then closed and used their knives
They were mortally wounded.
Paul started for the front door anC
4 went out; was followed and brough
back, and died in twenty minutes
He was shot in the upper part of the
breast, and cut several times in the
abdomen.
Robert, when Paul left the room
followed him as far as the inside door
where he fell, struck the wall anC
skinned his face. He was carried tt
a temporary couch, and lay insensiblt
nearly three hours, whene he also
died. He was shot through the lef
lobe of the brain, aud in the righ
side beneath the ribs. They boil
seemed to die of inward bleeding.
During the encounter, a younger
brother, Berry, shot three balls a
Paul, one of which, it is said, hit him
Solomon Gumberts, a son of Simon
Gumberts, a by stander, was acct
dentally shot by one of the random
balls in the right thigh, the bulle
narrowly missing the femoral artery
His condition is serious.
Such a scene as was presented
when the writer reached the Hal
may he never again behold. The tw,
brothers lay there within a few fee
of each ether, cold and pale in death
bloody and CHASTITY, married by fratri
cidal wounds. The floor near tn
scene of combat was covered Will
gore, and the clustering pitted will
bullet dents. Gathered around wer
groups of men, some with tears glis
tening in their eyes, although un
used to the melting mood"
1t was providential that no NOR
persons were hurt. Fifteen shot
were fired recklessly In a room
crowed with men and women
Several other smaller affairs hav
taken place at this Hall, but nothin
to compare with this great tragedy
The Hall has also been used for re
ligious fairs and festivals, and wa
:. occupied several years by Marti
r Golden as a regular theatre.
This old building, nearly fifty year
s OF age, has been doomed, and the re
morseless scythe of progress wi
soon cut 1t down; the many peopl
who knew II 50 {.