The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-26
A BAD TOWN FOR ssuows.
Fatal ARRAY in Granny, Missouri.

In CRANKY Newton county, Mo-, some
body is always killed when q circus visits
the place. Until the 18th inst. there had
not been circus in CRANKY since three
years ago when Lakes company exhibited
there and the proprietor, VIM. Lake, was
murdered. The man who killed Lake is
well-known, but has never been brought
to trial for his crime. A reward of 81 600
was offered by the state for his capture,
and he permitted some of his friends to
bring him in and gain the reward Having
taken the money they used portion of it
to pay somebody for stealing the indict-
ment found against the murderer, who
has since gone Mt large without molesta.
ton.
On Monday of last week another show
put in an appearance in CRANKY, attracting
great crowd from the surrounding coun-
try. The grog shops were literally patron
ized but the day passed without any seri-
Gus breach of the peace. There were
number of unruly characters about, how
ever, and among these, says a correspond
ent of the Missouri Republican, was n
brothca Of the man who killed Lake Dur
ing the afternoon he staggered through
the main street of the town, defiantly flour
ishing his pistol, Boosting that his brother
had made name for himself by kill
ing a Snowman. and he, too, was going to
kill somebody. Peaceful people prudently
kept out of the way. and night came with
out a fight or disturbance.
At night. however, the performance in
the circus was interrupted by the sound OF
a noisy disturbance off to one side of the
tent. High words were heard passing be-
tween Il negro and II white. who could he
but imperfcctly distinguished in The au-
dence. Very few words seemed TO pass
between them, and attention had scarcely
been directed to the point of the quarrel
when the sharp report of pistol was heard
followed by others in quick succession. At
the first shot scene of the widest uproar
and confusion arose. Women shrieked and
children began to cry and cling to those
| around them. Men rushed hithcr and
thither blindly, some seeking the door and
Others hurrying to the quarter of thealfray.
For time it was impossible to- tell what
had happened, and who or how many were
hurt. After a while, however, when the
frightened women and children had been
quoted and the dazcd men brought back to
their senses, it was discovered that an csti-
mablc citizen, clothing merchant named
Nj. Schmidt, had been MORALLY wounded,
another man severely hurt, and negro also
badly wounded. Besides these Mrs.
Sweet had received an ugly shot in her arm,
and another lady was slightly grazcd by Il
ball.
Nobody seemed to know who fired the
first shot After the first words
were heard between white man and a ne
gro a man named Hall was seen to place
pistol at the head of the negro The cap
missed fire, however, and then II man
Killesan fired ut the negro. hitting him in
the neck. A second shot after this tool,
effect in the negros breast. and a third in
his chin. Other shots were fired simulta-
neously and rapidly. The parties engaged
in the ARRAY discharged their weapons
with most reckless disregard of the hun
dreds of people standing in such dangerous
proximity to them.
In the confusion which this random
shooting created, the guilty parties manag-
ed to make their escape. Armed and
mounted men at the last accounts were
securing the country in search of the
fiends, and every effort will be made to
bring them to justice. A reward Of 500
has been offered but the feeling in the
community is so intense that If they are
captured the law will scarcely be permit
ted to take its slow and uncertain course,
but instant and summary punishment will
very likely be inflicted, as the courts are
either powerless or unwilling to deal with
the desperadoes who have had their own
way for several years, committing many
murders in that time.