The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-30
AN UsLY AFFAIR IN LANCASTER.
TERRlBL Z. AFFRAY AT THE CIRCUS.
Cold s,oodc.1 A.,empt a. Murder.

Cold BIoodcd Attempt at Murder.
| The Lancaster pal Express says: An Of
fray occurred at Howe's European Circus
last night, which for cold-bloo5ed, murder
ous intentions, excels anything that has oc-
Cured within our city for years. The
parties to the affray were both employe. Of
the circus. Unc Of them, Edwin Clarke.
aged thirty-fye years. 4 native Of Bangor.
Me-, was employed as canvas man-hiS
duty being to prevent all persons, employes
rs well IL strangers, from creeping under
| the canvas. He was ut his post of duty
! when he saw Henry Edwards. Il man OF all
work about the circus, creeping under
! the canvas. Clarke Immediately caught him
and put him out Of the tent. Three times
after Edwards crept in. elclI time with the
same re,u!t-Clarke putting him ont. The
fourth time he was ousted he walked away.
muttering threats and imprcCatipnS against
! Clarke. the canvaS-nan. Nothing more was
/ thought of the affair by the hitter. Time
went on, the performance had closed, the
audience had gone home, and the canvas had
just been lowered to the ground, when
Clarke observed Edwards appr oachins bin
| in the darkness. Not SliSpfrtiur fuul Eiiy,
| Clarke awaited Edwards, who. without Il
word of warning. came close 10 hin. deal
| ing him Il terrible blow below tie csc, knock
| ing him down aud rendering him iISen,i5lc.
Clarke remembers nothing tint occurred
after that. but some Of the circus men, walk.
| ing that WAY soon after, fell over Clarkes
PROSTATE body. By this time lie bad re-
| turned 10 consciousness, and told the friends
who injured him. Upon examination his
friends discovered that he had been stabbed
deeply no less titan FIVE times in different
| parts of his body. Further inquiry deyrl-
| opcd that Edward, had deliberately set to
work TO murder The man, and that after liz
supposed the job finished he had walked into
the dreSSing-ronm Ut the tent, washed the
blood from his knife, dried the blade, and then
disappeared. They next set about to iud the
f, mllrdcrous villain, and were soon rewarded
by discovering him upon the commons, not
far from the scene OF his attack upon Clarke.
They commanded him to surrender, which he
refused to do. drawing his knife and daring
them to take him. He had hardly spoken
the words whena hand, attacked him with
clut's.and any other weapon they could con-
vcpiently pick up, knocking him down and
beating him until life was nearly extinct.
They then dragged him TO the tcnt-poc, and
were in the act of hanging him when one of
the managers of the circus arrived upon the
ground and ordered them to desist. The
crowd then dispersed, and the manager
dispatched a messenger to the Mayors office
for policemen. Officers Soamcr aud Leuts
were detailed, and brought Edwards in be-
tween II and o'clock. Between 2and 3
o'clock this morning Clarke. the wounded
man. was also carried to the Mayors office,
and Mayor Pl fer was sent for. Arriving ut
the Mayors office he saw fearful sight.
There lay Clarke upon setter, bleed
ing from his nllny kniiewountiS and I'M
conscious, while DR.. }. y. Boyd was btlSily
engaged in applying StimuantS and en-
dcavoring to relieve his suffering. Edwards
who was scarcely less bloody than the man
whom lie attempted TO murder, was brought
up and was asked what he had to say in his
defence. His reply WAS. 1" Nothing; be
ought to have been stabbed" Some person
then remarked. Don't you know that it
Clarke die, you'l he likely to stretch hemp:'
"WCll.> said Edwards, he ought to die :;
and il have 10 stretch hemp I'll stretch it
like II man." The Mayor then ordered him
to hr plIrcd in the lookup until morning.
while Clarke WIS removed to the county
hospital. This morning at O'Clock Or.
George \. King the attending physician ut
the ho-pitil, reported Clarke to be in very
critical condition. one wound having pCne-
trated his right lung, causing Il severe inter
nal hcmorrhage. Edwards was now brought
up from the lookup, and presented Il sorry
sight. His head was slapelesS. covered with
large Jumps, and having three good-sized
holes in it !; his nose was t1attcned, his upper
lip cut through to the teeth. both eyes
sweled shut, and his body bruised all over
He seemed more dead tilan alive, and from
the nature of his c;Stigation we should sup
pose his condition to be almost lis critical IL
that Of Clarke.