St. Landry democrat., 1879-11-22
A Point iaa Dancing,
WHO SHALL TAKE THE HEADS AND
WHO THE sides" IN A SET,
Virginia CITY New Chrontrle


! Charles CiarksOn was tried Yesterday
afternoon for assaultins William Nit
cEIell Oh Friday evening last, The
parties reside i'll this city, but the
trouble took place at q ball given on
American Flat. Mitchell testified that
| he went down 10 American Flat last
| Friday evening to attend ball given
tor the benefit ot al poor widow. As n
rule, he did not CaGe much for social
| dances. but lie went to this one 10 Assist
the widow. While Il quadrlle set VIVA
! forming or the floor he noticed sh,1
Clalksou, who had taken 3 position ON
the side, Went across and whispered 10
d couple opposite him. He overheard
enough to know that I. conspiracy yyas
! forming between the two side cour.Ies
to dance the first tigure-a figure alynys
danced i'll We!I-regulated bathrooms by
t!le head couples. He determined 10
assert his rights, and as soon ag the
| music struck up and the order was
given to forard and back" be broke
Tor the centre OF the foot, All the
dangers Ill his set DID the sane, aud the
, result Wab that there Vas u violent
quadrllateral collision. CIarkson sud .
denly hauled ott and hi, the witness in
the eye. The fight the became gene, al,
NOUS society cvSnt known as he
"Lannigan's Ball " wasn't a cjrcu, u
stance to the sceV.e OF confusion the ve
enacted. Du:iU tbe row Mitchell r,-
ceived Il black eye and a swelled nos t
from Clarksor.'s cuerge,ic fist. Clark .
sou next tooF the stand. and swore that
ne ana ms y ri were at tsle end OF the
set, ano -re not II side couple at all
he had b':eD at a ball or SD in his time,
ana kns " something of the rules OF
danclnf.. According to the rules the
two ~ yad couples always dapced rs the
crac6-s OF the floor ran. He had started
10 q ance as designated by the cracks
AMI knew he was right. He admitted
That he had BACKED the compla irant's
eye, hut he made it a principle ut a
dance to hold his own against ali co, uers.
He would allow TO ;nan on earth tn
indulge in any " funny business" AZ his
expense. Thomas Jenkins, man " ho
had furnished the music for the dane, =
vas put on the stand. He said it was
usual to dance ItDgthwise OF the cracks,
unless the ball was larger the olhpl
way. Witness: I'll the cracks run
lengthwi Use OF the hall the head couuI,.
dance along the cracks, aud il the bali
is large across EN-" The Court: Sup
pose you have square room, carppte.i,
and no cracks ~ sight, what do You do
in that case" The Witness: You
dance toward the music" The Court:
NV here was the music on this occasion?'
The vitness: "lu the corner.' tn,
Court: '"lf the cracks ran across tn,
hall, and the hall was larger the otl er
way, and the music was in the corner
how slld you exEect people to dane,
straight ~ The witness was completed,
mb-tounded by this joint consolidated
question. He made no reply, but stared
llelplessly ahout the room. He war
finally dismissed. Several other wit.
nesses testified as to how the cracks IN
the floor ian. Some We're of the opinion
that there were DO cracks n the toor AT
all at least hey li'In', notice anv. One
witne ss was asked: "Dld Won notj,
any cracksf' and answered promptly
" got crack on the head with stove
poker, antI 1t ran nnrth ana south. u,
near as | can recolect." This repl,
CAUSED some merriment, but the CON
stable was fully equal to the OCCASION.
John Il. Briggs, who was ut the ball, /
told his experience in this way "Wheu /
the row opened up [ sashayed over to-
the centre OF the room and got a lift !
under the ear. and / let out my left al !
the man who hit me- just ice .Mose>
Gocosely:) "A sort of alley.map LEI,
movement, ell 2" The witness: Yes,
yonr honor. Then got kicked in tht.
stomach, and the women screamed. and
the lights went out. got some felitsw,s.
head in cllancery, asd hammered ava,
Mt 1t as long us | could hold it.n sThs.
district attorney: Didn't You know
who it was I" The witness: Haven,
any idea, was just trying to ltofi nv
chances level with the clpwd.n Th..
case then went to the jury, who'returned
q verdict of not guilty. =