Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-05-29
THE BULL.RING BULLIES,
Their Hearing on Habcas Corpus-Their I'm
prisOnnlent Reduced to Three Days.


who assisted in raising the dis. graceful row
at Fulton opera house on Monday-Samue!
Powell, Fred. Miller, Joseph Carter and
WIN. LeOnard-and who subsequently par
ticipated i'll the riot hear the opera house.
were committed to the county prison yes
terday by Mayor MacGonigle for 30 days
each, for drunken and disorderly conduct.
Last evening they were taken before Judge
Patterson on 4 writ of habeaS corpus, with
4 view to their discharge, Samuel II. Rey
nolds, esq, appearing rs their counsel.
Policemen Merrinser. Dorwart, Lcman and
Chief Deichler, who arrested the accused,
testified to their drunken. disorderly ant
riotous conduct in the vicinity of the opera
house
Mayor AacGonigle testified that he ar
rested Miller while he was in the act OF
attempting to rescue Powell from the police
officers.
Chief of Police Dcchler testified that he
had several members Of the police force
stationed i'll and about the opera house on
Monday, ill anticipation of disturbance.
There was much disorder in the opera
house, and when the convention adjourned
he ordered his force upon the street to
keep the peace there was 4 great deal OF
pushing and threatening talk. In front of
the Sorrel Horse hotel he met the mayor,
who asked him what all the fuss was about.
In 4 moment afterwards he saw Mr.. Winner
knocked down, and Powell in the act OF
EJpLy inTr hin, lo nrraStol Do Int lao
latter swore he would not be taken, and
Miller came rushing to his assistance, and
with an oath declared he should not be
taken. The mayor seized Miller, and
Officers Fuimer and Merringer, coming to
his assistance, he was locked up. Chief
Deichler declared that Powell was drunk,
and his testimony was corroborated by
other witnesses. County Treasurer Croft
and John ". Mentzer testified to the
great disorder prevailing in the opera
house during the session of the conven-
ton that all of the accused We're drunk
and disorderly, and some OF them threat
cned both Croft and Mentzer after the
convention adjourned. Mr.. Croft was i'll
duced by country friend to get out of
the crowd and take refuge in the Stevens
house, and Mr. Mentzer testified that he
was struck twice by Leonard He said
also that he believed Levi Sensenig had
as much to do in starting the row rs any
other man.
For the defense Levi Senseni. was
called and testified that he was knocked
down by John Winner that this was the
commencement of the trouble that the de
PENDANTS and some other of his friends
rushed in to protect him; and that if it
had not been for the dsorderly conduct of
Croft and other Hog Ringers there would
have been no trouble.
The accused, Powell, Miller, Carter and
Leonard We're called and all of them
swore that they were not drunk, and had
not been engaged in any disorderly con-
duct, though they were noisy, and admit
ted that they had been drinking.
Sammy Croft requested the court to
continue the hearing until morning, so
that counsel might be engaged and addi-
tional witnesses secured.
The mayor, who had committed the 40
cused, said he was not DESTROYS of having
the case continued. He Thought it had
been made out
5. IL. Reynolds, esq. counsel for the
accused, asked for their discharge and
made an argument to show that they were
innocent of the Oifense charged against
them. The only evidence against them
hot Of fhn
policemen, each OF whom. when the dis
turbance commenced picked up the first
man he could get hold Of. There was net
sufficient evidence that the men were
drunk. II they were guilty of any offense
it was Of assault and battery or riot, and il
cannot be summarily locked up for 30
days, but are entitled to trial by jury
of their peers. They cannot be made to
bear the sins of the whole Republican
party. Two of them are United States
census enumerators, and the very fact of
their appointment to these important posts
should be taken as evidence in their gen.
eral good character.
Judge Patterson said that it was the
duty of the mayor and police officers to
enforce good order and preserve the peace.
1t is true that all the noise and disOrdcrly
conduct complained of would merge in a
charge of riot, if such a charge had been
made but there is no charge of riot against
these men. We must therefore take it as
We find it. The evidence is sufficient to
make out the case !; the trouble was caused
by political excitement, but that is not
sufficient warrant for it People must be
made to behave themselves on the streets,
and if they do not they must suffer the
penalty of the insulted and violated law.
1t is in evidence that these four
men were under the influence of
Intoxicating drink, and Miller does not
deny that he interfered against the arrest
of one of his friends. The peace of the
city must be preserved and the peace oifi-
GERS must be sustained and protected in
the performance Of their duties. What
ever our feelings may be in the matter, it
is our duty to see that the peace of the
city is preserved. The late disturbance
may have been instigated by political pas
sion, but be that as it may, the mayor of
the city believed the trouble would resul.
in riot, and he very properly took prompt
measures to prevent it, and was warranted
in doing what he did.
The olfense charged against these men
does not merge in any other offence it