Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-11-01
DEFEN DING THE RIOTERS
TESTIMONY THAT THE CIRCUS
MEN SHOT FIRST
Several Persons Tesfify-Hender-
son, the Circus Man, Tells His
story.
pecial Correspondence of State journal.

trlRlb WAS robum6u tO-uAy. Wllllhn
seiser heard one young man say that he
WAS going home after his gun; heard
shooting, but recognized No one.
Clayton Fisher recognized Thomas
Denney, William Tomlinson and Charles
Butler in the crowd at the Bayard House.
George Ward, oonstable-Was stand.
ing on the corner of State and North
streets abont IL O'Clock waiting for the
show wagons to come along, as 1 had
been asked sometime during the day by
the manager to accompany the wagons to
the depot, as they feared an attack ;
waited until the last wagon came along
and CROSSED over on the east side Of State
street and went up as far as Burton's
corner turned and went down Loocker-
man street, the wagon guard ahead /;
when opposite Il. Hobson's store hesrd a
war whoop given In the neighborhood of
the Baysrd House, followed by the report
Of pistols and guns; ran down the street
in the direction Of the shooting, and as l
got opposite Mr.. Smiths residence, met 8
Snowman who was wounded the show
man appealed for protection and asked
me to show him the nearest physician |;
took him to DR.. Wilson, and while wit
ness WAS there WAS asked to go after Mr..
0'Brien heard Daniel Tomlinson say
next day that he went home that night
and got his shot gun, after seeing the
circus men with clubs, as he anticipated
trouble.
uNsthan Hutohins, Chief of Police,
sworn-Was standing ct Reynolds
corner, on State and North streets, and
when the first wagon Of last section got
by went up North street to Governors
avenue, and thence up Governors
avenue to Loookerman street, and all
along the streets saw several persons
running, but took no notice of them !;
heard the shooting and saw several
flashes; got behind barrel or box to
keep from being shot; orept from his
place OF oonoealment and went up
Loockermsn street to Mr.. Smiths store |;
the firing had not yet ceased saw
Snowman fall off the top of circus wagon,
shot in the lace, in front of Wallis tin store,
just few feet from where witness was
hidden while on his way to MI. Smiths
store picked him up as he fell In the
street, and carried him to one side ont of
danger of being run over by the passing
teams left him there and got up to Mr..
Smith 8 as quickly as possible, for shots
were flying all around him /; went back
to Hammond 8 corner opposite the Bayard
House, as soon as thought 1t prudent to
do 30, but the crowd had dispersed saw
crowd on Governors svenue, and the
boys all ran but Charles Butler, who
stood his ground and when wit
ness came up to him spoke to
him very politely; heard war
whoop, but did not know whether it
came from the circus men or the boys;
about 20 to SO showmen accompanied the
wagons; saw Thomas Denney with a gun
in his hand in front of the Bayard House
door; saw Bill Smith, alias Seeds, near
the Baysrd House corner, who was
drunk; Smith said to me, 1--WE have
given them hell;' saw Ed. FAIRIES about
half an hour after the riot at his home,
on New street, with a gun; saw William
Tomlinson before the shooting with a
gun, on Hammond's corner; saw him dis
charge his gun, but he did not put it to
his shoulder; saw some one shoot from
behind tree while | was behind the
barrel.
7. ]. Collins, recognized Frank Pyle
among the crowd at Mcdonigal's pound,
who told witness how the showmen beat
him at the depot, and Pyle said "the
boys will be avenged"
Z. T. Crouch's testimony was pretty
much the same as that of Mr. Collins
David Bostiok, testified that he was in
the Bayard House when the shooting be-
gan, went with Mr.. Ford to the front
door and saw man go by with a gun,
whom he recognized as Thomas Denney,
saw hifhshoot, but his gun was elevated.
Henry Mag, a youth, saw Thomas
Denney, and William Tomlinson shoot at
wagon as it passed; saw Bill Smith,
coored, throw brick, Tomlinson and
lAnnau w or nd
Denney load his gun both had double
barrel guns.
Thomas J. Hooden recognized Denney,
Tomlinson, Butler, Honey and Smith ;
TomlinsOn had no gun, but Denney had;
did not see them shoot.
When Charles M. Henderson of the
circus company WAS called by the State,
every one in the room began to get as
close to the speaker as possible. Mr..
Henderson was badly used up man and
to-day visibly shows the marks OF his
attack.
Am from the State Of Georgia on leav-
ing the show ground that night about
IL O'Clock, spprshendsd trouble and
cautioned men not to create q disturb.
anoe on the penalty OF an immediate dis
charge; when the wagons were ready to
start walked beside the first one, followed
by young man in my employ name1
Fox; everything went smoothly, except
one or two halts to fix something
about the harness, until wagon
reached the crossing on Loookerman
street, between Dyer & Casson's and Ham
mond's corners, where witness saw negro
uan, standing on the Bayard House
corner, throw brick at the wagon as
soon as the brick was thrown witness
threw up his left hand, in which was an
umbrella, and said ''For Gods sake,
gentlemen, don't shoot - had no sooner
raised my hand when some one fred a
pistol, the ball passing through my hand
and the second shot out my umbrella
handle in two, also striking my hand |;
turned about half around with right side
towards the Bayard House, when | re-
oeived load of shot in my right eye,
entirely destroying the eye; moved q
little forward, hardly knowing which way
was going, when another gun was fired
at me, several of the shot striking me in
the mouth and carrying away several
teeth this shot stunned me and | fell,
but managed to crawl to the sidewalk
and walked a short distance, when
sat down on a door step; while
standing In the street, and before l was
shot in the mouth some one fired a gun
from the third story window of the
Bsysrd House, and the contents went
into the top of my head; the wagon in
the meantime had gone on down to the
depot; witness reached the depot by a
circuitous route with the aid of tive
showmen; while we were going down
Reed street soma one raised the window
and asked If we we're showmen; Oh being
answered "yes," the person fired gun,
the ball entered witness right side;
could recognise the negro who threw the
brick.
On being asked by Mr.. Massey to
describe the man who shot him in the
face, he said he felt reluctanoy in doing
1t unless he was indicted. He said he
could do it, and II they would indict him
and bring him before him he would point
him out He said the reason he hesi-
tated to describe him was that he feared
his life. The negro is not any of the
defendants.
Mr.. Massey appealed to the Court to
have his question answered, when Mr..
Henderson described the man. He said
he WAS tall man, about feet, II
inches, weight between 160 and ITO, had
long red side whiskers. His cross-exam.
ination will continue tomorrow.