The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-04-25
A mon ATTACKS A CIRCUS.
u,.s,.eefu, Affair In Dover. Del.-Fourtcen
Men shot Down In the Street.-The Police
Make No Effort 20 Queii the Disturbance.


weu Shot Down In the Strccts-The Police
Make No Effort 90 Queii the Disturbance.
special from Dover. Del, gives the
solowino particulars OF the attack upon
OBrien's circus force at that place Sat,ir-
day night: -
Allied Shows" In this place last night, and
during the battle fourteen men were shot.
Charles Henderson, o Snowman, was shot
through the head, and cannot recover.
S.ven other men attached 10 the circus are
suffering from gun-shot wounds. and hall
a dozen members OF the mob have bullets
In their bodies. The circus reached Dover
beiore daylight on Saturday morning. En-
tertainmcnts were given in the afternoon
and evening. The matinee performance
nassed of quietly. and the tent was
crowded. During the entertainment in
the evening half dozen Young rougbs,
led by drunken man named L. X. llalsey,
attempted 10 force themselves into the eX-
hibition tent.
cIRcus-NEN To THE RESCUE.
The door-keepers at once yelled the cir
cus-man's rallying cry, "Hey. RUDE !"
A score OF canvasmen, armed with tent
pegs, axes. and clubs, responded TO tne
slogan. The brief but vigorous skirmish
that ensued ended in the expulsion OF the
lntruders. who were roughly handled.
The crowd OF several hundred people who
idled around the outside of the tent were
greatly excited by the preliminary skir-
mish. and the majority sided with the eX-
PEELED roughs. From that time until they
left the town the circus-men had no peace.
Wagons were damaged, canvas and ropes
were cut, and every Snowman that appear
ed was received with q volley OF stones.
After the audience dispersed bowling
mob remained about the tenting-ground,
stoning canyasmen and ieering at those
who endeavored TO Gmet them. Many peo-
nile who were dissatisfied with the enter
tainment joined the mob.
John O'Brien, the owner OF the show.
was hooted when be attempted to make The
rioters listen 10 him. Towards midnight
the crowd thinned ont some, but the most
vicious hoodhIms remained. The show was
hacked up before II O'Clock. and the hast
train OF wagons was moving towards the
dep6t when a driver named Richert was
struck on the head with boulder. He fell
senseess TO the ground and the train
stopped.
SHOWER OF STONES.
While Richert was being lifted into n
wagon q shower OF stones fell about the
showmen. and several OF the men received
painful injuries. The horses became res
tive. and the half-hundred canvasmen who
were loading cars knocked off work and
marched back tO escort the wagon train 10
the depot. Although O'Brien cautioned
his employees to keep cool and avoid battle.
they did not obey him. and at half dozen
points thev made sorties and strewed the
ground with the bodies OF their torment
ors. When the wagon train reached Della
ware street mao stepped from behind
tree-box. ard taking deliberate aim at Hen
derson. who was on horseback. fired five
revolver shots at him. The first bullet
went through Henderson's hat and into
his left eye; the second struck one OF the
fingers of his bridle-hand, and the third
entered his forehead. Henderson drew a
revolver, fired one shot, and fell off his
horse.
SHOWER OF BULLETS.
The echoes OF the revolver reports had
not died away before double-barreled
shot gun was discharged into the posse Of
showmen. This was the signal for general
firing. The wagons were stopped and used
rs barricade by the shownen, who re-
turned the fire Of the town people. Not
more than a dozen OF the circus people,
however, had reyolyers, and the unarmed
ones took shelter in and under the
wagons. At least fifty revolvers, shot
guns, and muskets were blazing at
the encircled shOwmen. BY this time the
town was wild with excitement, and the
streets in the neighborhood of the battle
ground were thronged with people. After
the fight had continued half an houra CON-
mittee OF citizens waited upon the sheriff
and asked him to ring the alarnl-bells call
out the militia 10 suppress the mob. In
stead OF calling on the militia the sheriff
summoned posse of fifty men and marched
to the besieged circus peoples relief.
Then the rioters fell back. On the
ground were fourteen wounded men, and
1t is said that several rioters who
we're shot went to their homes be-
Ore the sheriff arrived on the bat
tle-ground. The police took no part in the
battle and did nothing to stop it. More
than three hundred shots were fred, and
the doors and windows OF dozen houses
in the neighb0rho0d were riddled with
bullets. Five OF the circus-horses were
shot, and two OF them died before morning.
While the show was being put upon the
cars a few shot were exchanged. At
ClOCh III tnt UlOtiiug tllc SHOW sIJIcu
for Cambridge, Md, where 1t will exhibit
tomorrow.
THE WOUNDED MEN.
Some Of the most severely injured men
were carried to the Office Of DR.. Wilson and
were there attended by him. Other physi-
clans went TO the depot and one went TO
Cambridge on the circus train. 1t Is un-
derstood that warrants will be issued TO.
morrow for the arrest OF the principal
rioters. O'Brien took the affair very cool
", and says he will bring suit against the
town for damages. Some years ago Will
mington roughs pitched number Of his
wagons into the river. He stood calmly bv
while the work OF destruction went on and
did nothing to check il. He even invited the
rioters TO kill all the animals. On the fol-
lowing day he brought suit against the city
and recovered $4,000 damages. John
O'Brien is one Of the oldest and most wide
Unknown circus-men in America. He is q
Philadelphian and lives in Frankiord,
where his circus started from on April eth.
Henderson, the man who was first shot, is
one OF the firm Of Henderson & Mayberry,
proprietors OF the side-show privileges OF
the O'Brien show.
Prayer Cure.