The Opelousas courier., 1884-10-11
Show Life on the Border.

ISl~1 NpS" SAs~
Gently in Tombstone, Arizona. Ad-
journing to a tavern. they were now
surrounded by a knot of men, among
them a New York Sun correspondent
who gives an interesting account of the
conversation which ensued. Demen
observed: "NVe meet some very queer
men in this business. Now. Tallifer
and l campaigned it in this country
when there were precious few people
here but Indians and prospectors. We
were broken up finally, and haven't
seen each other since until now. The
circus that we were with was organized
over in Sonora, and we drifted north
ward until, finally. we got across ths
line into the Territory. We had what
was considered a gosd show and a big
show in those days. / was the man
ager and ring master, and sometimes l
did a little tumbling. I sold tickets
too, and bossed things generally
TalIifer was the clown. There were
two or three other performers, besides
a few greasers who did the heavy work
and took care of the stock. One of tn
performers was a young man named
Denning. We picked him up in Sonora,
but we didn't pay him much. In those
days nobody asked where anybody
came from. He was there. VIZ want
ed a man, and he said he could do a
few acts and could learn others, and SO
we hired him. He kept pretty quie-
most of the time. but that was not un
usual in this country.
"He did good work for us until we
crossed the line. When we struck
American soil he began to drink. AT
first his dissipation was not enough to
bother us much. but tie night that we
opened at acamp neal where Calabasas
now stands he took us all off our feet.
We had about two hundred men in the
tent, and the first ride around had been
completed. had been selling tickets
and, having finished that business,
went into the dressing room. and was
preparing to make my appearance in
the ring when / heard a couple of shots
followed by two more There was
nothing extraordinary about that, al
though ] must say / was somewhat
surprised. I was gust going out to see
what the trouble was when Tallifer
here came running into the dressing
room, with his eyes bullying out, and
gasped:
aDeuningP
well. what's upa' says ], drunk
4 q out into the ring just in time
tie see Dennlng in full costume, with a
revolver in each hand. make a jump for
the seats on the left Of the dressing
room door. The tent was full Of smoke,
everybody was yelling, and most of the
men ha guns in their hands.
Fair playi' shouted somebody. and
then all took up the cry. and there was
i perfect 81 fair playl'
II must confess that I was specifies.
/ did not know what to do, to say, or
to think. didn't have to wait long.
The whole thing was done in an instant
almost. There was a great scattering
in the vicinity Of Denning. Then came
two shots 70 close together that they
sounded almost like one, and a second
later there was another report. The
smoke obscured the combatants, and
for d few moments no one could tell
whether the trouble was over or not.
just then some OF the fellows on the
top seats raised the canvas q little, and,
che wind coming 10, the smoke was
soon dissipated. AT the foot OF the
seats lay Denning, his white and gold
tights and spangles stained with blood,
and his reviewers by bis side. I raised
him 4 little, but he was dead. There
could be no question about that.
Whats all this aboutg I asked,
who did itq Where is hep
Three men we're carrying . rough
looking man, with q big beard, down
the steps. They Laid him ont in the
ring He too was dead, with several
bullet hol 8 In mis- clothing. which was
coarse and well worn. No one knew
his name He had been in the place
days and had said something
about going on 20 old Mexico. Men
near him at the show said that
when Defining entered the ring this
man drew revolver and fred at him
twice without d word, and that Den
ming responded Instantly with two
shots. drawing bis reviewers from 3
belt which lay al the foot Of the center
pole. The rest of the performance 1
had seen myself. Tallifer here Was Id
,he ring 1t the time and got one Of the
aimed 81 Denning in bis Lea.
which caused him i good deal %
.rouble after that. We searched every
hing that both men had to see If u
,onld unravel the mystery, but the only
lue We got was 4 photograph Of DEN