The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-07-24
NOTABLE STAGE DUEL,
a Ilesllatip fHCoQntep between wilkes
BOOth and Tom Conner.

a llesllatip EnCountep Between WllkeG
Bpoth and Tom Conner.
The most realistic stare duct of this
generation was tho one fought between
John Wilkes Booth, about year before
he killed Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas
L. Conner, better know. ana remember
cd as Tom Conner, tho gifted brother
OF Captain William NJ. CpaHeh Of this
city, and ono Of the handsomost and
most dashing stock stars of his day.
"Poor Tom" Conner died nearly thirteen
years ago at Georgetown. Col. where no
was starring. but nobody who ever saw
him fight Wilkes Booth with two-handcd
swords on Boswlck Field can ever for
get the combat.
Both men were athletes. and each, for
the the love of fight. pure and simple,
so far forgot himself on the boards dur
ing theiy famous engagement at Dollars
Opera. house, In st. Louis, that the audi
cnce rose to its feet, night after night,
in an agony Of suspense, and first Rich
mond and then Richard would be driven
at swords points over the footlights in
to the ranks Of the audience them
selves. which would cheer. first the her,
sR1 then the villain, with wild aban-
don.
But, oh, for the sake Of romance and
reality, II the truth must be known, on
the authority Of veteran manager of
this city, Conner and Booth were both
talking" and agreed each night before
they went on which should first be
driven OF the stage.
Now Wilkes, it's your night" Tom
would say, and then Wilkes would re-
ply. "Why. Tom, you miserable rascal,
| went 0ff irst last night, and then I've
got to got killed, SO you'll have to make
that break yourself again, and mind you
do 1t we'll, tool" Then the curtain would
rise. and as climax to a thrilling trag-
edy In the requisite number Of acts
Richmond and Richard would try so
hard to beat down each others guards
and-it seemed-to cleave each other to
the chin that the fire would fly from their
broad sWqrds IS SPARKS from q black
smiths anvil, and, at last, one or the
other would be compelled to respite his
further existence by an incontinent dive
into the ranks Of tho friendly public
down in the pit.
''But, pshaw" says the veteran man
ager, factors like Conner and Booth
were trained in those days to play par,
a night: to do any thing at all on the
legitimate boards, from dancing meas.
ire 70 battefins down bfoadsword
guard, and what they did they did Is
we'll as 1t could be done. too. They
didn't act on a capital of good looks,
dress goats, Rroadway promenaaes and
one change of parts season."
Other famous swordsn,en Of that day
were Charles Foster, popular mclodra'
matte actor, and Joseph Brelsford, who
used to fight in the old Pittsburgh The.
alter on Fifth street, now Fifth avenue,
Pittsburgh, with dash and daring that
curled the hair of the gallery gods and
v.on the startled appreciation Of the
fSoxes.'liarry ferry;''who r,as famous
from Philadelphia to San Francisco, and
was, besides, the first husband Of Agnes
booth, who not 50 very long ago wat
known in New York as ''Aggie Perry.
was another famous swordsman OF those
days, ~ was Joseph Il. Magic. Of Baltt
more. But these men could fight be,
cause they had both the physique and
the training. They were mono Of your
curlcd darlings and dress-coat dudes
u. <. Herald