The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-15

There was a man shot aud killed at th'
circus" was the report that spread arount
the city yesterday afternoon.
Il know he was shot through the nect
| for saw it DONE" said one excited young
man to reporter for the EAGLE.
Inquiry at the sheriff's office at one,
| demonstrated the exsggeration Of the re
port.
For some time there has been a lawsuit
| pending in the district court to which
Joseph McMahan, manager of the circus
was party in a roundabout way. Charlie
McMahan owned some horses that a lady
in Chicago had a mortgage upon. This
mortgage was given when Charlie had d
show of his own. but Charlie gave up his
own show and Joined that OF his
brother. He took his horses
along with him and contracted
to pay Joseph McMahan 75 cents a day
each for keeping them. After a bill of sew
eraI hundred dollars had been eaten up by
the horses Joseph McMahan sold them for
their feed bill. In due time the Chicago
lady concluded that she wanted the money
due her, and, not being able to get it, she
had receiver appointed to take charge of
the property The case was tried in the
district court and a decision rendered, al
lowing Joseph McMahan about $500 for
with the circus yesterday when James
Howard, the receiver, went over there TO
get them on an order of the court. Man.
ager McMahan understood all about the
case, but he was not there, and the man in
charge. not understanding the mat
ter, resisted the officer. who accompanied
Mr.. Howard Later Under Sheriff Sim
mons went to serve a warrant on this man
for resisting an officer and he resisted
again. 10 subdue the man, whose name
was Knapp, Mr.. Simmons struck him over
the head with his revolver and tue weapon
was accideutIy discharged, but the bullet
went in the air.
Knapp was none of Mr.. McMahan's
regular men, but for some reason he was
in charge of the stable when the officer
first went there.
After Knapp being strnck with the re-
volver he was handcuffed and taken to
Jail.
None regretted the matter more than
Joseph McMahan. 1t was his opening day
and lie had a good deal of private business
to attend to that kept him busy in the
city. He had an idea that a rough start of
that kind would hurt him in Wichita, but
he was unnecessarily alarmed for
he has hosts of friends in Wichita,
where his circus has wntered, and all OF
them knew that the whole thing was I'M
avoidable. The fact is Joe McMahan and
those who are connected with him are
splendid fellows and have the good will of
every citizen who has had dealings with
them. Yesterday morning he went to the
police and told them that if any of his
men violated single section Of the ordi-
nances of Wichita 10 see him and be would
turn them over to them. When the circus
started out he called his men around him
and tod them that he would tolerate moth
ing of a rough character and when two of
them used profane language Oh the
grounds last night he promptly fired
them.
His circus gave two excellent perform
ances yesterday and notwithstanding the
threatening weather the attendance
was quite large. 1t was the first
circus opening in the United
States this year. All the acting Is
done in one ring which is quite an i'm
provemeat on the three ring system, for
every body then sees what is going on.
There WIS some mighty good speciality
work done and everybody who attended
were well pleased. The actors all ap-
peared in new costumes which shone re-
splendent under the glare of the big
lights which illuminate the interior of the
CANVASS.
There are some very interesting freaks
in the side show.
One noticeable feature about the circus is
the absencs of fakirs, thieves and pick
pockets Wherever McMahau shows he
pays the expenses of special officers to
watch the grounds and protect his patrons
from sharks. All in all it is mighty de-
cent circuS