The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-06
DANCE ENDED
In BIG FIGHT
Wherefore the Blooming
Lily" Club Appeared in Court
ABOUT TWENTY ARRESTS
HenrIco Circuit Court Begins Its Ses-
sion-very Serious Charges Against
Avery Small Boy Other
Henrco News.

Swell society from Pententiary Bottom,
Bloodfield, Jackson Ward, and other
spots here and there gathered like a
dark cloud at Henrico Courthouse yestcr-l
day and tried to tell Squire Lewis why
pistols and knives and lamps and razors
and bludgeons figured In recent dance
held somewhere out In the county.
The little courtroom was packed to
suffocation. with perspirlng men and wo-
men, representing the choice portion Of
tho blooming Lily Club" a swell negro
dancing school that operates at ten cents
apiece In a hall at Claiborne and Wash
ington Streets. Tho women were rigged
out in all their flnery. There were about
hundred men there, too but they were
not quite 30 spruce and gay. Some OF
them bore the marks Of the dance. and
wore patches on their faces and hands or
head where they had come into rough
contact with a knife, lamps or something.
One of them came In laboriousiy on
crutches. he had been shot and badly
hurt in the row.
The testimony was as veritable tan
gle AZ ever confronted a magistrate. The
row began when two women got to fight
Ing, and the disturbapce rapidly spread
through the room. Knives and pistols
sprang out and the dance was suddenly
converted into knock-down and drag
out. Hard ticks were hit, and tho place
resounded with howls and yells.
young negro who said he "wuz playin de
pianner. shut Off tho music and started
to leave when lamp cracked him beside
the head and knocked him out. There
were four or five lamps in the room
and all OF them were hurled by the
rioters until the place was In utter dark
ness. Then the fighting crowd surged into
the street and continued the fight until
the police swooped down on them
About twenty OF the people were arrest
ed and a lot of others were gobbled up
for witnesses. All OF them were in court
yesterday trying To tell about 1t. Squire
Lewis worked long and hard on the crowd
and finally succeeded In clearing the
room. He made about fourteen OF the
people give bond to keep the peace and
then issued warrants for five or six 9TH
ers. These latter are the worst in the
bunch aid are the ones charged with
the bad shooting and cutting.
The Lenrico Circuit Court began It's
session yesterday seve:al cases were
set for trial. The docket Is fairly long
arc but Is n ado UP for the most part Of
sm.ll cs pe6. The session OF the court VIII
70 'oo.tslucd to-day..J.454
A fourteen year-old boy named Lynn
Eowman Was te:ore SQUIRE Lewis yes
terday, charged with breaking into the
otfise !of Mr.. D. G. Fulton, manager Of
Fu.e1 Park, and stealing s6.5 from
desk therein. The case was continued
uItil to-day.
The robbery occurred last Friday in
the early afternoon. The window to
the office was priced open and the roller
top desk of Mr. Fulton Was cut between
the stats. Cash amounting to little over
six dollars was taken The thief over
looked a considerably larger amount or
money in another part Of the desk
Young Newman had been seen about
the place during The .day and he was
arrested on suspicion. The case WAS
called before Squire Lewis yesterday. but
had to be continued until to-day on &C.
count Of the absence of an important
witness The testimony so far as 1t has
been heard in court. is very slight against
tho boy.
Constable T. II. Franklin Is out again
after q rather severe spell Of sickness,