Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-06-09
ANGRY MOB BURNS
AN AMPH|THEATER
Advertised Bull-Fight Failed to
Take Place.
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED
Thousand Men and Boys At
tack House in which Richard
Norris. Bull Fight Promot-
err, is Barricaded.


which was advertised to take place
neal the Worlds fair grounds Sunday
afternoon was prevented by officers of
st. Louis county, who placed the man
lger, H. A. Tullidge, under arrest.
When the disappointed patrons found
hat the fight would not be permitted
they stormed the office Of the COM
Eany, breaking all The windows, and
then set fire to the large amphitheater,
burning it To the ground. A majority
of the several thousand people who
had paid the admission price of 81
formed the angry mob which did the
work of destruction.
Richard Norris. the promoter of the
bull fight, and his employees, are said
to have left the office in disguise, TAX
Zig the gate receipts with them, after
the Infatuated mob began to demolish
the windows and loudly demand the
return Of the admission fee. An at
tempt to arrest one of the men who was
seen throwing a rock throug a window
precipitale1 a riot, in which there were
dozens of reovlvers drawn. Several
officers stood together, however. and
after Climbing some of the men with
their revolvers and threatening to
shoot the G%lsturbers down the crowd
dispersed.
Buildings Set on Fire.
A riot call was turned in to the st.
Louis police department, and a message
vas sent to Sheriff Hencken at Clayton.
In the meantime, the building had been
fired, ard the fire was beyond control,
and the fry of the people seemed to
have been a%ppeased. This was about
seven o'clock, and the people stood
about watching the flames shoot up
from the pine structure. The few fire.
men sent out from the Worlds fail
grounds busted themselves saving fur
niture and several small stands and
houses adjacent to the arena. The cost
of the arena, including the amphithe-
alter, it is said, was nearly $4,000.
At two o'clock, the time announced
for the opening Of the show, the seats
were nearly all taken. Deputy Sheriff
John P. Ossenfort, of Clayton, with
Deputies j. Will Andrae and Henry
Hyde, from the sheriff's office, and Ro'
zier G. Meigs, of the Humane society,
with six st. Louis detectives, occupied
seats near the entrance to the ring
Mrs. Mary w. Calkins, Mrs. Emma
BARLEY, Mrs. Belle Nation and Mrs
S. J. Marks, all Humane society work
ers, occupied a box next to the officers
For a curtain-raiser the management
introduced an aggregation of wild west
performers. The show began abou'
three o'clock, and for two hours thu
people were entertained with a cred
liable display of riding, shooting ant
roping. But the crowd was impatient
the bull. So loud and persistent were
these that the management explained
the bull fight would take place imme.
diately after the preliminary perform.
ance. This announcement was greeted
with wild yellg and vigorous hand.
clapping.
Wanted to See III Fight.
Just before the managers were ready
to introduce the bull and the toreadors
the people loudly renewed their calls
for the bull fight, and when the an
nouncer attempted to state that the
fight was the next number on the pro-
gramne he was compelled by the jeer!
and yells to retire to the background
From different parts of the audience
came requests for the treasurer of the
company.
After abandoing efforts to address!
the people, the management gave thu
word which caused the gates to open
and two horses, with riders costume(
in flaming red jackets, followed by si1
Spanish toreadors, entered. They wen
to the center of the arena, where tn,
manager stood. Then the order tt
bring in the bull was given, but Dep
uty Sheriff Ossenfort stepped out will
three other officers and read the war
rant to Mr.. Tullidge. The members o
the humane society cheered, the aud
fence Kissed, and the manager becom
frantic. Mr.. Norris stepped up, how
ever, and, after saying a few words t.
his manager, the latter accompanied
the officers out Of the ring.
In the meantime some of the me-
had stolen a dozen bales of hay from
nearby camp and set the pile or fir
under the northwest corner of tn
structure. The officers made every at
tempt to extinguish the flames, bu
we're prevented. A woman stenogra
pher in the office of Mr.. Norris rushe
in and made an attempt to put out tn
flames, but she was pushed away b
the crowd with rough hands.
Result of an Old Grudge.