Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-06-09
ANGRY MOB BURNS
AN PH|THEATER
Advertised Bull-Fight Failed to
Take Place.
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED
Several Thousand Men and Boys At
tack House In Which Richard
Norris, Bull Fight Promote
err, is Barricaded.

st. Louis, June 6.-The bull fight
which was advertised to take place
near the Worlds fair grounds Sunday
afternoon was prevented by officers OF
ST. Louis county, who placed the man
ager, H A. Tullidge, under arrest.
When the disappointed patrons found
that the fight would not be permitted
they stormed the office of the COM
rany, breaking all The windows. and
then set fire To the large amphitheater,
burning it 10 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
iLg the gate ceteIrts with them, after
the infuriated mob began to demolish
the windows and loudly demand the
return of the admission fee. An at
seen throwing rock throug window
precipitatef Iiot, in which there were
dozens of reovlvers drawn. Several
officers stood together, however. and
after Clubbing some of the men with
their revolvers and threatening to
shoot the Gisturbers down the crowd
dispersed
Buildings Set on Fire.
A riot call was turned in to the st.
Louis police department, and message
was 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 appeased. 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 fair
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 ]. 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. ]. 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 about
three o'clock, and for two hours the
people were entertained with a cred
table display of riding, shooting and
roping. But the crowd was impatient,
and from every corner came calls for
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 yells and vigorous hand
clapping.
wanted to See the 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-
gramme he was compelled by the jeers
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 the
word which caused the gates to open,
and two horses, with riders costumed
in flaming red jackets, followed by six
| Spanish toreadors, entered. They went
| to the center of the arena, where the
manager stood. Then the order to
bring in the bull was given, but Dep
| uty Sheriff Ossenfort stepped out with
three other officers and read the war
rant to Mr.. Tullidge. The members OF
! the humane society cheered, the aud
fence hissed, and the manager become
| frantic Mr. Norris stepped up, how
ever, and, after saying few words to
| his manager, the latter accompanied
the officers out of the ring.
In the meantime some of the men
| had stolen dozen bales of hay IRON a
nearby camp and set the pile on fire
under the northwest corner Of the
structure The officers made every at
tempt to extinguish the flames, but
were prevented A woman stenogra-
pher in the office of Mr.. Norris rushed
! in and made an attempt to put out the
| flames, but she was pushed away by
| the crowd with rough hands.