The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-06
1000 People Disappointed at
Not Seeing Bull Fight.
Burn the Grand Stand and Try
to Lynch the Manager.
THE LAW INTERPRETED.
Crowd Wanted Money Back But
Couldn't Get 1t.
A Riot Followed and Many
Women tainted.

u
failure to see a bull fight which had
been much advertised, and the refusal
of the management to return gate
money, a majority of the crowd of 1000
persons gathered at an arena just out
side the city Sunday afternoon and en-
gagged in a riot which only ended in the
wrecking of every building about the
place and the complete destruction by
fire Of the grand stand, which was built
to accommodate Is, 900 persons.
Scores of arrests were made, and
dozens of women. overcome by terror
and excitement, tainted or became wild
ly hysterical.
Richard Norris. the promoter of the
fight, with his wife barely escaped a
lynching by the mob.
Several persons were injured and one
man, Harry Hill, a mechanic employed
at the Worlds fair grounds, was struck
on the head with a rock and danger
ously hurt
But there was no bull fight. In spite
of the effort to lynch Norris, the majes-
ty of the law in Missouri was duly up
held, though some of the disappointed
crowd, in their haste, cast doubts on
the theory that there really was a bull
somewhere about the Enclosure ready
to do battle with the matadors import
ed directly from SPAIN
been
vertised with mucn diligence for four
or five days. Norris had obtained per
mission from the county court at Clay
ton for the show to proceed, assuring
the judges that his show was humane
and promising that If any member of
the court or any other official of the
county saw anything objectionable in
any of the shows at any time the OBJ
JectiOnable feature would be elininat ted
Spanish matadors were imported and
several thousand dollars were spent in
preparing the arena and bull pens. 9th
er thousands We're spent for reading
notices in all the newspapers of this
city and adjacent places.
1t was said that the bulls to be used
in the fight were brought from Mexico
and were particularly fierce and danger
GUS animals. At first the affair attract
ed less attention than would have been
expected, until one Of the association
of ministers in the city heard of 1t
and made a formal protest to Cover
nor Dockery. The arena being in the
county, the city officials had no juris-
diction and the county court had al
ready given its sanction to the show.
Governor DOckery took a day to cOnsid-
er the matter and then gave positive
instructions to Sheriff Hencken of Clay
ton not to permit the fight to take
place.
The discussion and the reiterated as
surance of the management that the
fight would not disappoint" anybody
who wanted to see the real Spanish ar
holiday sightseers to the arena. Not
many Of the crowd saw the bulls, fierce,
long-horned and formidable looking
creatures of which there were fifteen
or twenty.
The performance opened with exhibit
lions of trick riding by a large delega-
ton from a Wild West and Indian show
at the Worlds fair. The seats sold for
81 and the crowd wanted to see more.
The appearance of the bull was de-
manded vociferously-
Then the different matadors and tor
eadors were introduced with much GER
emony, too much ceremony, the crowd
seemed to think. The crowd had its
curiosity keyed to a high pitch and
mere stage scene was not wanted.
THE bull will be here in a minute, -
yelled the announcer through a mega
phone, and the noisy audience became
hushed in expectancy.
Then the thing happened which turn
ed a holiday spectacle into a riot A
deputy sheriff, John P. Ossenfort, step
ped into the arena and told II. A. Col
ledge, the assistant of Manager Norris
that the fight would not be permitted
under any circumstances. The crowd
yelled and hoOted, but the officer, rein
forced by the presence of several other
deputies and representatives of the
humane society, stood firm and led Col
ledge from the ring.
At the Norris Amusement company's
Office Manager Norris offered to pro-
duce COlledge at any time on any
care to make and Deputy Ossenfort af-
ter consulting with his attorney, who
was present, acceded to the request
that COlledge be released. He was fur
this time the mob was gathering in
great numbers outside the Office, clam
oring for a return of the gate money,
and his presence was needed outside
A moment later a rock crashed
through the Office window. Ossenfort
ran outside to protest at this attack.
but the sight of him apparently only
angered the crowd. Another stone
crashed through the Office door and
another, badly aimed, struck Harry
| Hill on the head as he stood on the
porch, clamoring with the rest, for his
| money.
! Norris discretely withdrew to the sec
ond story of the building with his wife.
Some one started the report that Nor
| in the rear of the building and part of
/ the crowd surged in that direction. The
mistake was soon discovered and the
mob came back, more furious than
/ ever, armed with all the loose stone in
reach.
Another minute and every pane of
glass and every door panel in the outer
walls of the structure had been re
| duced to fragments.
/ An attempt was made then to set fire
/ to the grand stand but the blaze was
4 quickly put out, and for a little while
i the tumult subsidized, the crowd being
Il temporarily diverted by the appearance
4 of some boys driving a couple of bony
steers around the arena. waving red
I bandanas and making believe they were
Il real bull fighters themselves.
Il With the appearance of the boys and
i steers, the crowd, now smaller than be-
fore, returned to the attack on Norris.
but he had managed to slip away. He
could not be found
= Chairs in the grand stand were
smashed to splinters. the ratings of the
i booth were torn down. everything NOV
7 able was demolished Dozens of ar
L. l.