The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1904-06-11
ANGRY MOB BURNS
AN AMPH|THEATER
Advertised Bull-Fight Failed to
Take Place.
SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED
Several Thousand Men and Boys At
tack House in Which Richard
Norris, hull Fight Promote
err, In Barricnded.

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
II breaking ull The windows and
tn 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
Jig the gate :eCeirts 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 window
precipitated riot, 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 a 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 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. ]. Marks, all Humane society work.
ers, occupied box next to the officers
For a cuTtain-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 cred |
liable 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-
dately 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
After abandoing efforts to address
the people, the management gave the
word which caused the gates to open,
and two horses, with riders costumed
n flaming red jackets, followed by six
Spanish toreadors, entered. They went
% the center of the arena, where the
stood. Then the order to
BRING in the bull was given, but Dep
lty Sheriff Ossenfort stepped out with
hree other officers and read the war;
ant to Mr.. Tullidge. The members of
he humane society cheered, the aud
ence Kissed, and the manager become
rantic. Mr. Norris stepped up. how
'ver, and, after saying few words to
lis manager, the latter accompanied
he officers out of the ring.
In the meantime some of the men
lad stolen a dozen bales of hay from a
ear-by camp and set the pile on fire
nder the northwest corner of the
tructure. The officers made every at
empt to extinguish the flames, but
we're prevented. A woman stenogra-
her in the Office of Mr.. Norris rushed
n and made an attempt to put out the
ames, but she was pushed away by
be crowd with rough hands.