The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-01-24

More than passing interest attaches
to the litigation begun by Anna Isa-
belle Hutchinson. now a resident OF
this city, the mother of Charles r.
Hutchinson, OF the Barzrum & Bailey
circus. to break the viii of her sis
ter, the late widow of James A. Bal
ley on the ground that the testatrix
was unduly influenced by her broth
ers, the McCaddons, to Sign the testa-
ment.
This is due not only to Mrs Hutch
inAon's now being a resident of this
city. with her son, Charles r. Hutch
inaons but also to the fact that the
the princely revenue derived from the
BarnIIIn & Bailey circus and other
kindred organizations m which Bridge
port folks have always been keenly
The institution of the suit has
brought forth a. flood OF "reminiscences
from former circus men, hundreds of
whom 1--we in this city and vicinity,
not the least interes ting of which have
to do with the fortunes of the McCad-
don's International Circus & Wild
fects OF which were sold at auction in
Crenoble, France, afeer q disastrous
effort to compete with the, Buffalo
Bill Wild West.
the fact that one Of co-defendants in
the suit Is Anna Louisa Hutchinson,
daughter OF Charles RI Hutchinson
Her grandmother, in bringing suit to
have the Will set aside, makes a. de-
PENDANT OF the randdauEhter who was
bequeathed $1.700 under the will, and
who with other beneficiaries are cited
into court as defendants along with
2 the McCaddons-
James A Bailey, the veteran show
man, partner of P. II Barnum at the
manager of the Barnum and Bailey
Circus, equal partner with Col. Will
liam 2. Cody. known as Buffalo Bill.
in the Buffalo BflI Congress of Rough
Riders Of the World, half owner of
the ADAM Ferepangh and Sells Bros.
circus.
ing by will all of his property estt-
mated by the New York papers and
generally at from ave- to eight mill
lions. including the country home
known. as 'HThe Knobs at Mt Vernon
and the Bailey Office building sat q
East 22nd street, New York
The plaintiff is the mother of Fred
erick Bailey Hutchinson, who at the
time of Mr.. Bailey's death was the
manager of the Buffalo Bill Shows,
and Charles r.. Hutchinson Of this
city, who was the manager of the
Barnum and Bailey Circus. Frederick
E. Hutchinson is now the manager
of the Sells Fioto Shows, competitor
Of the Ringing Brothers and other
shows in the West, while Charles r.
Hutchinson is the treasurer and has
been such since Mrs Bailey as the
ley shows to Ringing Brothers
These two showInen were educat-
ed in the circus business by Mr.. Bal
ley, both of them having gone out
on the road with the Buffalo Bill
shows and the Barnum and Bailey
shows when they were mere boys.
Joseph T. McCaddon, one of the ex-
ecutors. was for many years with Mr..
Bailey in the show business but event
ually left his employment and organ
lied a show known as McCaddon's
International Circus and Wild West.
New York capital WAS interested in
t1lis enterprise and without any pre-
nnfnary exhibitions in this country it
was taken direct to France and there
went into competition with the Buff
falo eBilI shows in 1905. The competi-
ton resulted disastrously to the Nc
Caddon enterprise and the shows were
stranded at Crenoble; France, the live
stock and other property being sold
there at public auction. NEcCaddou
had some financial troubles and left
for London, where he was taken into
custody upon advices from France
having been declared a, bankrupt un-
der the laws of that country, and New
York papers att that time. August,
1905, published accounts of the failure.
Mr.. Bailey went to the financial as