#strangestory

[husheduphistory]

No Laughing Matter: The Clowns and the Turmoil that Changed Toronto

In the summer of 1855 the city of Toronto was a far cry from the bustling capital city that it is today. Much closer to resembling the Wild West, the city was filled to the brim with bars, liquor shops, and brothels catering to the rotating population of approximately 40,000 people. Mary Ann Armstrong ran one of Toronto’s many “clubs” on the corner of King and Jarvis Streets and the combination bar and brothel was always busy, especially when new faces were passing through town. The sights, sounds, and stories that originated there are incalculable, but on one July night Armstrong’s establishment was the setup for an incident that sounds like a joke but was unfortunately very real with a horrible punchline. “A clown and a fireman walk into a bar…”

On the morning of July 12th 1855 a large group of travelers made their way into Toronto, but these visitors were a little more unusual than the normal passers-by, this was the S.B. Howes' Star Troupe Menagerie & Circus. S.B. Howe was one of the first circus companies to bring their act on tour traveling to one city and taking up residency for a few days before packing up their tents and disappearing from the scene. The circus was only supposed to be in town for two days and after their first performance a group of clowns decided to take in the town, eventually ending up at Mary Ann Armstrong’s building.

Illustration of King Street in Toronto circa 1855. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

The image might sound funny, a group of clowns walking into a rowdy, tough, and intimidating brothel and bar, but these clowns were not to be messed with. Their jobs went far beyond entertaining and included the physical labor of building, breaking down, packing up, and moving their entire community to each city on the tour. They were strong, bold, and did not back down from a fight, which was a recipe for disaster considering the other people visiting Armstrong’s that night.

Advertisement for the circus. Image via torontodreamsproject.blogspot.com/com/. 

At this point in time fire departments were not formally established and individual companies formed privately and functioned for profit, racing to fires and charging a price before putting them out. It was not uncommon for rival fire companies to clash in the streets, sometimes requiring local law enforcement to intervene. Only two weeks before the circus came to town one local company, the Hook and Ladder Firefighting Company, was involved in a violent street brawl with another fire company that became known as the Fireman’s Riot. They were an aggressive group, and tonight they were visiting Armstrong’s establishment at the same time as the clowns.

There has never been a singular cause identified for what happened next. One account says that the clowns cut the line to get into the building. Another says one of the firemen named Fraser knocked a hat off the head of a clown named Meyers and refused to pick it up when asked. Others simply say it was a case of someone getting loud with someone else who did not take kindly to their tone. The result was an all-out brawl and by the time the police arrived the firemen were all beaten to a bloody pulp with two of them requiring medical attention at a hospital. The band of clowns simply went back out into the night to continue partying.

The situation was bad enough as is, but the political climate of the area made the conflict cut deeper. Much of Toronto’s population was made up of Irish Catholics but the city government was deeply Irish Protestant and Tory elite, supported by the Orange Order, who were also firmly in the corner of the bloodied Hook and Ladder Firefighting Company. As far as the fire department was concerned the clowns had just declared war.

When the S.B. Howes' Star Troupe Menagerie & Circus came into town they pitched their tents along the waterfront at the site of Fair Green, near the St. Lawrence Market. On the day after the brothel brawl, Friday the 13th, the merchants in the market were few and far between, there was word that something bad was brewing. Slowly they began to arrive to the circus grounds, a large mob of Orangemen of the Orange Order, and before long the rocks began to fly. The circus performers were able to hold back the assault for a short amount of time but when the fire department arrived it was not to help the entertainers, it was to destroy them. The members of the Hook and Ladder Firefighting Company arrived carrying pikes, pipes, and axes. They tore apart the circus tents, beat anyone in their paths, set fires, and knocked over wagons with a bloodthirsty ferocity. Police Chief Samuel Sherwood, a former tavern owner with no formal training, arrived and brought in a handful of constables throughout the day but never put a focused effort into quelling the violence. How could he? He was a part of the Orange Order himself and when later questioned about the level of power he had in his position as Chief his answer was “A very small one indeed…I give orders and instructions to the force, but cannot get them obeyed. As soon as I am out of sight, the men do as they please.” When the Mayor arrived at the scene he took matters into his own hands, wrestling an ax from a fireman who was about to murder one of the clowns and calling in a militia to finally put a stop to the violence. The clowns and other performers took what was left of their belongings and fled the city as quickly as possible.

Painting of Toronto showing the site of Fair Green. Image via http://torontodreamsproject.blogspot.com/ 

The aftermath of the riot was unfortunately familiar. When the Fireman’s Riot happened only weeks beforehand the memories of the police department and the firemen involved were suddenly and inexplicably fuzzy and they could not recall a single member of the Orange Order that was on the scene. One constable said it was too dark out to see any faces and another even said that the entire ordeal was carefully planned so that only people unfamiliar to the police would be involved. The exact same scenario played out again after the attack on the circus clowns and suddenly no one who advanced on the tents could recall anything that happened. Out of the entire mob only seventeen people were ever arrested and when they went to court every single person who attacked the circus that day was acquitted.

Article about the investigation of the Toronto Circus Riot. Image via torontoist.com.

The official word on what happened may have been hazy but the public saw the corruption very clearly and while they could not create change overnight, the Toronto Clown Riot proved to be a fatal blow to the too-long accepted state of things. After the riot it became much more common to question the conveniently selective memories of the police force that was given absolute power with no form of training. The formerly iron-clad coverups for the actions of the fire departments corroded and began to lose strength. The voices against the Orange Order got louder and louder.

One of the biggest indicators that the public had had enough came with the next election when for the first time in twenty years a mayor was elected that was backed by the Irish Catholics despite the hardest efforts of the Orange Order to prevent it. Reform and organization was needed and in 1858 the first provincially approved board put a restructuring of the new city government and police force into motion. In February of 1859 the entire police force was fired (roughly half that were not part of the Toronto Clown Riot were reinstated), a new chief was brought on board, and finally Toronto had a police force that was out of private hands, nonpolitical, and under close watch by the newly established city government.

The fates of many of the S.B. Howes' Star Troupe Menagerie & Circus clowns are greatly unknown and the clown named Meyers has faded into time. Little could he or any of the clowns imagined on that July night that getting into a fist fight with a gang of firemen in a brothel would lay the foundation for the establishment of Toronto’s first formal police department.

*****************************************************************************

Sources:

“Hidden History: The Toronto Circus Riot” by Lenny Flank. August 20th 2019

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/8/20/1870769/-Hidden-History-The-Toronto-Circus-Riot 

“The Toronto Circus Riot of 1855 — the day the clowns picked the wrong Toronto brothel” by Adam Bunch. October 2nd 2012.

http://spacing.ca/toronto/2012/10/02/the-toronto-circus-riot-of-1855-the-day-the-clowns-picked-the-wrong-toronto-brothel/

“How a Fight With Clowns Led to the Birth of Modern Policing in Toronto “ by Patrick Metzger. September 12th 2013.

https://torontoist.com/2013/09/how-a-fight-with-clowns-led-to-the-birth-of-modern-policing-in-toronto/ 

“Infamous Clown Brawl in Brothel Gets Entire Toronto Police Force Fired “ by Sean Kernan. November 29th 2021. 

https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/infamous-clown-fight-in-brothel-gets-entire-toronto-police-force-fired-ceca014addc6

“Clowns fighting firemen in Canada in 1855.” opposite-lock.com/topic/22965/clowns-fighting-firemen-in-canada-in-1855

“The Toronto Circus Riot of 1855 “ http://torontodreamsproject.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-circus-riot.html 

[sohailjawaid]

Karachi DHA Mysterious Incident with Football Coah || Son Told strange story of a Day Before Death!

A mysterious incident in Karachi’s DHA involving a football coach has raised questions, as his son shared an eerie story from the day before his death. The unsettling account has drawn attention online, with many speculating about what truly happened. This tragic event has left the community in shock, fueling discussions about the circumstances surrounding his passing.

For Details Watch Video: https://rb.gy/jv1lle

[three-o-three]

Was It A Glitch in The Matrix Or Just A Dream! | Glitch in The Matrix Stories Reddit | Three O Three

Ever feel like something just isn’t right? Like you're stuck between two worlds? In today's episode, we explore an eerie story straight from Reddit’s Glitch in the Matrix tales that will make you question everything. 😳

[apocalypseglobal]

#hyderabadnoise #stories

#weekends #ajeeddastaan #strangestories Outliving #2024 #hysterical #neurosis #traffic #cramps #lunaticautos #rash buses #roadrage #community #construction #culture #festivals #roadclosures #metrorail #loudnoises #waterlogging #electioneering #rains #storms #loudspeakers #DJ #chanting #politics #pandemics #endemics #wars #calamities #laws of #earth, laws of #death and laws of #chaos still rules…

[animalcaretips555]

Obscure Folklore Stories from Rural America

Rural America is a landscape rich with tradition, history, and stories that have been passed down through generations. Among these stories, some remain tucked away in the quiet corners of small towns and deep woods—obscure folklore that reflects the unique cultures and fears of the people who first told them. Read more

[immortalscares]

This place is definitely not home. 🏠

(Creepy Horror Stories #01: "The Unknown Realm")

[bonnettsbooks]

10/16/23 Open 6-9p. No open containers, please.

Cryptic books from the cobwebbed stacks in the dark secret vault of the hidden cellar in the deepest chamber of the dank tunnels and haunted passages beneath the innocent looking bookshop named BONNETT'S. What more waits for you? Do you dare enter to examine the tomes of a forgotten age?

[sliceoflife-stories-blog]

🎧 Slice Of Life Stories #WhoKnowsWhyStories #strangestories #weirdstories #somethingweird #strangestory #mysterystory #mysteriously #fearing #scaringmyself #trembling #whoknowswhy #mysteriousplaces #mysteriousstranger #creepystory #somethingstrange #horrorstories #hauntings #adventuresofghost #suspensestories #unsolvedstories #strangeadventures #fictionalstories #creepypodcasts #hauntedstories #fictionstories #suspensethriller #unexplainedmystery #englishnovels #ghostlystories #mysterystories #spookystories 

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[ministryofacoustics]

Hyderabad Noise Stories

#weekends #ajeeddastaan #strangestories Outliving #2024 #hysterical #neurosis #traffic #cramps #lunaticautos #rash buses #roadrage #community #construction #culture #festivals #roadclosures #metrorail #loudnoises #waterlogging #electioneering #rains #storms #loudspeakers #DJ #chanting #politics #pandemics #endemics #wars #calamities #laws of #earth, laws of #death and laws of #chaos still rules…

[untitled93160-blog1]

Fashion Is Theatricality - act one - Magazine: @lofficielrussia July 2022 My muse @beatricebrusco Agency: @women_milano Styling by @kriziasalemi @carolinalovesenergy Makeup: @chiaracima Hair- stylist: @domenicopapa Styling assistant: @tanto_po Special thanks @theagencyaldocoppola for the logistic support #lofficiel #magazine #editorial #pacodicanto #fashioneditorial #art #blu #strangestory #burton #fashionphotography #portrait #balckandwhitephotography #makeup #hairstyle #artstyling #moda #lofficielrussia #fashionart (presso Milan, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgbuCbyqhbi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[husheduphistory]

One More Round: The Disturbing Last Drink of John Shaw

When a place has a name like Canyon Diablo you can only assume it earned that moniker for a reason, especially when it looks almost as sinister as it sounds. The Arizona chasm is large and seems to appear out of nowhere, the former site of a railroad town that boasts stories filled to the brim with every character of old west drama. Yes, its origin is unusual, a small community that came about in December 1881 when railroad crews moving west from Albuquerque had to stop laying tracks because they ran into the massive schism in the earth that they could not cross until a bridge was built. But many of the other stories of Canyon Diablo, the whiskey-and-blood-soaked streets, the air thick with violence, the graveyard that simply ran out of room, were all fabrications penned by a novelist long after the inhabitants of the fabled little town moved on.

There is one specific tale from Canyon Diablo though, that is true. And it is just as gruesome as any of the myths and rumors.

Canyon Diablo circa 1890. Image via public domain.

It was after 1am on April 8th 1905 but the Wigwam Saloon in Winslow, Arizona was still hopping and the liquor was flowing. Drinks may have been what was on the minds of John Shaw and William Evans when they first entered the building, but they soon shifted their attention. Their drinks were sitting untouched on the bar when the two walked over to a nearby dice table where the glitter of silver dollars caught their eyes. Their approach may have seemed innocent at first, by all accounts the men were young, in their twenties, and well dressed in suits as they walked up to the table. But, their intent became clear once they pulled their guns on the players and gave them a dire warning to cooperate. After robbing the players of over $200 they ran off into the night.

When Navajo County Sheriff Chet Houck and Deputy Pete Pemberton went looking for the thieves they might have expected an easy job. After all, the two men left a trail of coins behind them leading the sheriff and deputy straight to the railroad tracks. They followed the tracks twenty-five miles until they found themselves in Canyon Diablo. Once in the old town they found trading post operator Fred Volz and asked if he had seen the men, but they did not have to press him for any information. As they were talking to Volz the robbers began walking right up to them.

The men exchanged a few words but soon guns were drawn and bullet-laced smoke took over the scene. The combat was close, Shaw and Houck were only feet from each other, and it proved to be Shaw’s undoing. Twenty-one total shots were fired but at one point Shaw turned away from his opponent and that is when Sheriff Houck put the fatal bullet in his head. When the fight was over there were injuries and close calls all around, but Shaw was the only one killed in the shootout. Volz, still inside the trading post, provided a simple pine box for the body and the outlaw was quickly buried near where he fell.

Word of the encounter traveled fast and by the next night it was circulating around the Wigwam Saloon where the story was heard by members of an Arizona cattle outfit stopping along their route. Going head-to-head with law enforcement was nothing new to the men, but what was truly shocking to them was that Shaw died without ever getting to enjoy the drink he ordered at the bar.  

This was unacceptable. Fifteen of the cowboys stood up, grabbed whiskey bottles, and got on the next train to Canyon Diablo.

Volz may have still been shaken from the gunfight the night before when he was suddenly woken up to the sound of banging on his door. What he found outside was a mob of cowboys armed with liquor bottles and demanding information about Shaw’s grave. Then they told Volz the purpose of their visit. Shaw never got to have his drink. They had the liquor…now they needed Shaw.

As disturbed as Volz may have been at what the mob was telling him he eventually gave in and handed over the shovels they demanded. He also handed them a camera stating that pictures would help make sure the dead man was identified correctly.

The plan was simple, dig up Shaw and share his final drink with him. As reported later on by cowboy Lucien Creswell. “We stopped at the depot and had a few more drinks and then we went and dug the grave open with the shovels…” Amazingly, despite his violent end Shaw was in remarkably good shape, “looking very natural, his head not busted open.” Once they laid eyes on Shaw laying peacefully in his makeshift grave the scene became much more serious. Wagon boss J.D. Rogers instructed his men to take him out of the ground, ordering “Let’s get him out. Let’s give him a drink and put him away proper. Somebody can say a prayer, which wasn’t done when they shoved him into that hole.”

Shaw in his casket. Image via truewestmagazine.com. Courtesy Arizona Historical Society; John Shaw Collection.

Two men jumped into the grave, lifted his body to the waiting hands, and propped him up against a fence that was situated next to another grave. His eyes were open, his lifeless face was frozen in a smile, and the men put the bottles up to his teeth pouring the whiskey down the dead man’s throat. Shaw finally got to have his last drink.

After the liquor was gone the men solemnly placed Shaw back into his coffin, rested a bottle on his chest, and removed their hats for some hasty prayers before covering his body for the final time.

Throughout the entire ceremony six photographs were taken by an unknown cowboy in attendance. When the camera was returned to Volz he unloaded the film and handed it to Creswell, instructing him to give it to Sheriff Houck upon his return to Winslow. However, cowboy Sam Case had other ideas. Case had a grudge against Sheriff Houck’s brother and along the way back to Winslow Case confronted Creswell and took the film from him stating “Houck ain’t gonna get no pictures.” From here the roll of film passed from hand to hand, carrying the story of John Shaw along with it. Finally, a month after the impromptu funeral at Canyon Diablo Case handed the roll of film to Winslow attorney “Judge” Burbidge, who then passed it along to his son Ted. The photographs would not see the light of day until years later when the film came into the possession of a man named Gladwell Richardson who wrote an article about them in a 1965 issue of Arizona Highways magazine.

Trio of photographs taken of the last drink of John Shaw.  Image via truewestmagazine.com. Courtesy Arizona Historical Society; John Shaw Collection.

Today four of the photographs taken at the last drink of John Shaw belong to the Arizona Historical Society as part of their John Shaw collection. One photograph was allegedly kept by Ted Burbidge but several years after his death in 1955 the photograph went missing. Along with the Burbidge photograph, the location of the sixth image taken that bizarre morning is also unknown.

Canyon Diablo is a place filled with myths and legends of the Wild West, many of which are horrific. Although mostly debunked we have photographic proof that one of the gory stories did happen, the tale of the corpse that was dug up to have one last drink.

************************************************************************

Sources:

Canyon Diablo, Arizona: Why nearly all the stories about it are lies by Scott Craven for azcentral.com

https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/arizona/road-trips/2018/10/17/canyon-diablo-arizona-shootouts-myths-legends/1533865002/

One for the grave by Leo W. Banks for TrueWestMagazine.com

https://truewestmagazine.com/one-for-the-grave/

Last Drink: The Almost Unbelievable Story of John Shaw by Julie McDonald as part of the Arizona History series. Published July 23, 2020.

[alessandrococcorullo]

https://www.instagram.com/alessandro.coccorullo/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrtxluwOqU4NZCAGWrWL00g/videos?view_as=subscriber

[jokes-made-with-100-words]

No.6 【Japanese jokes made with only 100 words!】 

 No.6 【Japanese jokes made with only 100 words!】

 What is Ohgiri? (Ohgiri；大喜利) 【Ohgiri：Japanese Ohgiri is just a simple game where you are asked to provide some funny response on a given topic. It is an effective way of joke telling. Basically, japanese comedians are able to come up with the best jokes and respond immediately to various topics which were chosen randomly by the host.】 

Ohgiri Topic：Let's think of all the DVD titles and their contents that have never been rented by the customers at the rental store! The sample answers are as follows. 

《１》 

Summary of the movie；″What do you think about naming him Romeo if it's a boy or Juliet if it's a girl? Tell me, what would you do if you were in my shoes, by the way?″ This is a heartwarming drama in which an old man spends few hours consulting with a pet store clerk.

 Title：【Romeo or Juliet】 

《２》 

Summary of the movie；Panic film about a stampede of elephants in Thailand and people fleeing for their lives through the streets.

 Title：【Thai Panic】

 ➡[A play on words：″Titanic″] 

《３》 

Title：【24 -TWENTY FOUR- the omnibus film -】 

Outline of the film；A twenty-four‐hours TV program showing the highlights of "2020-2021 World Weather Forecast".

 《４》

 Summary of the movie；A record of our vacant home during the family trip.

 Title：【And Then There Were None】 

《５》 

Summary of the movie；An Adventure by train where you can relax and see the beauty of Japan. 

Title：【Through the Window of the Subway】

(on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1059425638-no-6-%E3%80%90japanese-jokes-made-with-only-100-words-%E3%80%91?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=ManabuManabuManabu&wp_originator=Okw1DkYZ%2F8GvsHN6Pjb11Eu1%2BXSIqqm%2BhBUALlRezwVAwdpcpWQRnEErJTYOhpLBorASd82exgQcHGKzq6C9w5xLxkWr%2FT0lXM0CL1qTZCYc08a88S8GN8ZRNNG%2Bermp

[chakie-violet]

Finally made my collage for #harvesttales2019 👻 It was very exiting to draw with so talented authors, exploring a new other art and reading some stories! I hope that I will do my best in the next time Thanks to everyone for your likes! 🖤 u all! ✨ #harvesttales2019 #harvesttalesmonth Thanks to: @byloishannah @illulina @nadiarausa @babswebb @svvshi @yveath #cionegate #graphic_arts #nature #art #spirits #instaartists #cionegateproject #graphics #skull #sketch #beautiful #herbs #golden #dead #death #spookyart #beast #strangestory #shadows #night #watercolor #fireflower #witchherbs #magic https://www.instagram.com/p/B3EqMA6i1Od/?igshid=kaxrpfvl4r30

[reireiasl]

Us against the world (Prologue)

Have you ever truly experienced friendship? Sure you may not have friends as much as Twilight Sparkle but atleast there’s someone true out there...right?

<3

first chapter

4 people started out as strangers, then acquaintances. Never did they expect to break free from their old friend groups just so they can create and start anew. Along the way, they too became magnets for people who were....like them yet so....different.

[immortalscares]

I hate nightmares. 😤 #DontWantThem #DontNeedThem