St. Louis bullfight riot

On June 5, 1904, thousands rioted in St. Louis, Missouri north of the 1904 World's Fair after a bullfight was canceled by court order.

The St. Louis bullfight riot injured a handful of people and burned down the Norris Amusement Company arena, disrupting the World's Fair for one day.

Promoter Richard Norris advertised bullfights on June 5, 1904, capitalizing the spirit of the World's Fair.

Under pressure one day before the fight, Dockery ordered St. Louis County's prosecuting attorney to arrest all violators of the state's anti-bullfighting law.

Rioters ignited straw in the bullpen, and flames leapt to the grandstand made of pine and tar paper.

This photoillustration from the front page of the June 6, 1904 issue of the St. Louis Republic newspaper illustrates the burning of the Norris Amusement Company arena during the St. Louis bullfight riot contemporary to the 1904 World's Fair.