The sun., 1873-12-27
RAT KILLING IN LONDON.
n pICTTRE or UNDER LIFE IN THE
BRIIISH METROPOLIS.
A Li,,i, sights slaughter ~ Jerry Fishers
PIKE nd Mhistlc.
poi0 ne LoE ioH HJtru,.
LII L. .D-... - ~

Thts against any blN'I dillld III lNt N'Ilu'
Weight aud axe no object In The event oi -,
more suitable offer ucing made, Mr.. Hnlchcr WIN
behalf of nj, one-eycd wondcr,, Vixen, re,.iv'ng
two fatS Of his antagonist Match at half past
eight Free use of the pit aftcrw ird PLENTY "f
lively rats for the occasion al four shilnas per
dozen. \ good sprnhling e the righ, sort Is
confidently expected. y H. Keep this dark.
1T wa- only on my promise that would Scru-
pulously observe the mysteriuus inj melton with
which the oouvc attractive adyouiscmoat con
cluded, thnt the ni'mher OF the feurN to
whom wa introduced NcntuCd to intrust me
with the thee inches 10y two Of limp cardboard.
without winch "a vain pilgrimage might lc made
to GrupwaN street. and t. the Pike aud whistle.
IT was neatly socluck on the saturday even M.
when alter wandering through the maZc- tnat
lie bchud ana In the ncishhorh 'od uf Spital-
fields church | at last discovered Gruhway
street and the Pike and Whistle.
There was the sign, the Pike and Whistle. and
there arrived nm indvid1aI Who might have
been recognized a. undoubtedly one of the
Fancy. \ lean, hungryloohug man OF the
weaver type, with patched and t9ttcrcd black
coat, buttoucd high UP to his chin, and "A bat
tered old hat pcrchcd jauutily atop uf his oily
turncd-undcr side locks lie va. not alone. liy
very much alaiu-tiits will seemingly, mon
str9us, h!et-headed, bmdy bulldog;
with bloudshot eyes, and jaws Of breadth aud
depth. made ,aie for the iime 10y means OF a
uulHic The bulldog was better on thdn his
WGstcr hI%cycr In e. tae matGr Of ci@tnns s
.nvrlup Il Ia ua1vc rNe-coat ut horseclOth,
daiutily bound with yellow RAID. lhe man
with the bullios made brief halt at the bar,
aud having done petty much as he did there,
followed his example when he turned into "A
passage, and entered at u door ON which " Far
ior" was inscribed. the idea at the moment
cro.sini my mind that PIT entrance" would
have been more Appropriate.
The rat uit was not here. This was the or
dinary evening resort for members uf the Fancy
in the uci d lhOrhuod. where they assembled To-
Smoke their pipes and compare canine notes.
TncIe wcr' dos on thc tinl"s among the r9ts
like newborn babies under the breast HdpS uf
char. a't t,th' Irss ut tables. Some Of thcm
Do a.N Nsa IN IA Ali
having =" "..' roa uuu q hand some collar with
a brass ur siNc..illt. d oruau, ,rtation, winch
iuc duE's luutie twu-lce-cd atCniant kept
h'i-hi ~ " lirp ''Ht i"b VAN ms pocket hahd-
k,t'4.f, 90, iAt rut 49, h's ruit.
fu almost every instance the men took their
"stNl"' g.. rrrnd"d The cut II their hmr and
whi.A,i- from tIcir uu-s. IL was toe bulldog
men " "u "'ic tu'ir hair cropped a. close Il, q
WHO c't!. .."I."I o. cul.isd'" The bulldog short
l',' aud -s' w.. j. ,her arH! bowed ON the tail,
before "wn- ihe o"ilU's p leg ate lowed, oni
~ Lis ir.t. Tue tctricrmcn were even more
rem1rkahlr for tlcir likeness to their protects.
The, wore thcIr hail rushed back "a; top, So rs
TO shp" 70 bold. bald forehead, aud brought
th,rpl, lt thr -I.s I, thr front a-iin, IN imitI-
ton Uf t"rrIeI ~pihN eitS.
The place where the coming battle was about
tl be fIu.At appeared t. be an a. cient skittlc
ac,, iun: i.-'i-ad ou account Il LEAH tl.' in the
r'of ami otu,r defects and now only put to ser
wee for cicaihns rots ana slowing Lumber. Tue
pit. -u called, wa q space OF the common
npur enclosed uH all sides ry boarding to
hrl-ht of atolt three feet. Nothing in the shape
~
srcc2ll, iridescd o'c.I icd the front row, ana
either SOU ttcd ~ kuclt down IN convenient
position ion holding their d - 80 that they
in'-1i Lave tu uhin eirurtrd WOW OF the RAT
slaughter NJ opposite corners II the pit a lit
tlr cxlr. space was reserved for the Gent well
kh'Wh lh s?Nths tf'i'-' ana inr the Poe
maker. Nuo, during tue preliminarics. was hug
Eins Mu-'atd {" ins bosom, and seemingly en-
dcayurh- I" hrIte That canine hero TO DO his
lcy ht.t h' Whi-lyr.hg "a IL ear lrotcstaiiuns
Of love "uH .'e"dship. Nj. Hatcher was IN the
f-unt IuH, i.n, hut the wonderful un"-eS ed
vixen wi- not At present his cnifpaniol. Like
wary general ald a. n himself afterward
confessed. ne had planted his dawg in qiic.
part f the o.-e until Mustard had cut out
the WuIh. $50 that he tuightn't cat his blood IA
tue eNd' -m,utoi looking at what the tothor
And uoW tn,rc .tcrpcd into the pit a lanky
youth. Nu, ou ordinary occasions uili cated ~
pot ucS ou the premises. bat Who, III tght-nt-
ing ir"t ~'rs ana jlgkct WAS at present inttust-
ed with tIe r.loru-ihl oni'e of master of tue
rafting c.r'u. 'ultS. lie had Eu stick or stan,
however nothing but a piece II chalk. the Use
otwh.-h pres ntly di covered. Then Mr.. Jerry
Fisher UpptaIed. win huge square iron wire
cl..o H, tr L'- .Il ai.G the Gaze WAS fun Of rats
"Hycly Ones. too. judging from the manner
IN winch thcS sWarmcd over each other and
sIu.ilrt and turu~' treirrcstless noses through
tuc bars. I.t -.-i,t Of the rats was the signal
In r' - t,rr,ci ~, sent t. be afflicted with tenn
i'taiy N.ns mtdhoss' aud each one wtthed in
is ii.-l'r arn- an'i set up SUCH deaien.he
d.r 10 aIN-f la,, made tur ne ut II the stoule-t
~, In the cage q ''il wilh fear. The Iipemaker
o. ] ca t.ur. tnN vi. FISHER advancing to the
%, ,ur.H"i tue iltllr door II the cage. and. with
Hh amount 81 '"uih"'N mat IA td' ones heart
hHt'. i...I- .i ul- lauG among the now piilc-
tiilch"'' H.i~- of rat- and IIuc,r them out Toy
tn" -rtui Of th,. Eutca- o- 10y their tails and
tuleN t'tn. lhtu Tue. lit, where the man win
tho 81 - ~ r'ulh keyt count until forty were
Ih,y uad- iu-u To- one corner and there
thrN s" .iu, %, u 'uuiius oN each other, and
otnrf l,ulc-. aui stun uiu- up the heap until,
IN form Il suZ tr AT, It reached two iect hign
nj ie'si The l'p'maNers 40: did not bark
NOW. WITH cscIy muscle uf III. intelligent little
ficc uultciiug. and MS cars sharp pricked for
ward, Nu. .'aru tNcd those Proceedings, and
lanai Tt IN -
bis enemies a they were thrown in, lest he
should he cheated Of one OF them. Then W. tches
wee pr,lu ed, and the ilpemaker held his dog
by the shoulders. " say when" said he. Now"
sh.rpi, cN iIlned Jerry Fisher, aud then in a
flash Mustard was among the rats. Mustard
dire" On the lat bank with the caution of one
VII" has doubts Of the stability Of his ac-
count thtlc. lie didn't disturb The base of the
htdp %" b.Ithrd down the t"pmost ones, made
one Sna AZ their uniuChy lpins, set hls iOre feet
down h.ri gave them vigorous shake, and
Toe rat, win load 81 reals dispersed all over
The pi. ih" pIpcMaA"r VINO certainly think
was iu e. ror. and Mustard were ~ issue. " Yah.
uit tali. collar en-, lad collar 'cm!" yelled the
iiprpHh"r. and iiustatd promptly gave way,
ami mode RAINING hEht ui H. da,iilng here
aud 'hrl" with amazing s"ittuesS, his every
llc-h Itr' q. tlh- a lat hir lie. Mustard pres
rutN itf % lH -luN ~tlutNhtt Hurried, and To
unN and tnyu shake d Ia. and leave IL IN the
h,i'D, t.at Il Wa, dead, whereas 1t had yet a
Tiny glWmsI OF life in II. MHcn the attendant
IN lhe pil .,cctcd TINS he took his bit Of chalk
tat IS head and al H. tail and If # was foi'n1 tn
move iu the least out If these bouudaries II wa
counted 1--we ta', and " one tu the bad"
There was che rat, not a very large one, but
whose Tremendous teeth aud gray whiskers pro
rldlWri MN veteran, hud who up To TINS point
had ekiulb eyaded Mustard'- Tavrning laws
There were three ia II corner, and the terrier
who evidently had relish for rats IN corners
made a ru-h there, intending 10 make shorl
WORK ~ them. The gray -whlskeIed animal W ,
one ut the trio, and seeing MustArd's glaIinl
eyes, feeling his hot, murdrI9us breath per
hap-, lac did Il desperately pluCky thing lie
surdug at MustaId.S Ncrl jaws, aud hAlng hii
keen, white teeth III the dogs under NJ, nun.
there.
Sow, indeed, Was the excitement Of the sports,
men Of the PA immense. In vain ho shook and
plunged Hnd tossed ana cndeaNurCd to sCratCl
on the RAJ with uls fore paws the creature cllnL
itN good ten seconds u, least had been al
ready cut 10 waste, That share I'm the "tenner,
al winch he had made go sure, was growing eacI
moment more ana more Improbable TO the mIut
of the agoniLed iipemakeT. "Oh! collar 'cu
boy, collar en-, The tone in which the ADpei
was made had an Instantaneous eject on IN,
gallant Mustard with short, sharp bark, tina
sounded not unlike viii, will, for al. tha
Ihe rat stiil hung to his lip, causing II to beeC
freely, lac went to the enemy again, and, hciOr
The gray whskered tormentor lost his hold, unt
then, quick as lightning, Mustard pinned nm
ana nc was among the slam, There TemalncC
but eight OF Tie rats t. dispose Of, and himul
taneously with Mustard shaking the life out o
the last of these, Jerry Fisher called Time -
thrcc minutes and tlTce-quartors,