The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-26

\ reporter ha, ascertained the rurticu-
lars o.. dozen recent cuch fights, which
an exchange .ayts. Ii then tells lis
readers something about the manly
art of slaushtcriug these poor birds
IL says.
Ii thc cock is over weight, hr is 10y
medicine rapidly reduced 60 the required
point. Is shut up ail day Ia IA barrel with
uut feed, aud 40 night brought out and
fei In room, with q hight kept burning
all night. o. accu-tom HIM o. the light
Aud exercised iu fighting other fowls
nightly, 90 gave h,m tAr proper training,
and after about ten days auj nights uf
such moral uui intellectual and
home training. hr ls ready for the PIT
o. " battle g. the death, o. he killed
himself or Kill his fellow. The time and
place being agreed upon, and all the
prehm,uartrs arranged. tho greatest Sc
crrcy d, observed q, battle the officers of
the law. The fowls are carried iu bags.
often Tor miles hy tlyls owners aud by
railroad for IL distance ui fifty miles IN
some cases. Arriving apan tine ground
or building az about midnight rough
luclusurr ut boards ls made about ten
'ce, square and nearly Two feet ~
height The cocks are then taken by
the herlprs Who cut oil their "rpurs
down e. about half au ucA ~ their legs,
and while smartug and bleeding they
are burnt with "a rgI hut iron 10 stop tAe
flow al blood A piece ot chamu,s SKIN
la then bound uu ami long steel gatls
from two o. three inches long with
point as sharp as q needle are bound
firmly on with waAri ends over the
stump. The bird, are then hy the
" Leelers clipped ut their hachlc, sad
die. breast and tail feathers, and thus
shorn oi their beauty, are pat IN th PIT
10y the hcglyrs Who arc their seconds,
bottle holders. ,poue,rs and mana
gers throughout the light, until the
death of their 3" champion ar his fellow
relieves him from the charge Death
generally takes place ln anou, five orteu
minutes 40 iurthr,t.
As soon Jas the fowls are put IN the pit
and catch % glimpse uf their mtaganis;
they make for each other and the battle
commence, auIi the shouts and cheers
and laughter @. the m1ugrcl crowd uf
well dressed. wealthy. seem "a he re
spectacle, native and foreign element.
with a choice spriukllng Of uigsrrs riu-
mil luUers and played uIi politicians,
dead beats and buumurr OF tine surround
ing towns Tor miles around and the
haugers-on Of "prlze fights. Dead Rab-
bits. Five Pointers. Water street sharks.
ami dock rats II New York city. Iu-
aglue such % mixed thralg as tins
crowing around g. see thc dying stIuE-
giles ui these noble binds shoulder 10
shoulder, and cheek b cheek in loving,
brotAeriy embrace, struiuius their ewes
and ears. mounted on each others
shoulders o!teuumvs. breathing an At
muspArrr of smoke, stencil. bad whisky,
old pipes. butts uf older cigars, foul
hreath-. and toulrr uatls and words and
obscene tests, and yau only need the
smell and contact ui birthstone % make
TINS picture Of cock fight one 81 the
d" DEVILS uwu. The long. sharp steel
glfIs worn hv these birds soon wound
each other and cover them with blood,
until, smmtinE with pam. they maily
rush and make desperate luuEcs 10 each
others heads and eyes with these swords
81 death. until they are driven through
.a tse Ai.js, and death cusuys 100 mo-
mraL \ firh, rarely lasts over five or
ten minutes. iu many casrs scarcely
minute. the first thrust Of the guils kali
ing Iu some Cas,s.
As many as twenty or thirty noble
birds. images ui which for wears have
been mounted upon many "a church spirc
throughout this Christian land, are
cruelty killed by each other and their
torn aud bleeding carca~svs thrown out
. l.
and their own murlyrlUs g8fs are cut
of of the dying gladiator and fastened
.u turn upon "irrsh fowl % murder
his fellow iu return, 10 gl1at III" appe-
8te and satisfy the flemish love uf tor
tgge and pat the coveted grcouh3cAs In
the pockets Of the angelic thrHuv Hun
Irais Of dollars thus change hands
nightly. money IN many eases taken
from working men and those whose fami-
Hes need every dollar tn live lu these
irving times. One 81 the most noted
cock fight, ut the season took piacc at
Mamar1ncck % while ago. Iu farmhouse
owned 10y ONE pi the PARTIES. iu the day
time. There wer. gathered mostly the
wealthy sports nt New York and vicinity
with good representa- ou from Green
wich 10 guard against surprise from
Mr. Bcrgh and his officers. about twenty
guards with muskots were hired MS SEN
uurls
The fighting was continued nll day
and into the night, and thousands uf dol
lars were lost and won. Several wealthy
men from this place aud vicinity were
badly bitten. No regiments cncampcl
IN an cucmy's country over night were
better protected by a continuous line of
surrounding srutrios than these high
toned sports. BY system of signals
they could Toe warned i'm time 10 put
everything away, and when the officers
cane upon them they would only be
company Of innocent lambs on q
Sunday teachers picnic in the bracing
air of the country.