The Russellville Democrat., 1877-04-19
CHICKEN FIGHTING TN THE LAND
 OF STEADY HABITS.

society have driven cock-hghts almost off this island and out of the surround ing counties of this state, and that the town of Greenwich has become the head quarters of regiment of the raisers, fanciers, betters and fighters of game cocks. The Journals invisible reporter has ascertained the particulars of dozen recent fights, which it 'gives with the names of the prominent abettors. It then tells it's readers something about these poor birds. It says
 If the cock is over weight, he is by medicine rapidly reduced to the required point. is shut up all day in barrel with out feed, and at night brought out and fed in room, with light kept burning all night, to accustom him to the light, and exercised in fighting other fowls nightly, to give him the proper training, and after about ten days and nights of such "moral and intellectual culture" and home training" he is ready for the pit to "battle to the death," to be killed himself or kill his fellow. The time and place being agreed upon, and all the pre- liminaries arranged, the greatest secrecy is observed to baffle the officers of the law. The fowls are carried in bags, often for miles by their owners, and by railroad for a distance of fifty miles in some cases. Arriving upon the ground or building at about midnight, rough inclosure of boards is made abont ten feet square and nearly two feet in height. The cocks are then taken by the heelers who cut off their "spurs" down to about half an inch of their legs, and while smarting and bleeding they are burnt with red hot iron to stop the flow of blood. A piece of chamois skin is then bound on and long steel gaffs from two to three inches long with point as sharp as needle are bound firmly on with waxed ends over the stump. The birds are then by the "heelers clipped of their hackle, saddle, breast and all tail feathers, and thus shorn of their beauty, are put in the pit by the heelers who are their seconds, bottle holders," spongers and managers throughout the fight, until the death of their "cham- pion" or his fellow relieves him from the charge. Death generally takes place in about five or ten minutes at farthest. As soon as the fowls are put in The pit and catch glimpse of their antagonist they make for each other and the battle commences amid the shouts and cheers and laughter of the mongrel crowd of we'll dressed, wealthy, seem to be respect able, native and foreign element, with a choice sprinkling of niggers, gin-mill loafers and played out politicians, dead beats and bummers of the surrounding towns for miles around and the hangers on of "prize fights" Dead Rabbits, Five Pointers, Water street sharks and dock rats of New York city. Imagine such mixed throng as this crowding around to see the dying struggles of these noble birds-shoulder to shoulder, and cheek to cheek in loving, brotherly em- brace, straining their eyes and ears, mounted on each others shoulders oiten- times, breathing an atmosphere of smoke, stench, bad whiskey, old pipes, butts of elder cigars, foul breaths, and fouler oaths and words and obscene .jests, and you only need the smell and contact of brimstoneto make this picture of a cock fight one of the "devifs Own." The long, sharp steel gaffs worn by these birds soon wound each other and cover them with bleod, until, smarting with pain, they madly rush and make desperate lunges at each others heads and eyes with these swords of death, until they are driven through to the hilts, and death ensues in moment. A fight rarely lasts over five or ten minutes, in many cases scarcely minute, the first thrust of the gaffs killing in some cases. As many as twenty or thirty noble birds. images of which for years have been mounted upon many church spire throughout this Christian land, are cruelty killed by each other and their torn and bleeding carcasses thrown out to the dogs almost before life is extinct. and their own murderous gaffs are cut of of the dying gladiator and fastened in turn upon a "fresh fowl" to murder his fellow in return, to gloat the appetite and satisfy the fiendish love of torture and put the coveted greenbacks in the pockets of the angelic throng. Hundreds of dollars thus change hands nightly, money in many cases taken from working men and those whose families need every dollar to live in these trying times. One of the most noted cock-fghts of the sea son took place at Mamaroneck a while ago, in farm house owned by one of the parties, in the day time. There were gathered mostly the wealthy sports of New York and vicinity, with good rep resentation from Greenwich. To guard against surprise from Mir. Bergh and his officers, atout twenty guards with mus kets were hired as sentinels.
 The fighting was continued all day and into the night, and thousands of dollars were lost and won. Several