The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-11-12

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I, NOVEMBER r. !
x est adi bRs ispp ass g1ilgs,s oa'
sE (New York Worldly .4inil
BEN HOGAN's CHANGE OF
70 80, nolsets LIFE. goy nsox-s, j
Ia Gambler and Prixe-Fighter who
Has Forsworn Drink and the
Devil. t'+A skst ~
"Ben" Hogan, noted once, asa sprizes
fighter, wasfound by o World reporter
yesterday in small apartments on the
second floor of rs Crosby street, mar
ried to wise little house. vile, who
kept their rooms neat as 8 pin. Ben was
seated by table, thoughtf6lly munching
Ian appleand porlng over q we'll yotnI BIZ
ble.g He 4is. . large man, with broad,
square shoaldersl and muscular littits, and
Ia broad, ood-patuFed lace not much I'M
tPosfca <1oAPtSo4tO0<9YrsNS ~ - - -OF n1auy
ring and bar.room fights.
II vas going up. town ole Sunday
|night," be said, ''hunting fof some sort
| OF AMUSEMENT You see, ] had always
spent Sunday nightfn varity halls, and
when l sawsthe lights iuEffoht Of the
Park The ater Iwentin to SEQ What WAS
going onsa Instead Of dancing And va
riety business, i founds Brotberd Sawyer
preacuing to q. good house, and telling
them how be had been drunksrd and 4
gambler, and how contented and tonifott
able be was after be Had reformed, Some'
how Sawyer's story Interested me. Twas
all of q shake With wine drinking, and
lalthough Ibsd come Hass With S10, 600,
| / had drank and gambled it all away. Il
interested me to know that q man cotld
get out Of such slought. On my way
home I determined TO give up drinking!
When got home / told her (jefking '1is
head to ward his wife co. and she could
hardly sleep for anxiety to have me itake
the pledge. She persuaded mel until
early next morning, when we went up to
. place on the Bower, and II Ssigned the
pledge. 1t was no easy thing tos skeep,s;l
can tell lyou. My nerves we're all gone
I walked the floor that daysin an agony.
Every muscle was in, qulyer, and !
could not sleep. Late that evening; foi
the first time 10 my life, I prayed to God to
help me. i don't know how long II was
bat after some time It seemed like d fash
came over me, and I felt easy and reliev.
led. I sent her out for . Bible Il never
would have one 10 the house before. She
gave seventy-ive cents for this one (lift.
ing the worn volume that be had been re.
|ding), and soon aiterwasd I went TO bed
and slept easy through the night. We
went to see Brother Sawyer, and every
might since we 60 70 the meetings some.
where" . Q
when did your prise lighting life be.
gin the reporter, asked. 'si2s ~ BAG
"when the war broke out I wsso Id
Nashville" Hogan oanswered. II be.
gansby following the army--not as sol.
dier, for j don't think 1 d been much, OF 4
fighter that way--looking out for myself
always. Well made lots. OF money, bul
ine if2%a .aSysss cnt tfoa6s io Saend
fought much on my own acGount and
never bar-room fight unlesss l was
in liquor. Well I followed the army
down to Port Royal and Hilton Head,
and from, there i went to the Dry Tortu.
gas. played cards of all sorts. from New
Orleans up the river to Cincinnsti and
Pittsburg. Wby,I had plentyo money
whensI was I'd Pittsburgs fhad a span
OF horses and aS27, 900 to the good In
bank. / made up my mind to quitdrink.
ing and gambling .forF Fhad plenty to keep
me the rest of my life. That did not las,
long, though. Ny money dSipdled
away in loans and other ways until ! Ian
ded in Saratoga, at the beginning OF q
summer, with only S10, 900 in my pocket
| ] lett there With el5, and that borrow.
| ed."iidalsa sTa'sleias,i bna a9msesi,
"was that abouethe time of your figh,
with Tom ALLEN 9"the reporter tassedI
7eOh, about that 6ght,n Hogan repli
ed, somewhat irresponsibly. hnt with, in,
creased Interest," s. t.That come about In
this way. d bad been living around ssin
the oil regions, making plenty Of money
and drinking heavily. NV stomach was
all gone. The skin of my hands was
shriyled and cracked, and, the doctors
told me that the Hot Springs water Was
oil that could cpre me- Me and my pars,
ner started right of and stopped in St
Louis. There We met Tom Allen, who
was spoiIlug 70 light some one. / was
wiling to accommodate him, hut my
friends urged me to cure myself 6rsts Il
would not wait, but planked the money
right down. You see, / ALWAYS back my.
sell" fHogan said, with manifest profess
sional prldel ssEvery thing lwasu fixed,
bit when I got to the Hot Spring the
doctor said that they cdhld do nothing
for t1e. They advised, me to 10, over
into the Choetaw Nation And drink the
fresh blood Of game fdf q while. My
partner and T. took nine gallons Of whis,
XIV and lot Of ammunition and started
rightoff. We had . glotious time fol
nine weeks, and Twas all right after that,
and Allen and / had our'dghts sftrwas q
tough ones It came out sgdraw''sX 5bs
sn"You had otherrring fights had syou
nota" the reporter inquired. q ss9i1oi
a"Oh, yes, aud / never lost ,ones Of
them, be answered. "There was Ryan
and Holiday, both of them easy jobs.
The fight With Donnelly was the hardest
I ever had. l was roped into that They
thought they had put up job to have
Fme we'll licked. / had gone over to
Canada on gambling tour; and they
brought me against tonnelly in 4. bar.
room. Growing soon resdlted in match
Ito be fought within two weeks. We
fought thirty.eight minutes, atid he
knocked me down eleven times. / gave
him crusher in reside that broke three
= OF his ribs for him and won me the fight. =
/ ! "Have you met many Of your sporting
friends since your reformation2" the re-
|porter inquired. ~ s,','a,..,..,' -, "a =
eyes. they have called on me from all