Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-08
BEN HOGAN'S STORY.
"reminiscences Of a Pirate, Pu-
giIist and Gambler.
Running the Observation-Disclosures
In the Oil Regions fight
With Tom Allen.
New York star.I

New York Star.
There is now sojourning for a
brief while in this city a man who
has had a varied experience of the
dark side of life. 1t has been but
a few years since that his name was
sounded from one end of the coun.
try to the other as the only ath-
lete bold enough to throw down
the gauntlet to Tom Allen, the
English pugilistic champion, then
lately arrived on these shores. But
it is not alone upon his connection
with the fistic arena that his repu-
tation rests. He has been pirate
both upon land and sea. But few
of the fraternity know of his ad-
vent in this city, and as he is no
longer interested in the ring, he is
not seeking notoriety. The ad-
dress of Ben Hogan (the name of
this individually is now somewhere
in the oil regions, where he is Il
very well-known character.
The other evening a neatly
dressed, heavily-built man, perhaps
35 years of age, entered a we'll
known resort in the Bowery. He
was by no means rough-lo looking; he
would have passed for a well.to-do
country merchant or lawyer. He
wrs unaccompanied, and seemed to
be intently occupied in twirling u
small cane which he carried. But
a minute elapsed after he entered
before q hard-looking, weather.
beaten man saluted him with
" Hello, old pard, when did you
arrive ?"
The man with the cane looked
at him in surprise, failing to recOg-
nize the speaker
The stranger continued "Isn't
your name Hicksf Didn't we ship
together from Charleston nearly
twenty years ago ?"
Recognition followed, and the
man with the cane and the hard
looking customer took seats at a
table.
"How are times with your" asked
his old acquaintance. "You look
as though you had prospered.
What became of your share of the
money? Got it all in bank stock,
l SUPPOSE"
eyes; deposited it in a faro-bank
long ago, was the languid reply.
"What are you doing now?"
"Well, I'm not doing crooked
business now. I ship regular, and
spend most of my time on the At
lantic. What have you been doing
all these years."
That's a long story. The last
time | saw you was just before the
war. | shipped on the blockade
runner Winnipeg, running from
Nassau to Charleston. shipped
from this port. After one success
ful trip, was caught and sent to
the Dry Tortugas. In a short time
escaped, and worked my way on
the steamship Benderford, bound
for New York. just then they
were giving big bounties for re-
cruits, and | went into the Jump
ing business and made a stake.
Here Mr.. Ben. Hogan, alias
Hicks cast a significant wink at
his opponent. What's become of
the old crew of the -"
"They're all scattered, of course.
See one of them occasionally. That
crooked business is all played out
now. Dick - is keeping a sa-
loon in Orleans; he's the only one
that's got along well, except proba-
bly, yourself"
"Have you ever heard of the
CO 9tain since we choked him with a
rope and made him divide the
spoils!''
"Saw hin, last ir Liverpool. he
keeps a boadinc c-house, but don't
go under his real lame. He don't
care to, meet any of the old crew,
and seems to be down OH lis luck,
Were you in the war;"
Yes; but | kept my patriotism
within bounds" answered Ben.
with my bounty money, and a
lot Of Others chartered schooner,
loaded her with whisky, and carried
cheer 10 the boys at Newbern. We
made lets of money, selling it at
$40 canteen. Ny share was $4,000.