Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-08


spies. | did peddle little news
between the lines, to tell the truth.
| made my way to New Orleans,
where | fell in with rough crowd.
But you know | was the best boxer
aboard ship, and was always able to
take care of myself. was matched
for a rough-and tumble, which
turned out to be a shooting scrape.
In sclf-defense l killed my oppo-
nent, and escaped to Mobile. There
| got into a scrape in a gambling
hell, and shot another man. had
got some reputation as a sparrer,
and making my way North, l gave
exhibitions in the West. At Nash
vile joined Bill Sparks, the can
non-ball tosser. Weopened a show
and divided at least hundred dol
lars every night. After the war |
went to the oil country, which was
then very rough region. / had
lots Of experience there roughing
it. | ran a free-and-easy in Pithole
for a time. Here | got a very hard
name, which good deal of it was
not my fault. Every bully wanted
to whip me, but 1 was more than a
match for the best of 'em. Some
body was shot every day. There
was worse crowd there than the
Mollie Maguires. ! opened a
dance-house at Babylon, a place
which / think at that time was the
worst on the top of the earth.
There were mountain pirates there
men who lived in caves and
killed and robbed people driving to
and fro from the town. | was max
ing money all the time-carried
lots Of it about me. A plot was
laid to kill and rob me. A gang
entered my place at night, made an
attack upon me, and | shot four of
them. One of them died. | was
tried and acquitted at Tidioute.
81 had become SO notorious,
even in this hard country, that |
was compelled to leave, and went
to New York State, worth $4,000.
| was in Saratoga four months, |
had a street encounter there, shot a
man, but was cleared by habeas
corpus. [ spent all my money, and
was compelled to borrow my fare
back to the oil country. Well, l
got disgusted with the place, and
came to New York, where l assist
ed in the training of Joe Coburn
for his fight with McCoole.
" l couldn't keep away from the
oil region, however, and went back,
aud the press gave me warm
reception. AT Parker's Landing |
opened a afree-aud-easy and sparring
entertainment, and kept it up three
years. My place was broken up,
and it was then that / opened the
Floating Palace which was moor
ed in the Allegheny river. 1t was
120 feet long and "a feet wide. 1t
was a puzzle to the authorities how
to get at me, as | was directly be-
tween the counties-half in one ard
half out of the other. This was in
~ and ~.
"Up to this time l had chal.
lenged Tom Allen, the English
champion, four times. lie at last
accepted and l went to st. Louis to
arrange the preliminaries. Had the
battle been fought in the East !
think ! would have Jared better.
After a great deal of trouble, we
made a match for $1,000 side. |
was my own backer. At last we
met in the ring at Council Bluffs,
Iowa. The history Of the fight is
well known. | gained the first
knock-down and the first blood. In
the second round Allen struck me
foul and | was badly injured.
In the third round be struck me "A
foul again. ] firmly believe that |
could have whipped Allen. The
crowd broke through the ropes.
The most Of them were friends of
my opponent. AT least a hundred
reFolFeFs were drawn. However,
there was no bIoodshed. The ref
cree decided the fight "a draw, claim
ing that was his duty through the
crowd breaking in. The fight was
mine, but ! saw the case was hope
less. again challenged Allen, this
time to fight in the East, but the
match never came to anything.
81 went back to the oil regions
to Petrolia-where ! built an
opera house. have built three OF
these houses in various towns in
the region They are not grand
buildings, but l showed enterprise,
! think. | like the business. I'm
we'll acquainted in the profession,
and hsFa many friends among
them. Still, pW looked upon as a
hard case out thera, though I've
done many a good turn that { lop't
care to boast Of / think it's i'm
possible to live down a bad name,
40 matter what you do. I'm de-
termined to reform-I haye reform
ed; | think Of trying my hand at
leeturing, like Murphy. Ny sub
loot Woul1 ha phvs;ool Cu1tura; ;