Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-05-10
A SABBATH DIVERSION.
A "PIcnic" sport Broken Up by
the sheriff and q Deputy.

the Snerfm ana q Deputy.
Verbal invitations were extensively cir
culated on Saturday evening for a picnic
to be held the day following at the Italian
ranch, located some four miles east Of Eu-
reka. The spot is a delightful one for such
pastime, and as the morning dawned pleas
antly the livery stables were taxed to their
utmost to supply turnouts for those who
desired to participate in the fun and bask
in the glorious sunshine. The church bells
had just begun to toll their musical invita-
tons to the %repentant sinners to come to
the throne Of grace, when carriages, bug
gies, express wagons and vehicles of every
description, as well as men on horseback,
were seen to depart from the town quietly
and wend their way northward. 1t was
ostensibly a picnic excursion to the place
designated. Sheriff Kyle, however, who was
watching the unusual parade, eonjectured
that there was something besides q pas
toral dinner in the wind, and kept an off,
cial eye on every movement. When his
trusted deputies reported that Denny Mann
and AL. Skinner, the two ~well-known local
pugilists, between whom some bad blood
had been engendered, were among the ex-
cursionists, he charged one Of the deputies
to HE him to the stable and drive out the
best team to be had. But the picnickers
had anticipated this step, and sent their
nags over the dusty roads to the ranch at
such a pace that marked an errand Of life
and death, hoping by this means to elude
the grasp Of the official hand. The hour
Of meeting at the ranch was fixed at II
o'clock, but like all excursions, there we're
some tardy members. AL. Skinner, with
two rosy companions, was the first to put
in an appearance, and some time afterward
Denny Mann threw the light OF his pic
turesque countenance on the throng.
Their appearance was the signal for a gen.
eral stampede to the picnic grounds, a
pretty plateau about half q mile above the
ranch, where several limpid streams Of
water gurgled out their MONDAY melodies.
Here all was hurry and excitement,
though, instead Of baskets of well-cooked
viands and the customary liquids, it was OBJ
served that there were buckets with sponges
and other articles not often used on rural
trips. No further attempt was made to
conceal the object Of the excursion q ring
was formed and the men, Skinner and
Mann. stepped to the front to settle the
AinRhtO o0tWCCh tLICits IL Wub Viz dib-
covered that SINNERS bucket and sponge
had been accidentally left at the ranch,
though the opposite party was uncharita-
BILE enough to hint that it was left there on
purpose in order to gain time. A man was
dispatched on horseback to get the arti-
cles, and twenty minutes Of valuable time
was wasted. When he returned the spec
tators became impatient and urged
the seconds and referee to start the
patriarch Of all sports, particularly as a
carriage was seen sweeping along the high
way at q furious pace, and which was sup
posed to contain the majesty Of the law.
Mann stepped into the ring first, dressed
in an undershirt, light pants and heavy
shoes. Skinner followed almost immedi-
ately, in p. r.. costume, stripped to the
buff from the belt up, knee brooches and
Without going into prelimi-
naries, the men started in on the first
round. They eyed each other cautiously
for O moment and then endeavored to spar,
but both showed themselves woefully de-
void OF science, Skinner spreading his
arms as If he was making an attempt to
fly, and Mann entirely needless Of his
Mann led off with his right with a
chopping blow, which fell half a foot short.
Not able to recover his guard quick
enough, Skinner took advantage OF his de-
position and planted his right
on the left cheek of Mann,
cutting the skin and sending him to grass.
First blood and k~nock-down for Skinner.
The carriage that had been noticed in the
distance had now arrived at the fence, some
800 yards from the battle-ground, and it
no difficult matter TO recognize its oc-
as the Sheriff and q Deputy. How
ever, the crowd cried impatiently for an
other round, and as the thirty seconds
b~reathing-spell, previously agreed upon,
had expired, time was called for the sec |
ond round. Some very bad sparring was
in on both sides, when they came
to close quarters, and each exchanged some
ineffective body blows at half arm. They
and went down, Mann falling |
on Skinner, but Skinner turning
his opponent over in q fash, when they
ordered to be separated. The Sheriff
the scene by this time, the beads
Of honest exertion standing in his face like
dew On the rose at early morn, having
made a S00-yard sprint race with his Dep |
uty to see which could come down on the
crowd first. The spectators, however, like
4 brood OF chickens watching q hawk, had
had q watchful eye on the Shrievalty, and
as the two officers were jumping the last
ditch, the crowd. as II struck by a panic,
made a rush for the teams. For q mo-
ment II looked like an army put to rout,
md then the road became lined with flying
and a cloud Of dust. The bellig-
not being able to "cut and rum"
we're placed under arrest, but were allowed
TO return TO town with their friends.
On arriving here they delivered themselves
up to the Sheriff, who locked them up
but friends soon appeared and bailed them
put. We have not ascertained the charge
under which they we're arrested. The law
Of Nevada makes pr~ize-fghting punishable
by not less than two years nor more than
Ave years in the State Prison, but as far as
the SENTINEL's reporter is informed, the
fought for neither prize nor money;
hence the law cannot apply to them in the
present case. Whatever may be the evil
tendency Of such engagements, the affair
Sunday was supremely ridiculous, and
the Sheriff no doubt enjoyed the discom-
future OF the spectators as much as he took
delight in d" taking in the combatants.
MOI Members Of the Union.
The Ruby Hill Miners Union, learning
that men were working at the B~ullwhacker