The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-13
A Miners Prise-Fight.
EVERYDAY LiFE AH0EG THE PENNSYLVANIA
nnaT

PLYMOUTH, PENN, July 0.-When the
train stopped at Avondale, on the Lack
awanna aud Bloomsbury road, this morn
ing, the attention OF the passengers was at
tracted to an exciting scene. About five
hundred persons, mostly miners and slate
pickers, were assembled on q common
close to mountain.beap OF culm,
INDUCING in rude expressions OF de-
light. AT first the passengers thought a
strike or riot was In progress, but the real
cause Of the hub.bub was quickly aSeer-
tanned as two men, almost naked, advanced
from opposite sides into q wide space in the
midst OF the mob and struck out ferociously
at each other. 1t was one OF those miners
"prize.6ghts 30 common in the isolated
portions Of the coal regions, and yet 1t
could scarcely be called prize-fght, since
there was no prize at stake.
While McParlan was playing detective
among the Schuylkill Mollie Maguires he
was frequently compelled to vindlcate bis
"honor" in this way with some persons
who suspected him OF being spy. 1t was
lucky for the detective that he was nim-
bic boxer and invariably overcsme bis as
sailant, which act, in the minds OF the Mol
lies, was OF Itself sufficient to establish his
character, not only as a hero, but as
"sQuare man " in every way. The fght at
AyondaIe had reached its iortieth round
when our train stopped there, and one OF
the combatants was scarcely able TO stand
up so as to be knocked down by his
antagonist. "Take him away" shouted
several voices as the vanquisbed miner
collapsed under the force OF the forty first
round. "Tbe dvil o. that he'll lave" said
q lusty supporter OF the "under man "
"until he has satisfaction" III it's any
satisfaction for you TO see him killed." cried
a erlmy.iaced little fellow, who looked like
an imp In the blackness Of the coal-dust,
/" it's that sure he'll be before long, for he
has more meghrums in his bead now than
he can get out in a week" d" Mind your
own business, Danny" said the first speak
er "Jimmy is goin' TO fight Id out on this
line ay il takes till next summer, as Gineral
Grant sed."
Just then a pale, haggard, little woman
dashed through the crowd, greatly agilated,
and, on gaining the open space within, she
rushed up to the gladiator, who was waltl
calmly for bis victim, and struck him saw
agely in the breast, exclaiming: " BE
curse on you, Mick Is it how you want
10 Kill my jimmie Get away wild you
now" Then turning to the PROSTATE man,
she cried in a voice OF tenderness, Ah,
jimmie, Jimmie, what's come over you,
fghtin' away like this, an your little Allie
dead ~
The stupid pugilist Frightened minute
and answered, "Is it how you said Allie
was dead, Nancy?"
eyes, yes" and she casped her hands
with mournful wall. "Dead she is, jim
mie, and you never came near home last
night, but were drinking your pay in some
sbebeen.bouse. Ob, my curse on the She
been -houses-my bitter curse on them this
day" She wiped the bleeding, bloated face
OF her young husband as she spoke, and
when one OF the bystanders, who had been
touched by her violent emotion, asked
what did the child die Off" the wo-
man responded quickly, "With the small
pox, sure" The words had more power
TO scatter the mob than il battery OF
artillery bad just assaulted it, and in short
time there we're none left but the aflilcted
woman and her silly husband, whom she
helped as best she could toward their
stricken home. Sights like this are common
at and about Avondale, and a short distance
from the village a desperate fight between
miner from AvOndale and Nanticoke
man was witnessed on the Fourth OF July.
Avondale is the scene Of the great disaster
OF 1862 and is situated on the right bank OF
the Susquehanna as you enter the Wyoming
Valley from Northumberland.