Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-19
CONTESTS BETWEEN MEN AND
BRUTES.
How Mr.. Sullivan Can Kill an OK with
His Fist-Wrestling with Bears.
From the New York Sun.

HOW -uEs SULLIVAN IAN HA1lI an OX with
His Fist-WrestIing with Bears.
From the New York Sun.
Even among sporting men there Is DISPOSE
ton, in this country at least, to look askance at
men who pit themselves against beasts in COM
bat. One of the tairest things of the kind was
the fight, few years ago, at Oroville, Butte
county, Cal. between Jack Powers and grizzly
bear. Jack was famous character con the
slope" in those days, mainly owing to his
intense dislike for all persons who came
from Jackson county Missouri The memory
of some injury done him in remote times by
somebody in that part of Missouri forever
ranked In his BOSOM and whenever he heard
oil any man from Jackson county coming within
a hundred miles of him he would seek out
that man and whip him within an inch of his
life. MANY trumphs gave him such confidence
in himself that, in moment of enthusiastic
recognition of his own merit inspired largely
by 'tarantuia juice" he proclaimed his ability
to whip a grizzly bear. Some person. Doubtless
in secret sympathy with the outcasts of Jackson
county. Mo-. offered to bet him $3.50 that ne
couldn't and the match was promptly ar
ranged. A big grizzly. wild. savage, and hum
cry, was turned loose in on enclosure. and Jack
armed only with large and reliable bowie
knife, spraDg in to the encounter. The pro-
ceedngs were very animated. though not pro-
tracted. Jack succeeded IN plunging his knife
into the animals heart. winning the fight. but
he was so badly clawed and chewcd that it was
at first thought his injuries would prove fatal
and although he eventually recovered long
time elapsed before he renewed his operations
on Jackson county emigrants.
Bears are very ugly animals in a fight as
many hunter and trainer of animals has proved
to his cost. They are very powerful brutes,
agile as cats, almost. for all their clumsy looks
are natural sparrers of no mean ability, and
good wrestlers as WE'LL have very powerful Jaws
aud sharp claws, and are treacherOus and cum
ming. Old "GriZzly' Adams, of California who
had pobably trapped, fought. and killed more
bears than anybody else-nOt even excepting
Pike cOuntys ''Old Settler'-used to say that
there was more dependence to be put on pam
Their or even woman. than a tame bear. The
bear has way of slouching along by his keeper
seemingly indifferent to his presence. and never
looking up to catch his eye, and suddenly wheel
ing on him and Selling him by the leg That
was the way that one of them came near to kill
ing Harry Jennings a few years ago. when he
had his place in White street. The brute had
him down, and would have finished him, no
doubt, but for the courageous attack on it in his
behalf by his famous fighting dog, Waterford
Jack.
The wrestlers Christol and Bauer have both
wrestled with bears in public in this city; but
the precautions were always taken of having
the bear securely muzzled and his claws
trimmed. But the public always looked on the
contests as the mere hippodroming of a man
with his trained beast and never took kindly to
the sport
1t has recently been rumored that John l..
Sullivan might, could, should, or would "knock
out a bull by blows Of his fist. 1t is by no
means impossible that he could. London
butcher. Bill Neat, it is said knocked down an
OK with blow of his fist. on various occasions
and it is asserted that big butcher and great
fighter in New York years agone, named Har-
rington. had done the same thing. AS such
things are conducted. it Is a mere question be-
tween the hardness OF the animals skull and the
force of the blow dealt. The bull, or OK, is
hoodwinked and the blow is treacherously
butcher would fell him with an axe.
Only few months ago darky in Philadel-
phla had brutal fight with bulldog He
whipped the beast but was very severely torn.
A short surprise party sort OF a fight between
a man and a big mastiff came off in the old
SiXth-street market, of Cincinnati, in 1856. A
butcher named Alexander had a mastiff that
he was rather proud of as dangerous dog
Another butcher named Bowling offered to bet
so that he could whip the dog. The bet was
promptly taken. and after business hours the
central aisle of the market was cleared for
space of some thirty feet, the butchers and
other marketmen crOwding around to witness
the fight The brute dashed at the mans throat
bowling. very powerful man. had braced HIM
self firmly, and, as the dog sprang at his throat,
ettHtu iiIIl ny DOtu slieS OF the neck, used the
animals impetus to aid in swinging him in a
circle overhead, and then brought his body down
on tine stone floor with a slam that iounced the
breath out of him. The dog lay gasping for a
minute or two, and then crawled back under
his masters stall.
In England there are and ALWAYS have been
ever since rat killing attained the dignity of a
sport, men who made matches to kill rats with
their teeth. A rat is fastened in the middle
of circular table by means of string twelve
inches long. tied around or through his tall The
hands Of the killer are tied behind his back He
must kill the beast with his teeth only The rat
circles about at the length of its tether makes
frantic leaps hther and thither In truitless en-
beavers to escape. Always the threatening
teeth and eyes of the man follow It, 1t turns at
bay and springs at him in vain. Wild with pain
and fear, it runs about again in circle at the
full extremity of its tether. That is the mans
opportunity. When the string and tail are fully
extended, he drops his head upon the rat. and.
crunching its backbone between his jaws kills
it.
There used to be in Lincolnshire-and possibly
is yet-a woman known as Prescott Sal" who
has more than once killed a hundred rats in a
pit, by clutching them with her hands and biting
them in quicker time than smart terrier dog
can kill an equal number.
In this good town of Gotham. not many wears
gone by, when rat killing, bear batting. badger
drawing, and dog fighting were openly adver-
tlsed. there were several fellows who killed rats
with their teeth in public exhibitions. Check"
Ayers was the star performer in that line, for he
not only caught the rats in the pit with his
hands, and crunched them to death with his
teeth. but actually would eat rat after killing
it. Cheeks brother Tom who lived in Bost on,
could kill three rats in the pit in seven seconds
with his teeth. which Is better time than any
dog has ever made.
When Not to Marry.
From the Boston Globe.
81 dreamed last night nv brother was dead