Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-02-05
A COOKING MAIN RAIDED
a BIG FIaHTAT TsOaUETzkN PARK
SPOILkD.


Catch the Prtnc1pRls-A ReadlnI
ana Philadelphia Contest.
James Macdonald, special officer Of tn
Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty Il
Animals, Of PhilAdslphis Walter Il
Hayes. Rsq,, Delaware agent fort the sam,
society, aided by Chief Of Police No
Connell and four officers, Taided cooking
main at Sohuetzen Park Thursday after.
noon, capturing 29 game birds, q number
Of men and . quantity Of psraphernAlii
used In preparing cocks for the pit. The
raid was instigated by Mr.. Macdonald who
was informed of the contemplation Of q
main in this city by one Of his assistants
In Philadelphia. Acting upon that in.
formation the detective came to this city
Thursday morning and laid the facts be.
fore Walter Hayes, Esq, who swors ont q
warrant bsfore Squire 0'Neill authoriSinV
the arrest Of all persons upon the
premises. Armed with this warrant also
q search warrant TO examine the personal
effects Of all prisoners the officials, police
and GAZETTE representative were driven
to Sohuetzen Park.
The sporting men had been apprissd Of
the visit before the parties reached the
park, and the crowd was fast scattering
when the officers aligbted. A hurried
charge was made, and q number Of men,
young, middle. aged and elderly were
captured. Several scrambled ACROSS the
snow to the fence and esoap d, One, q
dudish-lookipg young PhilAdelphian with
curley bang and an inoipient nous.
taohe, when he saw the raid ran for the
fence; an officer pursued him some dis.
tsnoe behind calling him to stop.
and trying TO shoot his pistol, which re-
fused to explode, Into the air. Eventually
charge went off which caused the fleet
young man TO cease running, take of his
hat and surrender. When taken by the
officer his heart palpitated furiousiy and
very tender treatment WAS necessary to
prevent the swell sportsman from swoon-
ing. The arrested fighters were lodged in
an apartment and search made through
the premises.
The lusty growing Of the cooks in two
rooms furnished the clue desired. In
one Of these apartments there was
evidences Of battle having been fought,
and at one end were q number Of barrels,
In each Of which was sack containing q
game bird. In the bar room, in barrels
and bags, were number Of other hand
some birds. A further search Of the pre-
misses discovered the equipment used by
the fighters, consisting Of tins and sponRes,
clipping shears, heeling thread wrapping
paper, and In faot every thing used in
connection with the sport but tie gaffs
none Of these could be found. The
chickens and the captured pharaphenalia
with the prisoners were brought to the
police station, where Squire o'Neil sat
and gave the latter hearing.
Charles Connor, alias Boyle" noto
rious heeler and handler, one OF the best
known fighters in Philadelphia, W Is the
first prisoner given hearing. The testi.
mony was TO the effect that there were
evidences Of having been battle, on the
Schuetzen PaSk premises, and that the
prisoner was 8 professional heeler and
tosser and chicken fighter, AS an example
TO other PennsylvRniR poultry fanoiers
the squire fined him S25 and costs.
Four men giving their names as
Andrew ]. Wilson, Samuel MoCor-
mick, Charles Wilson and George
Parker were next heard and fined
$40 each and costs. Others who
turned in their name1 as Thomas
MoNulty, John Proud, Thomas Elwood,
DohlaAhAa hA0Onthh0ys VAAAAm DHE6u6ys
Tom Morgan, William Jones, John r.
Beadley, Henry Pougettes and Samuel
Bentley were touched up to the tune Of so
cents each and costs for abetting the ex-
citing sport by attending the main. Pat
hSndler and numerous others Of his
ilk from the Quaker City were known
to have been in the city to attend
the fight but careful searches did not dis
cover their hiding on the premises
raided.
The fight was originally planned for
poon, and the visit of the officers was
timed 60 as to break in upon the pit
during battle. The main was, however,
delayed some time, and 1t is believed the
best fighting was to have come of in the
evening, consequently comparatively few
people were taken when the raid was
made.
An amusing feature Of the hearing was
the variety of excuses presented to the
squire, for being at the park Thursday
afternoon. The collection of bills, il is
alleged, took many into the place, othsrs
went In TO ''see man." ore individual
had visited the place twice during the
afternoon to see material used
on the lunch counter, another
gave as reason that he was ont
Of work. One or two, however, ackno~l.
edged the mild impeachment that they
had visited the place with the view OF
sssing the main fought. When searched
some Of the prisoners had large rolls OF
bills in their pockets, which wss evil
IDENTIFY to be employed to make the events
interesting.
The birds captured we're fine specimens,
nearly all had been clipped aud had tb sir
spurs out sll In preparation for the main
The majority were black reds with one or
two brass backs, q silver gray and gold
saddle, They appeared quite ss content
In the police station a. II upon their own
dung hill and orowed lusty accom-
parliament TO the olink OF their owners
silver as the fines and costs were paid
out.
Theodore Baker, the lessee and pro
prietor OF Sohueizsn Park, could not be
found upon the premises by the officers
and It is thought that he was In hiding
somewhere about the house. The
sooiety's agent will, however, give kr
Baker his personal attention aid have
him brought mp for trial II hs can be
found. His wits ws1 not arrested ae
she plead sickpess In her family. The doors
lssd,pR 30 the roeIn where the greater
number OF the chickens were found W. re
locked and Mrs Baker tried to dissusds
the men from entering the apar:pept,
stating II was only q dAros hall. The
growing OF the cocks gave the oOniTsdic-
tion to the wOmAn's statement and the
search discovered the birds Several
more were also captured in the bar room,
which was filed with smoke, bad sir and
a tough element OF sporting men.
On trial no testimony oould be Rdducad
to Irovs the o~belship OF the chickens,
bal immediAlsly upon its close MIR.
5hsrpley representing the detendeIts put
in claim for the cocks In behalf Of bis
clients, As there is no provision In the
law for their COZ nfscation there will be a
contest for the birds. They are said 10 be
comparatively valuable and are rated by
"heeleIs" 10 be worth from &5 to IS each
They spent Thursd ay night ia cell where
they were cared for by the police. The
cocks are owned by Reading, Pa, and
Philadelphis parties, and the main was
to have been for = championship between
those cities arranged to be fought here
because they were run out Of Pennsylvania
by the officers Of the S0cisty for the
Prevention OF Cruelty TO Animals
The raid as planned by Detective Mao
Donald was q success in every particular,
except that 1t was q triie premature,
which, however, was due to the fact that
the main did not come off at the time
arranged. Invitations had been issued
for the fight to number Of local sport
In II he la