Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-16
A Cock roach Tournament.
A STRANGE CONTEST WHICH HAS ENCITED CHI
NESE SPORTS IN CHICAGO

NESE SPORTS in CHICAGO.
CHICAGO, August 16.-Chlnese sporting cir
cles have been greatly excited over the out
come OF a cockroach tournament which has
been going on in the basement of a downtown
laundry and Chinese club house tor the last
three nights This is the first big tournament
ever held east OF the Pacific coast 1t has been
engineered and conducted by party of Chinese
sports, which left san Francisco nearly three
cOckroaches Last night il was reported that
the san Francisco party mad left for New ork.
having won several thousand dollars from the
local Chinese betting men.
The San Francisco Cinnamon who came here
were informed before they started that there
were a large number of their country men who
would enjoy and literally patronize a tournsl-
ment In Chinatown, at San Francisco, an old
Chnaman has long conducted Chinese shoe
shop, ana In odd hours maintained a large
number of fighting cockroaches He was
dered to prepare fifty of his ablest fighters.
which he al once did, delivering them i'm q
wicker basket made especially for the purpose
In this basket Were nearly hundred cells, in
which each roach was kept separate from his
companions.
The celestial sports arrived here with their
animals without mishap last Monday. In two
hours 1t was known TO every Chinaman i'm this
city that the tournament would begin We'd
nesday night About ten O'Clock the tourna-
ment WAS opened, a feather-weight fighter
being matched against a middie-weight cock
roach. Before the insects were pitted against
each other they were handled by Quong,
Chinaman, who had some experience i'm this
line in China. With a minute pair of scissors
he clipped their wings, and then, just before
facing them, creased their bodies with salve
This is done to prevent the insects catching one
another; as they will not touch the creased por-
uons OF each others body. At a signal two
champions were dropped into the pit. This
was a large urn, shaped like punch bowl, and
CREASED on the edges. The first tight was one
OF the best of the whole tournament No sooner
were the two lighting reaches dropped into the
bowl than they sprang at each other with The
ferceness OF bulldogs breasting. Just eleven
minutes after the fight began the big roach
was dead. In the last struggle, and despite the
pain caused by the effort, he turned in such a
manner that his lett foreIeg was pulled from its
socket but In SO doing he caught his adver-
sary by the throat The next Instant he died,
covered with wounds while the little victor
staggered of with a terrible cut in his throat.
Eight battles were fought the first night, il
being two o'clock before the last battle was
finished. The betting was heavy and many of
the local men were winners. The next night
only four battles were got through with, but
they were all desperate contests aud lasted an
hour each. On the third night there were
eleven battles and when the tournament con-
cluded the San Francisco Cinnamon had nearly
all the money of the local sports. 1t was re-
ported last evening that the Chinaman Quons
who handled the fighting reaches, had llaye
into the hands OF the visitors and drugged
some OF the bugs.