Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-02-25
FAMOUS DOG-FIGHTS.
The Celebrated Battle Between SweeI
and The Barber Twenty Years Ago
other NJ .tches.

other M.tches.
The dog-Gght set for the first part OF
October win not take place, the chal-
lenged party failing to accept Thomas
Mulverhill, says the Louisville Courier
,5ourHaj is the owner of Sport, hand
some white bulldog. He named his
animal after Dennis MeAuliife's dog,
killed in the noted fight with William
Crellin's Tiger, which took place
above the city about year ago Sport
is said to be Il very powerful animal
and sk'lful fighter Mulyerhill ac-
cordingly challenged Billy Gale, OF
Cincinnati, to bring his dog, Scrub, TO
Louisville and fight Sport for $500.
The first great dog-iight in the city
was fought about twenty years ago in
pit on Market street, between Third
and Fourth. John Rickert, n barber
long since dead, owned white bull
dog of great fighting qualities The
animal may have had name, but
those who saw the fight do not remem-
Der any, and he was always called and
is still referred TO as The Barber. >"
Frank Rankin was the possessor of a
red brindle animal named sweep "
Sweep was n little larger than The
Barber, but the two were considered Il
good match, and after Il great deal Of
talk their owners arranged a fight.
1t is said the match was talked of
for nearly year before it finally took
place and created great excitement in
Louisville among the people who are
fond OF such sport. Henry Stickrod
owned the pit where the match came
OIL There were not then any restric-
tons on the sport and no fear of police
Interference. In fact, it is said that
fully twenty Of the latter were present
at the event.
On the appointed night great
crowd was present, and filled the
place, so eager was everyone to see the
two dogs fight. The two animals were
placed in the pit, and the fight began.
Sweep had the advantage from the
start, and the betting was largely in his
favor. The Barber, however, made a
game fight for an hour and half, and
gave Sweep all he could do. At the
end of that time the white animal was
almost cuewed TO pieces, and jumped
the pitt unwilling to suffer any more,
and leaving Sweep the victor
On the 18Th OF October, 1881, four
miles from this city, ON the Poplar
Leye. road, occurred a dog-fght on
which there was said to have been
wagercd more money than on any two
similar events that ever took place
This was the celebrated Crb-Pilot
fight. Crib was the Louisville dog.
lie belonged to q city official whose
name was never made public. Pilot
belonged in New York, and was owned
by a celebrated sport called Cockney
Charley. Crib was q white dog and
Pilot was a dark brindle. They were
Just the same size, and each weighed
twenty-eight pounds.
Two thousand dollars were staked
by the owners Of the animals, and an
enormous amount of outside betting
was done; that is enormous for sport
81 that character. Cockney Charley
brought his doc TO this city, and on
the Ism OF October the fight came of.
4 crowd OF seven or eight hundred
people went out the Poplar Level road,
starting early in the morning. Four
miles from the city, in the middle of
Aeid, 81 pit was arranged. Boards
were taken from IN old barn near by,
From tbe stsrt Cr;b corcod mn t,btin,.
and tIe Oils seaned ~ ~ - ~ ~
favor. He forccJ 5Iot i1to ~ cn,.1ar
.n3 forced ni1, oa 1 Lis . s i,i1 " ,T r'1
I.ar.f.-.i'Is ,.on-in snt r7, 81 sEo,, AZ
r4e,. ta1-.-tt ~. to,.o,.... -. 80
winner ''''' ' % '''0
For.imo.to, bor- C-fb continued
rs. rf.,,.,.'. - - 81, 80 49,
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CIV tt VA t"N h'tt"tu' 80
III .1..n@., rl d.i 81, w., - =. + ne