The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-05
BUTTING FOR LOVE.
WASH Bowler and But Brown Have Novel
Duel-The Winner Loses.

Fnfiaoelphia News.
Wash Bowler and But Brown two hard head
co negroes of Hurst street, have been for some
time rivals for the smiles of Mollie Jones' Mary
mas never given either sign that he was the
prince of her affections, and q week ago the
rivals decided to settle the matter between them
serves In rather an original manner. The weapons
! OF mutual choice were their own hard heads
Iney made arrangements for a butting match,
which was for the gate receipts and the unhinder-
ed possession of Moliies coquettish heart. The
putting match came off on Friday night Bowler
IS somewhat heavier than But, and is OF larger
Dulid, but his weight was handicapped by
inexperlence in the art of bUtting and his malet-
IKE head was apparently safer than the bullet
SNAPPED knob of But That gentleman. however,
was full of confidence in his ability to do his man,
ana his friends laid half dollar against two bits
on his winning the match There were about
twenty people in the yard at 1920 o'clock when
the match began, and about half Of them were
whites who had paid their quarter through
curiosity to see the novel contest
Molle Jones, the cause of the duel, stood be-
side the referee and held the gate receipts, ready
to deliver the stakes (hersef and the money! to
the winner At 1890 precisely the men faced
each other, and the privilege of giving the word
was accorded to the animated part of the stakes.
Co. an may the bes' man win,' she said as
sne gave each an encouraging smile. They went,
and the crack of their closely cropped skulls as
they came together rang out like the meeting of
two empty gourds. Their teeth ratified, and
w ash Bowlers eyes rolled up in his head. He
looked willing to give up the fight then and there.
he caught an encouraging smile from Mollie,
however. clinched his teeth and went at it again.
He ceyerally lodged several of Butts fierce rushes
and received them on his shoulder. After they
had been butting away for about two minutes
both stepped back, and then made rush and o
goat-llke jump that brought their two heads to-
gether with thump sufficient to shatter the
skull of Rocky Mountain sheep.
The shock sent both men flying back, and
Wash looked half stunned for moment The
black skin was split ON the top of his head, and
But claimed first blood. Mollie's sympathies
seemed to be with Wash, and she wiped the
blood off his head with her own handkerchief.
This sight aroused the devil of jealousy in Butts
heart. and ne resolved to "break dat ngga's
skull de mex trip" Three minutes of alternate
buttng and lodging constituted the second
round, and the result was in as much doubt as
ever. When they began the third bout But, by
an upward movement, struck his opponent full
between the eyes, fattening his nose and shut
ting the light out from both optics. After that
he had things his own way. He butted his foe
In the face. on the side and top of the head,
knocking him around in way that set his back
laid their nickels on Wash The latters second
threw up his handkerchief for the sponge, and
declared his man whipped. The referee decided
But Brown the winner, and attempted to hand
over the stakes, but the principal part of the
stakes. Mollie Jones' with the usual perversity
of her sex. refused to be handed over, declaring
that she '1oved poor Wash de bes' of all and she
were gwine to stick to him now" and off she
marched with her choice, while But was left to
console himself with the glory Of victory and the
meagre gate receipts.