Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-03-03
Dill

In the year 1873 one of the sensa
lions of Lo Gdo1 WIS the famous dog
Billy, who on one occasion killed one
hundred rats in five and half minutes,
his regular time for dispatching that
mber of rodents being from seven to
eight and half minutes. This eXhi-
bition was held at the Royal Cockpit,
Westminster. A sporting special Of
the day thus described the scene at one
of the matches: The doors of the
Westminster pit were announced to be
open ut I o'clock, but long before that
hour lots of carriages were in the lane
and several noblem and Nj. P.'s at
the door, displaying as much anxiety
and eaGerness to obtain seats as If 1t
ha been the last appearance of Gaia
lini in England. On opening the doors
the rush was as furious as an o. L. row,
and the pit at ) shillings > pence and
the boxes at ) pence were filled in few
minutes, while hundreds went away la
menting their disappointment. The
performances were about to commence
with capital fight between two bull.
dogs of great fame, but the cries were
so loud for Billy Billy! The rats and
nothing else that this part of the pro-
gramme had tc be left out. SO, amid
deafening applause, the rats were let
loose out of the wire cages into the PIT,
and upon the entrance of Billy they all
hudd ed together in groups in the four
corners. A single grip from Billy was
quite enough for many Jolly ia rat,
The uproar of the spectators, the
Squeaking of the rats, the roars of
laughter, the variety of eXl res ions,
and the betting as to the time in which
Billy would finish his work beggar all
description. According to Cocker.
Billy xii ed n rat every four seconds.
The Royal Cockpit was, however,
rather the arena of the sport from
which it took its name than that OF
rafting. The building was in Tuition
street, and was approached through
one of the vilest neighborhoods of
Westminster About the doors were
groups of ruilans from morning to
night. Within all WIS gloom and dirt.
On two sides were galleries, i'll which
were the cOOps of the fcathertd g'adi-
ators. In the center was raisel stage
covered with atting, this, by curious
pervers on OF language, be ng the pit,
where the battles of the birds took
place; the atmosphere was pestiferous
from the sickening odor of birds ming
ling with the etlluvia of the great un-
washed. Yet hither came the cream OF
the beau monde" including royalty
itself; here might be seen the unwieldy
bulk of the bon vivant Duke of Nor
folk roaring out bets upon the red
or "the yellow" while some coste--
monger, slapping him upon the back,
would shout, all take it," Pcau Brum'
mel, the Prince Regent, and the Duke
of York were fire luent visitors, and the
future sovereign entered into the row
and excitement with an eagerness
second to lone. Within ii ty years,
and until put down by act of Parlia-
ment, cock-fght.ng was thoroughly
aristocratic' sport which few thought Of
decrying. Even the far more vulgar
practice of buil-baiting was openly ex
hibited every Thursday in Tothill
Fields at the beginning of the present
/ century, while bears were kept for bait
ing within half century, and those
, amusements were no more confined tt
the lower classes than was cooking
ChaDlO rS' journal.