The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-09
The Big Fellow Shows His Brutality by
Stamping Kilrain When Down.
What the Latter Has to Say Concerning His De.
feat-Belief Among Sports that He Was Inn
properly Trained-Scenes at the Ring.
THE RUSH FOR RICHBURo.

THE RUSH FOR RICHBURG.
How the Crowds Fought for Possession OF the
Trains-People Who Rode Free.
NEW ORLEANS, July S.-The big fight is
over. Kilrain has been fairly, squarely,
honestly and honorably whipped in con-
test in which the beaten man has no cause
to be ashamed of his defeat. There is no
manner of doubt that Jake Kilrain is a
game man and good fighter, and the men
who saw him fight to-day will put up their
money on him the next time he enters the
ring against any living man. except Sui
ivan.
No account of this much talked-of-con.
test will be complete unless the thread of
the narrative is taken up at the time of the
departure of the first train from New Or
leans, Monday morning, at 1:3O o'clock.
The rush for admission to the ffteen-dollar
coaches was something indescribable. A
thousand men surrounded the depot for
hours before the announced time of depart
ure and madly jostled each other for
favorable position. When the doors were
fairly opened the crush was frightful,
and two hundred pound men were
lifted off their feet and suspended
in air by mere force of forward and back
ward pressure. 1t took nearly two hours
to seat the s15-ticket holders, but there was
not room for all of them, and some had to
occupy camp-stools in the alsles.
The anxiety to see the fight amounted al-
most to q frenzy, and there were many
without the means to pay SO or S15, the
price of transportation and admission, who
took the chances of loosing their lives in
attempting to steal q ride. Just before the
s15-train started from New Orleans, it was
discovered that scores of men and ooys had
concealed themselves on the cross beams
connecting the wheels, while others
hung on to the long iron rods connecting
the trucks. The greatest number. however,
were perched on the roofs of the cars, in
some cases as many as twenty-five to a
coach. These interlopers were discovered
and driven Off by the police before starting,
but once the train was in motion they
swarmed back like so many flies and re-
mained to the end of the journey. The re-
markable feature of this daring perform
ance is that 80 per cent. of the foolhardy
actors in it were beardless boys. ranging in
age from thirteen to nineteen years. The
most reckless deed of all was that of three
young rascals who concealed themselves on
the inner side of the cove cstcher, and were
never dislOdged.
THE RING AND THE SCRAMBLE FOR SEATS.
The ring was pitched at Richburg in a
clearing on the edge of pine forest near
the little village. which is 102 miles from
New Orleans and ninety-six from Meridian,
on the Queen & Crescent road. The ring
was pitched on patch of green turf, and
surrounding it on three sides were tiers of
seats ten feet high, put up by an enterpris-
ing local speculatOr. who charged 50 for the
privilege of a seat. Unfortunately, however,
he occupied the space set aside for the
inner ring stockholders and those who had
paid SIS for accommodations there claimed
the right to sit in the improvised amphi-
theater without extra charge. The local
man who had taken the risk of receiving
81 for occupancy of seats appealed to the
crowd to pay him, and made the point that
gentlemen who were occupying them were
in honor bound to accept his terms. The
crowd jeered at the suggestion, and those
paid 81 repented their rashness.
Four-fifths of the seating capacity of the
ring was filled by the ffteen-dollar crowd,
some ! LOO in number, who arrived ON the
battle ground an hour before the ten-dol-
lar people came along. The alleged re-
porters' stand was composed of three rows
of seats on level with the ring, and was
provided with rough wooden board in
front of them, tc be used as rests for writ
ing pads. There was room for twenty in
each row. but the occupants of the second
row could see nothing, their view
being obstructed by those who
sat on the same level. in the front row. The
twO-dOllar seats were the best on the
every part of the ring. Outside of the
rings the villagers sat on wood and on
wagons piled with lumber. while others en-
joyed the sight from rudely constructed
platforms, six or seven feet high. The
small boys, as usual, had the best view
from elevated perches in the surrounding
pine trees An enterprising photographer
had three cameras in position on ladders,
and took views of the crowd and the sur
roundings.
1t was o'clock when the first train
reached Richburg, but even at that early
hour the three upper rows of seats were
found occupied by Richburgers, who had
sat on their elevated perches since day.
DRul, MdlllHS VIC SUOW 10 DtRln. ut
assembled multitudes sat broiling under
the blaze of hot sun. Those who had um-
| brellas were allowed to open them, but the
intimation was plain and general that
when the fight began the umbrellas would
have to go. After paying SIS and after
| coming a hundred miles to see a fight. the
| crowd was in no temper to tolerate any OBJ
structions to the view.
The general aspect of the crowd was any,
| thing but tough. The hoodlCm element
was largely outnumbered by an eminently
respectable crowd. Professional men
merchants. bankers-some from New Or
leans, others from neighboring State:
were present to a preponderatng degree
Many OF the spectators came from point,
as far distant as San Francisco in the West
and New York and Boston in the East, but
these were mostly of the sporting variety
-book-makers. gamblers and profes
sional pugilists, and while the
holders Of gilt-edged tickets. a.
Sl5 each. were disembarking and scram
! bling for places of vantage at the ring-side