The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-20
Hard Luck in Old Age Of the Fa-
nous Sport and Variety
Manager.
His Row With the Police the Cause
Of His Down.
fell.
r.rril,1e Rough and Tumble Fights in His
Resort-A Square Sport-Estfmates
of His Wealth.

|
heen finally closed, and all its goods and
belongings solr out by an auctioneer.
Lack of police protection is the cause.
Ten wears ago Harry Hill was generally re-
ported to be worth $4,000, although he
was not worth that. His place at Houston
and Crosby streets was perhaps the most
celebrated sporting place. in the whole
country. To-day the old man is practically
without means. All his possessions have
vanished in bitter fight with the police.
He has been driven from pillar to post, and
is now helpless and alone. His best friend
or at least the one in whom ne trusted
most-deserted him few years ago with
lost a great deal by speculation and bad
debts; but the nam cause Of his misfortune
has been his fight with the police. Inc
police have bested him, and Harry Hill has
given up the battle.
Harry Hill always kept an all-night house.
perhaps the most peculiar house of its KIND
+, the world, The business done was en-
tirely of an all-night character, and as SUCH
of course was in utter violation OF the e1,
else laws. To run such a business required
apolice protection This protection Harry
Hill secured for years and years, until finally
there was a row. A little over four years
ago Harry Hill alleged that he was made to
pay altogether too much to the police for
his lind he and mao" cSorsed k'f Police
Captain Murphy and Detective Moran
Of the Prince street station with levying large |
blackmail upon him. There WAS hot
time for a while, the upshot of the whole |
matter being that Caut. Murphy and his
detectives we're transferred to the West
One Hundredth street station, and Harry
Hills place was ordered closed up for good
that is, he was not allowed to keep his
famous hall open after 1o'clock q. m: under
any circumstances. That meant that he
the excise board refused to grant Harry
Hill a license, and his place was shut up in
dead earnest. Then the building in which
Harry Hill had his hall was torn down, and
to-day a big warehouse occupies Its place.
Harry Hill declared that he was bank
rnnted when he left, but it was believed he
still had money.
Harry Hill went up to Harlem and built
quaint little structure on piles at the south.
east corner of Harlem bridge. 1t was not
aprofitable venture. and the police ss were
Constantly arrested. "Police protection"
was denied to him from the outset. He had
no chance to build up business anything
like his old one. He has finally had to quit
IMPOVERISHED. He became SO poor at last
that in buying his beer from the brewers he
had no credit, but had to pay each day for
the beer furnished him. Swarms of police
men and detectives we're ever on the look
out for the slightest possible violation OF
Law by him or his agents. Finally Harry
Hill has had to call in an auctioneer and
sell ont all his establishment. When or
where no will try next ia not known. lie
himself said the other day:
II am disguised with myself and every
body, ;, The world in general makes me
In 1854, Harry Hill had established his
sporting house at Houston and Crosby
streets. It speedily became prominent in
the sporting life of the town. 1t became
one Of the institutions of the city and a
rough neighborhood. The men who went
there at first were almost exclusively bad
characters, who we're in fight or seeing a
fight almost all the time. Harry Hill put
plscards on his walls strangely announcing
that indecent or profane language would
not be tolerated or bad conduct of any sort
allowed, He boosted that he would run a
place that should be perfectly free and easy
and yet perfectly safe for any man. These
are copies of some of the placards:
Lovers not appreciated here, therefore
not wanted.
Take little vine for thy stomach's sake.
Members of this club room must not in
dulge in foul or obscene language.
Partners after a dance will treat theil
lady guests.
As yOu journey through life you should
live by the way.
1t was Harry Hills famous boast that n,
man was ever robbed in his place. Yet tn
rou0hs objected to his rules, and for
time insisted in breaking them. Harr.
Hill had to have many fight before h
ealped the spirits with whom he had t.
deal. He elected customers time and time
again who broke his rules. His whipping
Of Jim Hughes produced considerable goo
effect. Despite all the rules, however, des
perate and bloody encounters used to tax
place in Harry Hills. One night in lS1
was afterward killed by Reddy the black
proprietor. lie was accompanied by Bill
Tracy, who killed Miller in 1880. The
raised q big scrimmaGe IN the place, bt
Billy Edwards took hand in the fight an
the roughs were driven out. In the fRl
Harry Hill lost the big diamond stud whic
he used to wear in his shirt bosom.
In 1868 Felix Larkin, the hacker of Ne
O'Baldwin, the Irish giant, attended foe
tween John Wesley Good. the "Ploug
Boy of California" who was afterwar
poisoned in Colorado, and G. d. DAVIS {
this city. Large sums were wagered on thi
race and Larkin lost heavily. He had be
money on Davis. who lost the race. Harr
Hill was at the race. and Larkin charge
Hill and William L. Harding with putin
up a Job on him. He vowed he would XII
Harding. Larkin went to Hills place c
the evening following the race. accom-
panied by Billy Mclean, the ex-pugilist ar
base bali umpire. who once whipped J,
Coburn; Tim Collins, who fought Billy T.
wards to draw for the lightweight char
pionship; Jim O'Day and Tim O'Day, wi
have both since been killed. and Tim,
Bully Nelson, the Man eater" of the Eigh
ward. After some preliminary words
Harry Hills Larkin and Harding drew p
tolls on each other. Both men were I
rested and taken to police hea
quarters, but were all discharge
as no shots had been fred. It was at
o'clock that same morning that Larkin a
his gang entered the saloon of man nam
Campbell. in the Eighth ward, and aft
acting in an abusive manner set upon
occupants of the saloon, who were Cam
bell, Jim Berrigan, and a won
named Ann Irons. These people defend
themselves and cleaned out Larkin's ga
Campbell stabbed Larkin seven times W
cheese knife and killed him. Berril
whipped the two ODays, and the WON
Ann Irons. chased the rest for two blocks
On another occasion, too, in Harry Hi
William Z. Harding-now the sporting G
tor of Richard X. Fox's Police Ga2ett
figured as the cause of hostilities- Joe
burn, the pugilist. was leaning up agai
the bar in Harry Hills one afternoon, u
drunk. As Harding passed him Cob
kicked Harding iercely en- the shins. N
RE Scannell, who $ps afterward killed
John Donahoe-D0pahoe icing III I
killed by Florrie's brother, John Scam