Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-19
MITcHELL's BAckeR DEAD.
Squire Abipgdon Baird succumbs 70 Nm
Attack OF Pneumonia.
fu-so~ap, IN tha Dtsnatch.1

tDI ~
New ORLEANS, March 18.-GeorRe a.
Baird. better known as Squire Abingdon.
the noted English sport and the hacker. or
Charley Mitchell, died at the st. Charles
Hotel this morning. where he had been
for several days suffering from o severe AZ
The Squire came here from New York
with the Hail. Mitchell party IN the best OF
health and decided to make q protracted
stay in the city. He engaged roomss az the
St. Charles Hotel and Immediately began
10 spend his money right and left among
his friends. He found the New Orleans
sporting fraternity to his liking. and
while no was here led a very fast life and
INDUCED in the luxuries and dissipations
of the city freely. On the night OF the
Hall Ftzsimmons fight he was n OF
Halls seconds. and while in the ring wore
nothing but q loose undershlrt to protect
him from the chilly air. The Squire
handled the bottles and ice in Halls cor,
per. and after the defeated pugilist had
been revived and taken back 10 the hotel he
started out for q lark and Q general round
of dissipation. He kept up his spree until ne
was finally Obliged to take to his bed: AT
first his illness was not considered serious,
but the physicians who called gave him
every possible attention. SO confident
was the 'SquIre that he would soon recover
that he insisted that Mitchell. and Hall
should precede him to New York. and
he was to join them there in tim to sail
on the Majestic Wednesday. The dissipe-
ton he had INDUCED in tor O fortnight.
however. had impaired his physical yigor
and made him an easy prey. Meoicai,
skill and trained nurses were OF no ayail
and, slowly sinking. he died at 8 o'clock
after one weeks illness.
THE 'soUIRE's RECORD.
Squire Abingdon's real name was George
A. Baird, and he was n OF the best
known all-round sporting-men OF England.
He was q gentleman jockey of Great Bril-
tain, having ridden against the best men
of England, Ireland. and Scotland.
II was only within a few years
past that pugillsm began TO DIVIDE
his attention with racing. But since
he took enthusiastically to the fight
ers Abingdon has backed nearly all
the fighters of prominence l n Great Bril-
tain. He was a liberal hacker. too. paying
ell his mems expenses and presenting the
stake-money L them when they were WIN
ners. He was not, however, always q sue
cessful chooser of men. But no was a
good loser, as full of pluck as he was ready
with cash. The Squire was exceedingly
affable and made many friends. He was a
rich ironmaster. with an income Of $780,
900 q year.
He ran away with Dolly Tester. ex-ballet
dancer, and wife of the Marquis of Ais
bury, a few years ago. and paid the Mar
ouis f100, 900 to settle the matter. lie was
at one time on friendly terms with the
notorious Bessie Belwood and was named
as correspondent in q divorce suit brought
by Mr.. Lancaster, whose wife was q stage
beauty known as Agnes Hewitt.
Once, too, the papers cautiously referred
to a partnership between the Squire and
Mrs. Langtry.
Because of reports of some unsavory
dealing at the Smith-Slacin fight in Bel
GUM Abingdon was rejected by the He'll:
can Club and promptly started a club OF
his own in King street. ST. James.
Abingdon's training establishment for
race horses at Moulton Paddocks, New
market, was the finest thing of its kind in
England, His luck IN racing was not al
ways good, but he had a L~iverpooi-cup
winner four times in Fether ConfessOr
took the same cup three times with Lady
Rosenberg, and won the great derby once
in isS5-with Royal Hampton.
The 'SQuire's present visit to America
was for the special purpose Of promoting
the MITCHELL orbett contest, and he pro-
posed to see q good deal OF the country in
cidentally.
The father of the Squire was the we'll
known Baird of Gartsherrie, who became
so well known at the time of the failure of
the Western Bank of Scotland. when be
wrote his check to pay the demand of the
depositors for CO, 900, 600.
EFFECT on THE FIGHT.
It il believed by many that the death of
the Squire may have some effect upon the
Mitchell Corbett match. The executors
of his estate may insist upon the with
drawal of the $40. 900 stake money which
the Squire put up. In that case the
match will likely fall through. as it IS
thought that there is no mar in England
now who will back Mitchell for that
amount.