Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-12-18
MARTINS FERRY WON
A SERIES on CHICKEN FIGHTS LAST
EVENING
Al Wsll-Enowa SOa.h Side RssOrt-Ihs
Main Holly COnisstsd-0thsr
Sporting Events

Last night there was big cooking
main at a weIl-known sporting place on
the South Side. Early in the evening
. crowd commenced TO gather at the
locality, and by $50 o'clock, the time
the main was to start, there was about
one hundred and fifty people present
Some delay was experienced inciden-
tal to the weighing Of the birds, and
the affair did not get started until about
IL o'clock. By that time fully 25O peo-
pie were gathered in the room.
The birds belonged 70 Wheeling and
Martin's Ferry people, and the stakes
were for $500. There were ten olrds
weighed in, and the fight was for the
three best out Of five.
After the long delay caused by
weighing the birds aud getting them 10
shape, the first two were brought In at
IL o'clock, snd the betting commenced.
For a few seconds the bets were all even
and later odds were offered, but the
odds did not amount 10 much, the pest
offered being i've to four. The hrst
birds brought in were Dominique OF
Wheeling and Red Top OF Martins
Ferry, and the weight was six pounds
four ounces. As soon IS placed In the
nit the birds made at each other and the
lighting was spirited. After being
uitted four times the Martins Ferry
bird finally stuck bis spur through the
throat Of the other bird and ratified
him, the Wheeling, bird dying in a few
seconds.
The second fight was between black
red and a brown red bird, and the bet
ting was even more spirited than on the
6rsI fight. The weight was five pounds
fourteen ounce. The black red was the
Martins Ferry bird and the brown red
belonged TO Wheeling parties. This
fight was much shorter than the brSt,
and the Martins Ferry won by sticking
his spur Ia the neck Of the Wheeling
bird
At 70 o'clock the birds we're brought
in for the third fight. Both were reds,
and the betting was i've TO four In
favor Of the Martins Ferry chicken.
This was the best ightO the series and
lasted about four minutes. The weight
OF the chickens was five pounds ten
ounces. From the first both birds
fought hard and many bets were made
after they had been pitted three times.
In the fourth round the Wheeling bird
hit the other chicken a hard blow on
the neck and Knocked him out.
The fourth tight was what was termed
a shake" That Is the birds were
not OF near an equal weight.
The Martins Ferry chicken
was a black red one and the Wheeling
bird a big gray red. The Wheeling
chicken was the heaviest, but in spite
of that the betting was in favor Of the
other one until they had fought a
round, then 1t turred and bets OF ten TO
six were offered in favor oil the
gray. The minute the birds were put
10 the pit they made az each
other and for short time 1t was almost
impossible 10 tell which had The best OF
Il. Finally the big gray bit his foe and
broke his leg and from that time on bad
everything his own way.
The last fight of the main COM
menced ABOUT 1870 q. m. and was simi-
lar TO the third one. The birds weighed
10 at five pounds even, and both were
red with white necks After consider
able hard fighting the Martins Ferry
bird killed the Wheeling chicken with
a blow in the neck, thus winning the
main. After the main fight was ended
a short weight was had, when a number
of scrub fights took place. This was
kept up until late In the morning, but
IL was impossible TO get the results.
All the local sports were out to the
Fight 10 addition to many from other
places, some coming from Washington,
Pa; Slstersville and other places down
along the river. The betting was very
brisk at all tunes and a big lou Of money
changed hands. IL was asserted by
many in attendance who knew, that this
was about the best fight that ever took
place in this city.