The morning times., 1895-09-15
old TINE PRIZE Fights
PugiIistS and Famous Bouts That
Occurred Back in the Sixties.
SPECTATORS TOOK A HAND
Hard Crowds That Frequented the
Sport often Made 1t End in Tragedy.
Bouts Which Last Seventy and
Eighty Rounds -RecollectiOns of an
Old Ring Patron.

oli L
"There's not much to be said about
prize fights in the District, either past or
present, that / know off, said the old
timer. Ned Donnelly, TO Times man.
There never was big fight pulled off
around here There were good many
ring followers in Washington in the old
da vs. but they had to 60 good way from
home to see a fight.
'.The battles that probably stirred Wash
ington fght-ionowers as they were never
stirred before, and as they have never
been stirred since, were those between
Sam Collier and Barny Aaron. Sam was
> Baltimore man, was well known here
and everybody liked him. Sam and Barry
fought twice and the fights were hummers.
Both OF these battles took place in
Virginia, and boat load of people went
from here TO see each of them. The first
fight was won by Collier in sixty seven
rounds This was the first and oaly de-
feat for Barny, and he didn't like it bit.
He went after sam again the next year.
This fight took place at Aqua Creek,
and a big crowd OF Washington and Bal
timore sports, among them some of the
toughest YOU ever saw, were again at
the ringsidc Everybody wanted sam TO
win and were sure he would, but Barny
was Loaded for him this time and downed
him in seventy-twO rounds. These were
great fights. and no one who saw them is
likely TO ever forget them.
SOME OIU-TTNFRS
"No the District never turned out
fighter Of the first rank in any class that
have heard of.
The oldtimers, Allen, Mace, Goss and
the rest of them? Yes, l was pretty close
to Allen for a number nf years. Tom was
clever. game fighter. / went with him in
SO, and with Jim Cayne, OF Newark, n. j.,
helped 10 train him for his first fight
with McCoole. That was a fight that
raised my hair. 1t took place at Fosters
Island, in the Mississippi River, and, oh,
my, what a gang was therei
Every man had q club, knife OF gun,
and some had all three. Allen stood no
show in that crowd He had McCoole
whipped to a standstill in nine rounds.
Mikes face looked like a Hamburger
sandwich. Allen punished him as few men
have ever been punished In a prize ring.
The fight was for $1,000 a side, excur-
sion mra9y, and the championship of
Americe. Lnd the gang was there to see
that Mike didn't lose.
when it became evident that Mike was
at Toms mercy, the ring was broken down
and the mob of thieves, thugs and muderers
rushed in and ended the affair.
II was with Allen when he trained for
his second fight with Charley Gallagher,
but Barney Aaron put the finishing touches
on him for that battle. Tum was loud
fellow when he got started, and he more
than once brought No end of trouble on
himself and his friends by his talk. He
once came near getting himself and all
the rest of us mobbed in st. Louis by
sighting remark about the Irish. Every
word he would utter about anybody or
anything would be carried to his enemies,
and he had a good many Of them, and he
kept us in hot water all the time. But he
seemed TO enjoy the thing. Whatever others
may think, Allen had world of nerve.
RNGsIDE GANGS.
Gallagher had whipped him in two
rounds a short time before Tom fought
McCoole, and Tom was dead anxious to
KtL duOAHtE CUdDGG III hlill.
ing that Charley's victory was by a chance
blow. such as be would never get in again.
/ knew there would be an awful mob at
this fight, and looked for murder, and to
tell you the truth, got scared and didn't
60 to it.
Things turned out as / thought. Allen
had things his own way in the fight. He
whipped Charley all right enough in twenty
five minutes, but the gang wouldn't have
It. Again they were there with their
knives, guns, razors, and bludgeons. They
broke down the ring, and Larry Vessel,
referee, robbed Tom shamefuly by giving
the fight to Gallagher.
II did not train or help train Tom for
his meeting with Goss, but l saw the fight.
l tell you those were great days among the
fighters. The gangs that were at the Al
len and McCoole and Allen and Gallagher
fights were hard ones, but they were not
In it with the outfit that congregated on
this occasion. This crowd was so desperate
q one that after getting n short distance
away from Cincinnati the tyain men, TO
save the decent passengers aboard from
Insult aud danger, deliberately ran the
cars containing the fighting excursion
onto a side track and left them standing
there. while the rest of the train went on
its way rejoicing.
Finally we got to the battle-ground,
in KentoD county, KY, but Tom and Joe
had hardly got well at it when the whole
gang was run out by the sheriff and his
men, and another ring was pitched in the
adjoining county of Boone. After fight
ing about fifty minutes in all Allen fouled
Goss and was declared the loser. This was
Aliens last ring fight
IT ENDED FATALLY.
"I was unfortunate enough to get
mixed up In a fight that had fatal ending.
Spring Dick Goodwin, of Cincinnati, and |