The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-25
EXCITEMENT At
A COOKING MAIN ,
MILPITAs THE SCENE OF THE
GREATEST CHICKEN FIGHT
IN MANY YEARS.
A RAID BY THE SHERIFF.
SAN FRANCISCO BIRDS BECOME THE
CHAMPIONS AFTER A HARD
CONTEST.

The biggest cockfght that has occurred
in California for many years took place
within the precincts of Milpitas during the
early hours of yesterday Mysterious
struggling parties OF men gathered at the
| foot of Market street shortly before G
o'clock Saturday evening and all of them
purchased tickets for the peculiarly famed
village of Milpitas.
The ticket-sellers at the ferry depot were
astounded when man after man called fol
the little white and blue pasteboards which
entitled them to transportation to Milpitas,
as never in the history of the Southern
| Pacific Company had SO many tickets for
| that destination been purchased in one
day. Sports who take delight in con-
tests between birds and dogs prohibited by
| law focked from many parts of the State
| to the little place in Santa Clara County,
| as they knew $500 in solid gold coin
would be honestly placed on the greatest
cocking-main which has been held in Cali
fornia in the past twenty years.
The result was an exciting night for all
the sports-fights, arrests, police troubles
all occurring to make matters more in
teresting When the ferry boat left the
pier at o'clock Saturday it had on board
large delegation Of sports who had met
at Mike Smith S on Market street, at Galley
and Roeder's and other places in this CITY.
Mike Hayes of track fame and J. Lynch,
the shoemaker, at the corner of Third and
Jessie streets, carried canvas bags full of
gold, and Bill Aiken of Butchertown.
Charles Judson, Frank McMann, the wall
paper man of 100 Stockton street; John
Brannan, formerly of the County Clerk $
office; Frank Knobloch, the hay and grain
man of the Potrero; "Big Neck" Smith:
ha III, I r,,ee
the Chinese interpreter of the Federal
Courts; Ned Mclaughlin, the Chinatown
sport, and his brother, John MCLAUGHLIN:
George Herrin. Harry Muller and others
were among the party which left this city
for Milpitas.
When the train reached Niles it was
learned that John Norton and Billy Nor
and others had passed through that place
on their way to the fight. When the
San Francisco men reached Milpitas they
found large delegation of San Joseans
awaiting them. Among the party were
Mariana Hernandez, the noted bird fancier;
Frisco Fisher George Dittus, San Jose
Councilman; w. S. Clayton, John Clay
ton, George Reed, Jack Carr, Billy Carr,
James Carr, Harry Doyle, c. II. Corey and
Tick Faraola, while well-known young
men bearing the names of Rich, King and
other titles were comprised in the list.
John Maher of San Leandro, the bird
fighter, was prominent figure in the
motley crowd.
The sports made their headquarters at
the hotel of George Jones, who did a busy
bar trade from 8 O'Clock until midnight.
The arrangements of the cooking main
were settled at Jones' bar and Jones proved
himself most genial host. Shortly before
II O'Clock j. Lynch, representing the San
Francisco birds, and Mike Hayes, head of
hnc Il 70. Sab, laoI -aI h. O.
birds, put up $3.50 each on the result of the
match. This was the main stake or purse of
$500. Lynch represented himself and John
Brannan. They were the hackers of the
birds trained by John Maher of San Lean
dro. Hayes represented several persons,
who backed those belonging to Hayes,
Mariana Hernandez of San Jose, the Gal
lagher brothers of Alviso, Tom and Billy
Norton of Sacramento, NJ. Sheerer and Viii
liam J. Burt of San Francisco.
1t was generally stated that it was q con-
test between San Francisco and San Jose
birds, and the credit of the victory was to
be given to the city winning the most bat
ties. STILL several of the San Francisco
birds were from Oakland, and some of
the roosters classed as San Jose birds came
from San Francisco and Sacramento. The
respective hackers of the chickens selected
William Aiken as referee and Charles Jud-
son and Thomas McMann as the judges.
The $500 stake was placed in the hands of
Aiken at IL o'clock and the sports then
hurried to the cockpit, which was arranged
in a barn in the rear of George Jones'
hotel. Great care had been taken to guard
the doors of the barn and the only means
of access to the annex in which the pit
was arranged.
Two mysterious knocks were necessary
at the outer door and then the applicant
for admission had to be recommended by
some prominent sport. After the sports
were admitted to the barn proper they had
to run gantlet of dozen or more men
who closely scrutinized every man before
he was directed to the door that led to the
annex in which the pit was arranged.
Here Johnny Makers portable cockpit was
placed in the center of the annex, and rows
of seats arranged in the style of circus
were placed around 1t.
The weighing-in of the birds took up
nearly an hour. AT IL 40 o'clock Saturday
evening Johnny Maher, the champion
handler, came into the pit with the first
bire. 1t was black-red quarter Jap, which
weighed pounds 4 ounces. Bill Burt fol-
lowed him few minutes later with white
pyle of the same weight exactly as the quar-
ter Jap. After fight fifteen minutes, in
which the San Francisco bird had all the
best of it, the white cock few the coop, and
San Francisco scored the first victory. The
betting was very light In this fight, as it
was in all the subsequent battles. John
Brannan won $40, taking all the San
Joseans bets and calling for more. 1t was
poor fight, the only really bad one of the
main.
The second fight was more lively one.
The opposing birds weighed six pounds
each. Mahef entered the ring at II is A. NJ.
with black-red half Jap. For twenty
minutes it was hot fight. Makers bird
got broken wing from Burt's fighter, but
the San Francisco bird was game and
fought well, until at last by clever blow
it cut the throat of Burt's chick. Still the
bird which represented San Jose, though
it was one of Hayes San Francisco stock,
was not badly enough cut to give up. After
both birds were blinkered and Makers had
got Burt's bird down and had trodden
on it three times, the representative of San
Jose flew the coop, and on being put back
refused to fight. The score was then 2 to 0
in favor of San Francisco, and Lynch was
made happy.
Maher put in another black-red quarter
Jap for the third fight, and similar game
rooster was put in by Burt. Each weighed
four pounds and five ounces. The San Jose
bird was one of Mariana's best, but Makers
bird scored the third straight victory for
San Francisco, and Lynch was made more
happy.
While the birds were preparinp for tbe