The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-27
A WILD ROUT.
One Hundred and Fifty Chicken
Fighting Sports
Chased Ont of the Woods Near
the Asylum
By SHERIFF. KEPLEY.
Several Are Caught, and Several
More VIII Be.
Sunday Fights Have Been Going
On for Weeks.

In a coy little corner Of the insane
asylum grounds a hundred and fifty
sports We're gathered yesterday after
noon crowding around little pit
where two game cocks were fighting
The fights were getting to be most
exciting about 8 o'clock and the crowd
was pushing and jostling about the
ring, and each man trying to get closer
to the birds There was more excite
ment than at a crap game The pit
was in among the trees near the asy-
lun ice house and close to the river.
Either the ring was too excited over
the sport or few of them know Sheriff
Bob Kepley for he and A. Bunker, city
marshal of POtWin, drove to within 100
feet of the crowd before they We're mo-
ticed. Suddenly there was a cry of
Great heavens, boys, there's the sher-
iff' and Immediately there was the
ming
Sheriff Kepley bore down on the
crowd at his best gait
Kepley is not built for speed, but he
got there before Frank Tucker and
''Yaller' Miller. of 202 Berwick street,
could get their birds and get away
Tucker had his coat off and his sleeves
were rolled UP to the elbow.
The rest of the sports made one OF
the most inglOriOus retreats on record
No two ran the same way but they all
started off at breabneck speed through
/ the timber Those who had birds
1 grabbed them by the neck and ran.
4 Coats were caught up and thrown over
/ the chickens IN some instances, ana
/ their crows and sQueaks were drowned
/ underneath this covering as their own
] ers hurdled over bitches and tore their
( clothes on barbed wire fences
Drop those chickens" yelled Sher-
/ iff Kepley. But they didn't drop
/ them. They only ran faster. They ran
! over saplings and broke them down ia
/ their haste to answer the voice which
they imagined was calling them
A few minutes later AubUrndale peo-
/ pie were surprised to see men and boys
| coming from the woods in a swarm
/ and lodging here and there. A half
[ hour afterWard men without hat or
coat were seen skating the alleys in
town connnleteiyS worn oat 10y their Ions
run.
Meanwhile the officers were making
I merry at he scene of the fight. The
sheriff took the two prisoners he had
caught and drove away with them. AS
1 was anticipated, the men who had car
riages there began coming back. and
Marshal Bunker began gobblng them
in.
He arrested G. c. Trimmer. the con-
tractor. 'Icelander Jack Larney, the
prize fighter, a son of c. A. Goodwin of
$50 Stephens street game cock. and a
beer key and glasses. The key did not
resist. as it was empty and weak Not
a dead bird was found A North To-
peICa man left his carriage and coat all
together and did not go after it until
today
Those arrested We're taken before
Judge BOlmar, of Topeka township. He
let Trimmer, Miller and Goodwin 90 on
their own recOgnizance. and held Lar
ney and Tucker under 5000 bond for APP
pearance next Saturday morning at 9
o'clock. The two men gave bond and
We're released last night.
More arrests are to follow. The off,
GERS know who many of them are. and
] T
/ rest The man who left his coat left
| papers in it Identifying him, and other
1 clues are at hand.
These chicken fights have been reg
ular Sunday occurrences this spring at
| the asylum ice house. A great deal of
fighting has been going on quietly and
undisturbed all winter. Night cooking
mains have been held at the ice house
| and other places Not long ago it was
an occurrence of at least twice q week
to see North Topeka sports slipping
/ down to the Rock Island railroad
! bridge with their fowls. They were met
at the south side Of the bridge by bug
gies, and the fowls were taken to the
barn where the fight was to occur.
The next night the fight took place.
The complaint yesterday was made
before Justice BOlmar by Marshal
Bunker, who was informed Of the af-
fair by Elmer Wilson. The warrant
was issued for Myers and all others. %
The warrant is still out
The sheriff did not know there was
such a crowd of the men, or ne would
have taken assistance. He says he ex-
! poets to take enough deputies to COB
I bic them all on the spot if any more
fights take place.
1t was rumored today that when
= Jack Larney got out last Hight he act
; ed as one of the principals in a prize
I light east of town. A number of hack
loads of men were driven out east last
/ night, and this gave color to the ru-
NOR.
Larney was looking all right today
2 ! however, and the runor proved to De
? / grOundless. Sheriff Kepley said Lar
ney was not released at 9 O'Clock last
/ evening, and sporting men say there
1 / was no fight