The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-12

held IN the pat OF the CUBAN Club at West
Seattle late Wednesday night The main
was Of fifteen fights between Seattle and
Sacramento birds and was won BY the
latter chalking up eight OF the twelve bat
ties fought
Thousands Of dollars changed hands on
the result. William Belond, q well known
Seattle saloon man and chicken fancier
and the leading spirit In the Cuban Club
was the principal loser. The SEATTLE birds
were from his coops. and he backed them
Literally with his own money. 1t Is said
that his net loss was In the neighborhood
ct 81, 80 on tho main. His Seattle friends
followed him in the betting. and also lost
heavily. Anthony Greene, 4 veteran cock
fighter, owned and ''heeled'' the C0lifor.
MIA birds ard took all bets offered. prob
ably cleaning up over e 500 on the night.
Greene has spent q lifetime in breeding
and fighting game cocks. and has an Inc
ternational reputation. In the last year.
1t Is said, he has Travelled over half the
United States with his birds and won
over $lS.0oo. not including his winnings
Wednesday night His birds were OF the
pugnacious Jap strain, and game a.
they make EN-"
Large sums Change Hands.
This fact, together with 0reene's repu-
tation as q handler In the pit, caused him
to be heavily backed in the side betting
among the local sports. Bets Of less than
s were scorned, and the rustling OF crisp
bank notes and the pleasant "chink'' OF
gold on all sides bore witness to the inter-
est taken in the main by the motley crowd
surrounding the pit.
The main was for $500 q side. with so
on each individual fight. but hundreds Of
dollars were wagered on every contest.
Bets OF so were hardly more the excep-
ton than the rule. The birds were game.
There were practically no gutter"
among them. 1t was "Japs'' VS.. "Cubans."
and though the "Cubans'' were vanquish-
ed the victory for the '.Japs" was dearly
Won In but a small percentage OF the
fights did the losing cock leave the pit
alive. Blinded and bleeding. the birds
fought until one or the other was spurred
to the heart by the slender steel gaffs
bound to his opponents legs.
Greene. after the main. stated from the
center OF the pit that he had never seen
better cocks than those pitted against
him that night, and veterans of the cock
pit pronounced the twelve battles the best
on the whole they had ever witnessed
Greene handled his birds with CONSUME
mate skill and though Belond's heel
ers" strained every nerve to keep his
birds on their fighting legs, It was apparent
that a considerable advantage lay with
the Sacramento birds in their handling.
The battle Royal.
The birds fought weighed from Ave
pounds two ounces 10 Ave pounds fourteen
ounces. as a rule. The twelfth and decid-
ing battle OF the main was between two OF
the smallest birds Of the lot Trim as
pheasants. and with shining piumage as
red as beaten copper. they faced each other
in the pit. In size. shape and coor they
were % near alike that 1t was only by q
white feather on the back Of the Sacra-
men.o bird that he could be distinguished
from the Seattle cock. II was the battle
royal Of the evening, and was decided only
after nearly half an hour OF fierce fight
irz At first the advantage lay with the
Seattle bird. He gated his opponent In
the. throat. and the latter. with a veritable
death rattie sounding at every breath. stag
gered about the pit.
"Boys. he's got me beat" said Greene.
as he folded his arms and watched the
stricken bird. But his prediction was not
verified. The Sacramento cock, still sound
irg the hoarse rattle from his throat. turn
ed on kis opponent. fire cleaning IN his
tiny rcd eyes. and resumed the ight.
Back and forvard across the fresh brown
Garth Of the pit the two cocks swaye6 in
mortal combat. Like the tattoo OF a snare
drum sounded the blows az their steel
spurs sank home. Time and again the ref
erees cuie, They're fastr' was heard
ana from the hg1y OF one or the other OF
the game isttle fowls would be drawn the
s.eei of his opponents heel
Al last. blinded and with dropping wings
eXhn listed and weak from Joss OF blood, the
Static bird sank 70 the ground ard was
counted out as his Southern rival stood
by swaying from side 10 side. hims~,f nigh
TO death from wounds and exhaustion
All Fights Were LOng.
All the fights were bong In only three
fights did the winning cock give the coup
de grace In less than IL minutes. One bat
tie wss settled by one OF Belond's birds
squirting his antagonist 10 the hear. in four
minutes and retiring from the pit growing
defiance frorn the arms OF his trainer In
another battle Douiuick which had won
one fight for Bsiond was again pr: into the
ri; and was killed after a mighty struggle
5us; ne had killed his Jap" opponent an
hour before
A. least 20 sports paid s. each 70 see the
main. ard hung over the pit from 10 30 at
nigh; rntA tread daylight yesterday morn
ting. 1. was motley crowd Digrifet
bankers, brokers'. doctors lawyers and bus
lreSs men Nsiied elbows with gamblers
pr.zeAghters and professional ecckhghters
and bet their gold c. the h1:terirg little
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