The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-04-22
SUNDAY SPORT
AT FIGHT

Station where Il cooking main was
held.
Ten birds were fought until dead
or blinded, or so bad ly cut that they
could not continue.
| About Seyenty-tivc men witnessed
the exhibition, and were enthusiastic
in declaring that they had never seen
better sport. The result was: Two
birds killed outrightS two blinded;
two with legs or wings broken: one
counted out. Three Of the disabled
birds were killed by the referee. lie
crushed their heads in the pit with
I his heel, so that the spectators Miss.
| cd nothing.
The owners Of the birds which were
| TO furnish the Sunday afternoon s en-
tertainmcnt were named Donahuc
and Mclaughlin. Both are from
! Chester. The Spectators. men from
| Philadelphia Chester, Wilmington
and other places, seemed to be all jol.
ly. good ndtured fellows.
IT was about 1 O'Clock when DOna-
hue and Mclaughlin, lo:ught out the
first cont eStantS the one black, the
other red. Eachi bird S neck feathers
had been trimmed away, AM to their
legs were fastened wicked looking
steel spurs, two inches long and keen
Iy sharpcned. Tney looked like prom
iSing lighters, and betting became
lively at once.
"All bets down. asked the referee
There was no answer, and he gave
the ignal. The handlers tossed the
cocks together, and the fight began.
1t was furious from the start. The
birds flew together with such force
that their bodies struck with a thud,
and they fell apart, only to leap up
and stand with their beaks swaying
wckedly two inches apart. Sudden
ly the birds met in the air. there was
Il colfus on of tapping wings, and
they dropped sprawling, The red
bird had lost an eye. 1t made a
queer noise in its throat and flew Vi
ciously at the black There was a
huttering and pounding that lasted
half Il minute, thea Il quick sweep OF
the red S foot. The black fell over
sideways.
1.-The blacks legs broken, yelled
a man.
"WeIl, the others blind, rctortcd
another. ''Both bis eyes gone. See:
Fifty to thirty on the black
This person had excellent Judgment
The red bird stood gameIy on its legs,
but it moved its sightlcss head about
almlessly. The black, despite its
broken leg, was full Of fight. The
red, following its movements by sound
only, turned toward it, but when at.
tackled staggered away. The referee
counted ten. Then the handlers pick
ed up their birds. They revived them
by w!ping the blood'and feathers from
the. beaks, blowing under the wings
and other means not necessary to re-
count.
When the referee had counted thir-
ty the birds were dropped in the pit.
but the red was beaten. Blinded and
bleeding, it shrunk to the floor, cuck-
ing fecbly. Slowly the referee count
ed fifty, and declared the black the
winner. Then he walked over to the
helpless red and ground his heel on
its head. The quivcring body was
flung out
The second bout. also between 4
black and red, was as exciting as
the first. The red seemed to be a
little more active than Its opponent,
and at last, as they met in the air, it
swung like Lightning to the blacks
head, The steel spur sank into the
bird eye and pierced the brain.
After an intcrmisSiUn for refresh
ments, the spectators returned more
eager than ever for exciting sport
They were not disappointed, and the
betting was stimulated by the fact
that DOnahUe'S bird won the third
fight.
The fourth bout was brief and un-
satisfactory. 1t lasted only four min
utes. Donahue's bird, not even in
spired by the deri,iyc yclls of the hui
man beings around the pit, refused TO
fight. 1t defended itself but was I'M
willing to attack.
"Wring his neck" yelled the crowd
in disgust. The black was counted
out and taken from the pit in dis
grace. Mclaughlin rcd was dcclar.
cd the winner.
The fifth and last fight began a lit
tie after o'clock. At the end Of IL
quarter Of an hour Mclaughlin S bird