The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-10
Two Hundred Wenr to Tennessee
Georgia State Liue for Il Cock
Fighting Carnival.
SHERIFF STOPPED THEM.
They Moved, Started Up the Fun
and Tennessee Officials
Swooped Down and
Took Them In.

SPECIAL
Chattanooga. Tenn, March a.-Devotees OF
the sport of cock-fighting nave received a
cruel blow at the hands of the Sherifs OF
two States. and they fear that their great
pit" has been made untenable for them.
For years 1t has been tine custom for low
! ers of chicken fights to steal away to the
| Georgia State line. and there enjoy their
| sport unmolested by officers of the law.
| They began to think the place was as
safe from invasion as Is the top of Mount
| Assinaboine. But they went there once too
often.
Several weeks ago certain local men fond
of the sport decided to hold n big main
at the cid stand near the Georgia State
line. Invitations. challenges, ETC.. We're sent
out to the boys in Athens. Concord. Knox
Vile and other points. and as a result an
aggregation of ROSTERS and sporty-looking
men ccngregated to go to the pit en-
masse.
Somehow Sheriff Upton of Walker Coun-
ty, Georgia, got word of what the sports
had planned. and leaving Lafayette, Ca,
at sunrise, reached the scene Of the sport
simultaneously with the main body of the
sports from this city. coming in loaded
with beer. lunches and ROSTERS.
Both sides We're a trifie surprised on meet
ing, and the sports more so when Sherlfr
linton told them he would not permit any
cock fighting south of the State line.
The sports. not to be outdone, accordingly
repaired to 4 point just thirty feet north Of
the Georgia line. and in Tennessee, where
the pits were prepared, and the fun began
in the presence of fully 200 interested spec
tators.
Sheriff Upton. seeing the turn matters
had taken, sent one of his men to Chatta-
nooga to inform Sheriff Bush of what was
in progress. Sheriff Bush hastily sent four
deputies to stop the game and corral the
participants.
The officers easily located the pit. and
then. in order not to scare the crowd across
the line into Georgia, descended into that
State as far as Blowing Springs. took a
turn across country and came up on the
main from the south.
None Of the officers realized the number
of those engaged in the sport. and when
they, threading their way through the
woods, saw the crowd Of go men gathered
about the pits, they were surprised. But
without stopping for a minutes consulta-
ton they broke in upon the sports, trying
hard to corral the entire number.
A scene of the widest confusion followed.
The sum of $500 lay on a table, every cent
of it wagered on the result of a fight be-
tween two magnificent "black-breasted red''
game roosters, then in progress in the main.
A general scramble ensued around this
table, those who had put up money on the
scrap ~endeavoring to get 1t back and to
escape. both at the same time. and the
stakeholder ~endeavoring to remove the
cash from sight, and take care of it until
he could refund same to the proper parties.
The majority, however. made a dash for
liberty across the Georgia line, only a few
feet distant, the final result being that
twenty-five were captured. while the rest.
nearly 10 in number. escaped. OF the It's
the officers secured the names of over
forty. which, on reaching the city, they
wrote out and turned in to the Sheriff"