The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-29
Two Hundred Sports Witness One Of
the Biggest Events of the Kind
Ever Held Here.
OVER $4,000 CHANGED HANDS
BIRDS OF INDIANAPOLIS WON THREE
OF THE FIGHTS.
At 1;30 O'Clock This Morning the
Sport Was still i'm PrOgress-There
Was Much Interest.

One of the biggest and most interesting
cooking mains ever held in this State took
place west Of the city. last night. between
Muncie and Indianapolis game cocks. The
word was quietly passed around yesterday
that the main would be good one, and
nearly 2oG men. mostly from Muncie and
Circleville, O.. where part of the birds en-
tered in the Muncie class came from, gath
cred about the pit. The place was lighted
with big gasoline lights and every prepara-
ton was made to entertain a big crowd.
Ten fights were held and the stakes for
the main amounted to $3.50, the Muncie
crowd betting s425 on the main. which
amount was covered by the Indianapolis
men. Owing to the length of some of the
bouts only five fights had been pulled off
at 1870 this morning So interesting to
those present were the bouts only a few in
the crowd left before the last fight had
been pulled off. While the main was for a
stake of $3.50, it is safe to say that fully
$1,000 changed hands during the entire
night. as bets of s.. $40 and up to $50 were
made on each fight, and there were any
number of takers whenever man offered
TO bet
The Muncie crowd had the east end of
the pit where 'Donnelly" cared for the
growers. A young fellow, much resembling
a race paddock tout, jumped in the pit at
the conclusion of each bout and offered all
kinds of wagers on the next bout. He
sprinkled money over the floor and had
hard work remembering where he placed
most of his bets He went by the name of
''Fido" and was one of the most obnoxious
features of the main
INDIANAPOLIS BIRDS.
At 100 this morning the Indianapolis
birds had won three of the five fights that
had been pulled off, but so well did the
foreign birds fight against the home prod
uct it was predicted that it might require
more than ten fights to decide the main.
The best birds in Indianapolis were pitted
against those from Muncie and Circleville,
and the hardest fought battles ever seen
in a cock pit resulted. Nearly all the In
danapolis birds were marked with gray
combs. while nearly all of the visiting birds
were red marked
The first fight was won by Muncie bird,
the gait piercing the Indianapolis birds
neck after minutes fighting. The second
fight lasted about thirty minutes. A hand
some gray cock was pitted against red
Muncie bird, and the latter was spurred
time and again, but showed wonderful re-
operative powers, largely because of the
good attention received from his handlers.
He fought gamely, and it was not until
they were breasted" that the Indianapolis
bird won
Indianapolis also took the third fight,
which lasted only minute or two the req
cock from Muncie being unable to ward off
the terrific assaults made by the gray cock.
The Muncie bird was spurred several times
in the neck, and gaff through the lungs
caused the struggle TO end. The fourth
fight was taken by red Muncie bird, al
though the Indianapolis cock made good
showing. The bout was not decided until
the cocks were breasted
The fifth fight was one of the fiercest OF
the night The best cock of the entire
Muncie lot, one that had won nine battles
during his pit career, was pitted against
game gray one that also bore a good repu-
tation for striking the spur in dangerous
places. The gray started off with a rush
and almost had the fight won in a few
onds, but the Muncie bird recuperated, ana
il was several minutes before the gray
could penetrate a vital part and end the
fight