The sun., 1903-02-22
hts TRAVELS WITH A BAD NAN.
A PUGILIST'S ADVENTURES on
THE PACIFIC COAST.
Sid Huntinston's story OF Ills Partnership
with Bill Herd-Liveiy Bouts In the
Prize Ring and at Faro-TO9 Much
Gun Play for the Pugilist. Though.

| With Bill Herd-Live3y Bouts IN Tue
Prize Rims and ~ Faro-TO9 Much
Gun Play for the Pugilist. Though.
When the California Athletic Club was
| enjoying its greatest prosperity. fighters
were almost as thick on the Pacific slope
A. sand Heas. Every youngster thought
he was out out for a champion until he got
his quietus from some one better than
| himself.
One OF the best boxers that ever sprung
up on the Coast was Sid Huntington. For
| several years he held both the feather
| weight and the hantacham mpionship OF
| the Coast He was an Eastern boy who
! went West in search OF adventure. He
settled In San Francisco when the fighting
| fever was at It's height. and being clever
with his hands 1t wasn't long before he
was a professional pugilist. He was so
clever that he soon became champion OF
his class.
Huntington quit the prize ring some
years ago and is now living In this city.
He Is holding down a good place. but he
frankly admits that the happiest days
Of his career were those when he was
professional fighter.
While Sid Huntington was his fighting
name he is known to his friends In this
city by another name his correct one. When
he entered the p 'lze ring he had the good
sense TO change his name. He was moved
10 travel under another because OF his
family. who have a good social position in
the capital Of this State, where they
have lived for two generations.
Huntington's friends who know Of his
prize ring career like to hear him tell Of his
experiences. When he is In a reminiscent
mood he is an interesting talker Re-
Gently he told the following story OF his
partnership with a man VINO had reputa-
tion second to none in the West as a bad
man.
when the fighting game began to get
bad in Frisco thought it about time for mo
to pull up stakes" he said There had
been couple of fake fights pulled Oh and
I saw the game vas not going to be pay
ing one much longer.
Il was a fighter simply because found
IL an easy way to get money. Sometimes
the money came so easy that 1t really
seemed like stealing 1t.
sporting men used to declare ! was
lucky. / knew different. I always kept
in good trim. l never drank or used to-
bacco and my physical condition and
science won matches. When ! saw the
bottom was dropping out Of the fighting
market knew il was up to me to do some
thinking. So that I could think in peace
and quiet made jump for Los Angeles,
'On the train met chap whom knew
by name and reputation as a bad man.
He used to go to see all the big fights and
while ! had never spoken to him ! knew
him.
The men who gather around the prize
ring don't all have good rep Ai rs and
this chaps was Of the wors,. he was
credited with having killed score Of men,
and while don't know Of my own knowledge
that he ever killed any one, there was never
any doubt in my mind that his reputation
had been earned.
He hailed originally from Tombstone.
a place long famous in the Western country
as the seat Of the Earp-C lncy feud. That
is where my bad man earned his spurs.
He was mixed up pretty deep In that
feud, which lasted for several years. When
il ended Bill Herd was a good deal Of an
outlaw in Tombstone for he certainly had
made q record for himeslf as q man killer
and a gun fighter.
Herd was the man met when was in
search of peace and quiet He recognized
me and spoke first. found him first rate
company on the train and when / reached
my destination We were mighty chummy.
Herd took great liking to me and
must confess liked him. He was a quiet,
soft spoken man who looked more like a
prosperous business man than anything
else. When he learned that | was thinking
of quitting the fighting game in Frisco he
seemed surprised. When he found didn't
have any plans for the future he proposed
that we enter into business partnership
and divide the proceeds. ! couldn't figure
out what kind of business deal he was driv-
ing at, but he soon enlightened me.
Kid. you do the fighting and will make
the mat ches and be your hacker. We will
divide even. Between fights III buck the
faro bank and | guess we won't starve.
he said to me,
THAT proposition sounded fair to me
and ! agreed TO accept it,. | was a little
sceptical about my being able TO make good
Ny record under my fighting name was
pretty we'll known and didn't think we
would be able to get on many matches.
Herd told me would get plenty Of fights
il id follow his advice soon learned
that Herd knew what he was about. Two
weeks later my partner notified me he had
| made a match.
-We went TO Napa, Cal, whore there was
a husky Swede who was making a name
| for himself as a fighter, He was heavier
| than and everybody in the Napa Valley
| thought he was a world beater. Moreover
| his friends were willing 10 back him.
Herd had tipped half dozen Of his
were really the only friends had when ]
| stepped into the ring. The Swede was popu-
| lar and several hundred of his admirers
were at the ringside ready and willing to
back him
NJ IA 0ppict mark Hn