The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1904-12-23
CUCKOO COLLINS. SPORTING LIFE.
Told in the Municipal Court at GAINESVILLE.

any IuiuS 10 say why sentence SQOOIQ
not be pronounced after his plea OF
guilty to the charge of attempting, with
James Logan, to pass fraudulent drafts
in this section of the country made re-
ply to Judge Fiield in the Municipal
court which lasted an hour and half.
It was the longest speech of the kind on
record and contained a review of the
prisoners life from his birth at Edgerton
on April 3, 1865, to date.
He passed briefly over his childhood
career, telling how he was made scape-
goat for another's theft in the '70s, and
pleaded guilty on the promise of the 9TH
er boys father to pay him $500 for the
service, promise which was never re-
deemed. On July 4, 1879, he ran his
first notable race. defeating Penn Brown
in a 100 yard race. In 1886, Collins said,
he was training with Charlie Mitchell,
the prize fighter; Evan Lewis, the
"strangler:" Jack Carkeek, the wrestler,
and Farmer Burns in Beloit A son of
J. |. Case finally timed him in 8 As Sec
onds for 100 yards, and a challenge by
Ell. NJ. Johnson who had won the Shef-
field handicap in England, for $1,000 a
side and the championship of the United
States on April Is, at Milwaukee, was
accepted. Collins won the first two
heats and, according to his story, $4,000
changed hands. It was 10 this race that
his admirers dubbed him the Cuckoo.
After that he went out to train the HUI
ron, S. D. hose team and followed the
game in Sioux City and Des Moines, Ia,
and Carney, Neb. At Leadville, in July,
1887 under the name of James Hutch
inson he won a race on which Homer
Pennoch, millionaire mine owner, had a
side bet against him of 100000.
Securing Pennoch's backing, Collins
and Jim Quirk of Canada left for Liver
pool, England, on Nov II, 1888. He
saw rich sportsmen, demonstrated his
speed and framed up to get Pen
nock's money. On Dec. "A and e. 1888,
Collins said the Sheffield handicap was
run and Pennoch backed him to win
with 100000. Collins lost the race and
got Sill 800 for his work. .Pennoch, after
losing his money came to Collins and
asked him what he meant. On Collins
replying that he was nervous, the mill
ionaire mine owner gave him $40 and
told him he was through with footracing.
After being cartooned in Punch as the
man who lost Pennoch's money, Collins
remained in England until 1890 winning
the Sheffield handicap, defeating And.
Jackson at Harvick. Scotland, on Feb.
Is, of that year, and beating all corners
but Hutchins, who had won the cham
pionship of England several times but
had retired from the game.
Leaving England on Washington's
birthday, 1890 Collins engaged to run
six weeks for Barnum & Bailey's circus,
then showing at Madison Square gar
den, New York. In some of these exhi-
billions he raced with horse. Later in
the year he came home to Edgerton,
subsequently going west and entering
foot races in Fort Worth and Dallas,
Texas, and Alberque, New Mexico. At
the latter place he defeated Thomas
Norris of Los Angeles in the 22O-yard
dash. In 1892, after winning a notable
race in Colorado against Tom Kerr of
Cripple Creek in 9 3-5, deal was franz
ed whereby Collins was to lose at Albur-
oueroue on which $4,000 was staked.
By arrangement the stakeholder skipped
with the money and Collins and others
were arrested for conspiracy. Nothing
could be proven and they were released,
the Denver men who had lost heavily
swearing that if Collins ever showed up
in that city he would be arrested, put in
Jail and the key thrown away. Soon
afterward the latter happened to go to
Denver and to reading a paper the de-
tails of big diamond robberyby man
six feet tall. wearing black whiskers and
a black silk hat. The article stated that
the man was Cuckoo" Collins. The
Edgerton boy lost no time in catching
freight train to Cheyenne and was soon
in Frisco where he embarked as steward
on q sailing ship bound for West Aus
tralia. Upon arriving there he received
his honorable discharge as an able sea-
man and soon joined ship which was
coasting around Austral Asia. About
year later he was back in California and
was arrested for the Denver crime while
watching some hound and hare chases
at Sacramento. He was shayen and put
in jail suit and made to stand among a
line of men wearing silk hats and false
wigs, in order that the Greek might
| identify him as the man who committed
the robbery The evidence was slight
but it was arranged, according to Col
Inns, that he should plead guilty and get
a short sentence of two years at the
Canyon City penitentiary.
While hauling coal at mine 35 miles
away Collins says that he made his es-
cape with one Charles Myers who was
doing ten years for horsestealing. Blood
hounds were put on their trail but they
distributed cayenne pepper in their
tracks and put the beasts out of bust
ness. Making his way down through
Texas to Galveston Collins shipped to
Liverpool where he engaged in training
wrestlers, subsequently travelling with
Jack Carkeek and backing him in ex
hibition ventures. On July 80, 1901 he
engaged as quartermaster on one of the
British governments steamships and
made several voyages, carrying recruits
for the Boer war to Capetown, South
Africa, from Australia and England, and
carrying prisoners to St. Helena and the
Bermudas. In August, 1902, he laid off
and went into the Turkish bath bust
ness in London, remaining there till
June, 1903. He sailed for New York in
October, went to Buffalo and st. Louis,
and returned to Chicago two months
ago. "Cuckoo's" narrative reads like fic-
ton but he protests that it is all true.
THE SEGRET OF STTCCESS