The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-15

Billy Edwards death recently re-
minded man of the experience he had
when he attended the fight in which
Edwards won the lightweight cham
pionship from Sam Colyer. He said
THE fight came off Aug. IL. 1874, on
the Ohio river below Pittsburg [ was
then broker in New York and vas
requested by one of my largest custom
ers to go to see this fight.
The steamboat was to leave Pitts
burg at midnight. We we're directed to
gambling house, called Trenches.
where we bought from Barney Aaron,
the second of Sam COlyer two steam
boat tickets for So each, and two for
the inside ring at 81 each.
We then went TO the Menongahela
House and rugged ourselves out in
rough fishing suits. That the clothes
were suitable we soon found, for Wher-
ever we went the small boys would
shout; There go two of them,'
We put our money. except that
which we had received as change out
OF SO bill, in the SoleS of our socks
Out of this change we had bought
some cold chicken and sandwiches
In the evening we went to a variety
theatre, where Colyer's brother was
acting. Going out between acts we got
a tip to hurry to the boat, as more
would hold, and the start was to be
an hour earlier than advertised. When
we reached the levee in the dark and
fog we saw no steamboat, but a very
large coal scow bow on the levee.
There was very large crowd at
the landing, and Barney Aaron and
Tom Allen, with lanterns and revolv-
ers, stood at the heard of the boarding
plank. As soon as they had taken our
tickets and We had passed down a
short ladder into the hold we each had
our arms pinned, and our assailant
quickly went through us, a lantern be-
ing held I'D in front of each of us so
that they could make clean job of it.
we Informed them that we had
nothing but our lunch. / had forgotten
the $3.50 change from the So They
got this, and held it up in front of me
while they counted il.
Went Through Each Spectator.
I'VE then stood to one side and
watched them go through the others as
they came on board. One young man
claimed that he had nothing, and at
the same time said that he was a
newspaper reporter and was therefore
exempt. He had boots on in which they
found a silver watch and some funds
"A stout German, who did not know
asked by one Of the men, who carried
a lantern, what time it was. He found
his watch gone, and they told him
that he must have dropped il. The
victim and all the gang got on their
knees to hunt for it.
Some enterpFising hand had O
mall shanty erected in the middle of
the scow intending to furnish lunches
during the night. His whole stock and
his change were captured in a few
minutes. The crowd was so dense that
moving about was impossible, and we
were in almost total darkness, and
were then showered with cobblestones
by the crowd.
I'm the confusion Horace and I went
down in the coal dust between the
timbers. I think we We're covered up
three or four feet deep. while tie
steamer with a cable was towing us
out into the river. They soon found
that we were too many and too rough
a crowd to be let on board the steam
err
pushed ahead of the boat. A row of
men above us on the after deck of the
barge, with revolvers kept us off the
steamer. We managed to get close to
them and / offered S. for each of US il
they would pull us I'D and let US on
board the steamer.
'''They asked to see the money. I
told them it was in my shoes and that
would pay them by the light of the
boiler when on board. They agreed,
but told us we would have to climb
and be pulled up quickly or the mob
below would pull US back by the legs
We got aboard all right without losing
our legs or shoes.
'tOn the main deck was laroa
saloon, which was used by picnic par
lies for dancing, there being a piano
at ole end of the saloon. The floor
was marked out in squares, which
were occupied and rented by gamblers
fer their outfits. But we three were
the only passengers in sight.
There were only two staterooms
Billy Edwards had one, and presently
the boat stopped and Sam Colyer, who