The San Francisco call., 1908-11-23
Bat Nelson Escapes
Jail by Ruse
Pins Star on Coat When Dog
Fight Is Raided and MingIes
With the Officers
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

CHICAGO, Nov. 22.-After two bull
terriers had torn one another for sc
minutes and had been prevented from
rushing into the death grapple by
Lightweight Champion Nelson, trustees
of the village of Burnham, with a
dozen armed deputies at their backs
broke into the saloon in which the
fight was held
The 500 spectators jumped to their
feet and wild rush for the doors and
windows followed Several shots were
fired into the air by the deputies. but
they could not stop the stampede
Though the fight hall was in the sec
ond floor of the building, scores OF
men did not hesitate TO drop from the
windows, one fugitive suffering q
broken leg He was helped into a
waiting buggy by companions and was
driven rapidly away.
Other men at the ringside, made uI
for the most part of followers OF
sport from Chicago, formed flying
wedges and charged trustees and dep
uties in approved football style told
rules), and broke through the ring OF
ID officers guarding the exits. lhen
began helterskelter flight from the
village, some getting away in car
riages few in automobiles and a reg
ular army by foot
NINE MEN CAUGHT
The trustees and deputies. however
did manage to capture nine men. in
Guiding the proprietors of the saloon
w. Z. (Buck) Mccormick and J. j.
Doyle. They were trundled into q
waiting patrol wagon and taken to the
West Hammond police station.
Champion Battling Nelson escaped
the same fate by what his ring follow
ers might call neat exhibition of ring
Seneralship. When the scramble begau
the Battler hethought himself of a dep
uty's star presented to him by an ad-
mlrer in Mexico last year. Pinning
this to his coat he mingled with the
raiders and finally slipped from the
place unobserved. 4 warrant for his
arrest, however, is said to have been
issued.
According to The village trustees
Burnham has been a center for cham
pionship dog fights in the last few
months and today's affair was a eli
max. The dogs, 4 white bull terrier
and a brindle, owned by Nj. J. Murphy
and Pat Conroy of the stockyards dis
trict, had been matched for a heavy
purse, and there was considerable bet
ting on the result. Shortly before A
o'clock in the afternoon sentinels post
ed by the trustees observed groups of
men working their way toward the
saloon, and by 8 o'clock it was esti-
mated that there were nearly 500 per-
sons in the building. Then the doors
were closed and the fight began. For
nearly an hour the battle continued.
FIGHT Is RENEWED
many, dlNtG % minutes OF 1nlS ter
rife work, the battle was halted for a
minute. But the owners had bet $500
on the result, and both insisted that
the fight go on. Time was called and
the brindle rushed at the white terrier,
which waited the attack in his corner.
The terrier secured what appeared to
be fatal grip and slowly forced his
opponent to the floor. Still no sign OF
mercy from the corner of either owner.
But Champion Nelson, though back
ing the losing dog heavily, decided to
end matters. He had fought many
gruelling battles himself and grimly
had taken terrible beltings, but he
could not stand that dog fight. The
pugilist jumped on the stage and in
sisted that the referee separate the
dogs. just as he did so the raiders
broke in and the stampede began.
When the owner of the defeated dog
started to drag him from the canvas
the half dying brute turned on the man
and fastened his teeth in his leg.
The trustee who led the raid said
last night that the village board had
determined TO end the dog fighting in
that district
Such fight as that which occurred
today is disgrace to the community" :"
he said. and the authorities will see
that all the prisoners are punished to
the limit"