Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-27

and boxing hall and there are hundreds
who now occupy places high in pushes
and political life who can tell great stories
Of the nights they spent at the old corner.
Nobody in those days ever dreamed that
Harry Hill, with all his sparkling diamonds
would end his life in poverty.
"Of course. I know that the pugilists
were not altogether to blame for Hill's
downfall. He bought $50 acres of land in
Flushing which contained valuable building
sand, but Hill didn't know how to work
it off and sold 1t to most anybody on
credit without proper security. On this
property Hill built a fine hotel and country
home. He became the owner of a fleet OF
tugboats and a couple OF steamers, after
which he wanted to establish a ferry be-
tween Flushing and Fulton street, New
York, a venture in which he sank thous-
ands Of dollars.
Then Hill got into a quarrel with the
police and fought them tooth and nail
until his fortune was exhausted. The cops
never let up on Harry and followed him
to Brooklyn. East New York and finally
Conora, near Flushing, where he died
fourteen years ago at the age OF 20 years,
a financial and physical wreck. II he had
saved half the money he spent on pugilists
he might have lived his last lays in COM
fort.
IF there ever was a man who went
plumb broke on the pugilists II was War
rem Lewis. He had a big heart, a ready
fist, an open purse and an idea Of honor
that would not have disgraced a church
man. Lewis was born at Ithaca, N. Y, in
1874, and became a first class railroad en-
gineer. When the civil war broke out he
was running a locomotive on the Lehigh
Valley road. He quit railroading and went
to the front, but his arm was broken in
battle and he had to leave the union army.
The arm was not properly set and was al.
ways crooked in after life. This
bent arm often fooled n fellow in an i'm
promptu scrap, for Lewis could punch good
and hard with II.
Lewis went back to railroading after
the war and ran the first engine over the
old Culver road to Coney Island. Their
he got mixed up with the sports and
opened a couple of saloons. One of these
resorts was in Bond street, this city, and
was a great meeting place for the pugs
Among them was Jack Dempsey. who CAV,
nightly exhibitions of wrestling at Harr,
Hills. Dempsey was anxious to become Z
top-notch fighter and in 1880 he induced
Lewis to back him against Billy DaceY II
a skin-glove battle for the lightweight
championship of Long Island. which wa
pulled off in the parlor of the old Camp
bell house on the Coney Island boulevard
Dempsey won so easily that Lewis an,
, Gus TuthIll put up 1000 for him to NEE
George F~ulljames. They fought on State
. island where South beach is now and JAG
. won In eighteen hard rounds.
Then Tuthill stole Dempsey away fror
Lewis, and the two hackers who had bee
Y partners in business separated. They ha
I built the first big dance and concert ha
on the old Iron pier at Coney Island, wher
n they made a lot of money together. Their
$ was no special police force at Coney islam
e then and by special sanction from job
. Y. McKane the enterprising Lewis organ
o ICED the most wonderful force the islam
e has ever known. 1t was made up Of te
a policemen. all OF them prlzefighters. Stew
T. Taylor vas the captain and Jack Ashton
John Files, Dooney Harris, Mike 0nlespi,
Frank Pagan, Mickey Coburn, Georg
Rookie, Gus Lambert and Joe Ellingswort
r were In the ranks.
Lewis spent much money trying TO e
n Dempsey whipped. He also lost a bundl
backing Jake Kilrain against Sullivan. On
e night he was out for a lark with Jack Nj
n Auliffe. They drifted into the Gilsey hous
e and met Al Smith, who told them that Jill
k Corbett was broke and had no hacker I
make good $500 for his match with Fit
e simmons. Lewis, who had been hitting u
$ the wine. offered TO put up this money fc
d Corbett, and this was printed the nel
morning, much to Lewis surprise. b
he stuck to his word, backed Corbett. mat
several big bets that he'd win. took sex
. eral friends in a private car 10 Carso
C4fu urbara he Hvad Tor Four day. III.
fighting cock and then returned home
loser to the extent of $1,000.
\ Lewis never broke his word with III
: fighters. He offered a $500 purse for
battle between Peter Maher and Stew
O'Donnell at Coney Island on Christms
afternoon, 1897. This was the coolest froi
in the history OF local pugilism, for III
club house was practically empty. Just b.
=" fore the mill started Lewis son tried
% get the old man 10 call 1t off and civ
e back the money to those who had pa
admission.
/" No, my son. replied Warren, TIL hav
this fight for my own amusement. I'll pa
> the $500, sit In my box and enjoy IN
sport. Let ali Coney Island come I'm an
see the fight
This costly fun lasted only about ha
a minute. for Msher put O'DonnelI out
: a punch. The only complaint Lewis mad
y was in a jocular way when he turned
|, Maher and said:
Peter, l told you not to hit Steve Ia
hard at first, as 1 wanted 10 get m
moneys worth!
Lewis end vas pathetic. When n
t bank roll had dwindled TO t76l he DIRE
J. a check for that amount in his sons favo
took the steamboat Rhode Island and whs
II reached the darkest part Of the sour
l. the broken-hearted old sport jumped owe