The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-30
M GU|RE LANDS
BIG SWORD FISH.
Oklahoma Congressman Has
Desperate Fight With Mon
ster at Catalina Island.
IT WEIGHED 1875 POUNDS
Struggle Lasted so Minutes, and
Congressman Was Bruised and
Exhausted When 1t Ended.

Guthrie. okla. October 29.--Kepre.
sentative Bird 6. Mcclure, member OF
Congress. has been known all his life
In his school days he was the cham
pion wrestler OF Chautauqua county.
Kan. Yet, when he reached home sew
erni days ago from California he bore
marks OF wrestling encounter with
an opponent. that 'WeIgned perhaps a
rew ounds iess than himself. Mcclure
won, but said IL was the hardest bat
tie OF his life
McGuire's wrestling place was the
Pacific Ocean. Off Catalina Island and
she opponent that taxed his prowess
was swordhsh thut weighed 1855
pounds, which MCGUIRE landed IN fifty
minutes. This is said to be the record
time in Catalina waters for swordflsh
OF that size.
In fghng for the swordhsh the best
bait Is lying fish, which ranges In
length from eight to fourteen inches
The moment swordfsh strikeI the
BOAT is stopped and plenty of slack
line ls given, as tautuess might cause
kttne bait 10 DO taken without hooking
tho fish The hook la about i've inches
1onE and an inch and half wide from
shank TO point. A second jerk indi-
Gates that the fish has been hook ed,
L
inc sWorcfish Is master OF strategy
McGuiTc's fish struck with about 500
feet OF line OF the big reel, and started
aor deep ocean water, running out a
thousand feet Of line. leaving only 100
fcct on the reel. dangerous reserve
supply. as further straightaway run
Nigh, snap the line. The nsh now
began leaping. clearing the water often
at height of six or eight feet
He was far auny that NcGutro
was unable TO tell whether tho fish
IN sight WAS the ono on his line The
boat was whirled and driven straight
ahead toward the fish. now often seen
1eapipg high In the air and shaking
Its head to dislod8e the hook Mcclure
reeled In slack as fast as he could turn
his reel
The boat was worked In the direction
of the fish for eighteen minutes Up
10 this time the Ash had not begun
sounding or going deep down into the
water. Now. however. he plunged
downward 200 feet. He was brought
gradually to tho surface, and came
within twenty feet of the boat. which
tho hsh apparently had not observed.
The captain reached for the gam. only
TO entangle II In coil OF rope The
hsii took fright like Texas steer. and
away he went straight 10 the bottom
OF tho sea, depth OF 700 feet where
he lay and sulked
At the end of about Ave minutes the
big fellow started for tho surface at
an angle of forty-nve degrees. The
boat was steered for tho point where
no might rise. Tho fish was 400 feet
from the boat when he came rushing
from the water and began leaping
chu-ning the water around him TO a
white foam Then he wound round
pulling all the time for deeper ocean
water. After a fight OF nifty minutes
from the time the nsh struck Mcclure
landed It
Mcclure discovered that ho had been
In a real fight without realizing how
havage II had been. He had put on
gloves when he began fishing. but they
had been torn apart, and the palms of
both hands were raw and olistered
lie had received a deep cut near hts
elbow. ind his arms. legs and body
wcre bruised and black where he had
been struck by the end of his heavy
rod.