The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-03-13
Sheriff and Humane Agent
Put a Quietus on Big Main
Planned for Central Park
FIND ANGRY SPORTS WAITING
Big Main Had Been All Arranged For
When Officials Went to Park at Two
O'clock Sunday Morning, But Some
One Had Tipped ii Off to the Crowd.

One of the old established institu-
tions Of Kenosha county got blow
below the belt at an early hour Sun
day morning when Sheriff f. w. B.
Achen and Humane Agent James H.
Karnes broke up plans for big cock
fight which was to have been held at
Central Park. Later in the morning
more than two hundred disappointed
and disgruntled sports from Kenosha,
their way into Kenosha and returned
to their homes on early Sunday morn
ing trains. Scores of chickens which
had been brought to Kenosha for the
pit battles were left at Central Park
and the officials made no effort to
seize the fowls.
According to the reports the battles
at Central Park ON Sunday morning
were to have been the climax Of long
series of mains held in Kenosha county
and early Saturday afternoon old
time followers of the game began to ar
rive from Chicago, Milwaukee and
other places. They brought with them
mysterious gunny sacks and one by
one they slipped out to Central Park
with the prize chickens. Early in the
evening Humane Agent Karnes heard
that the big main was arranged for
and just to satisfy himself that there
was something doing at the park he
made hurried trip out that way
and found great gathering Of the
clans. Then he came back to Kenosha
and secured the services of Sheriff
Achen and members of his official
force. The main was scheduled to start
at midnight Saturday night and the
raid of the officials was timed to
catch the sports about the pit, but
the plans Of the officers were undoubt-
ecly tipped off to the men at the park
and when the sheriff and his aids
reached the. park just after two
o'clock Sunday morning the crowd Of
two hundred sports were standing on
the car platform in front of the park
waiting for some special trains which
were to carry them to their destina-
ton. The sheriff and Mr.. Karnes
waited patiently for something to be
started but the only appearance of
the cooking main was the lusty crow
ing of the game chickens in the base
ment Of the main building of the
park No effort was made to bring the
fighting chickens from their retire
ment and the officials were given to
understand that the crowd Of two
hundred was simply an ordinary Sat
urday night crowd at the park.
The sheriff and his aides remained
on the job until nearly four o'clock
and by this time the most Of the
sports had left the park. It was
claimed that after the fact that the
officers were coming had been tipped
off to the men who had gone to attend
the fights small coterie of the real
sports took the birds and went across
the country to barn two miles west
OF the park and there the festivities
continued until daylight. This is de-
MED by the officials as they declare
that there was no chance for such a
main to have been pulled off.
Humane Agent Karnes, in speaking
of the matter said: "Of course we
know that the plan to raid the main
was tipped off by some one, but we
have no idea who that some one was.
This is only start and the men who
are backing the cock fights can rest
assured that we are determined to
break up the practice of holding this
sort of sporting events in Kenosha
county and we are going to keep a
close watch in the future. There was
nothing to stop after we got to the
park Sunday morning and while we
heard the ROSTERS Growing we saw
nothing that would warrant us COB
bling them up
Kenosha has been the scene of cock
fights almost since the city was found
ed and there are old timers in the CITY
who recall battles held way back in
the early ifties. The fights in recent
years have been held at Central Park
and this is the first time that thew
have been stopped by official inter
ference.
The park recently changed hands
and it is now owned by one of the
Chicago officials Of the Fortune Broth
ers Brewing Company
N