Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-04
Billy Delaney's Recollections
OF The Prize Ring In Early Days

When Jeffries and Johnson met n
Reno people came from all over the
world to see these two men fight with
five-ounce gloves. Now let us sup
pose that the same two men were "a
have met under the same conditions
but instead Of five-ounce gloves the
men were to battle with bare
knuckles. Would it increase or de.
crease the attendance? Years age
when bare knuckle fighting was toll.
Grated in England. 10000 people was
not considered an unusually large at
tendance, and | think there Is as much
animal in us today as there was a
century ago.
In the late seventies several bands
of gypsies landed in California and
with them came Bendigo Palmer, kins
/ of them all. The old-timers remem.
Der Palmer, The Gypsy King" He
was a big. good-natured. fine-lookint
fellow, and an "easy-mark" for no
body, a dead game sport" He was
mensely wealthy and his word was
his bond. Horse-racing and faro-bank
were his strong suit and he was any.
thing but piker. He had a pal II
Hiram Rockfellow, a Contra Costs
rancher and Familiarity called H
Rock" His" Kentucky friends sent
him a team of mules and behind this
team those two sports, weighing 9
quarter of a ton, passed many a Eel.
low on the road who thought he hao
a pretty good team. ~
Tn Dnl - L.
Alameda county and found out tina
two of his lieutenants who loved tho
same gypsy maiden had become bitter
enemies and that something must be
done to prevent quarrel. which nc
doubt, would end seriously for one OF
both of them. Powerful as Palmer
was with his subjects, he could no
effect a reconciliation between the
rivals, then, thinking II better for al
concerned, he asked them to settle
their differences in square stand-ul
fight, according to London prize ring
rules.
This Just suited them both and the.
agreed to leave absolutely everything
in the hands of their king. Each mai
packed himself and Palmer held tbs
money. ! They were fairly well match
ed. both being between rs and 81
years old and their weight was abou
40 pounds. Palmer fixed the datt
about ten days off. He selected th,
Rockfellow ranch for one, installing
"Big-neck" Smith and Billy Riley a.
his handlers and Timber Jim" Cassi
days place In Berkeley, with Ton
McCormack and myself as handler
FOR the other We hurried to training
quarters and got in harness immedi
ately. The night before the fight Gas
sidy, Mccormack and myself took GU
charge, drove to the Rockfellow rane'
In Contra Costa county, where al
hands, Palmer included. slept unde
the same roof, and at daybreak TIL
following morning, after a hast
breakfast, we set out for the scene o
the battle. ...s.. -
We had no idea when the battle wa
to take place until we heard Palmel
tell Hi Rock" to drive over the sum
NIT toward Lafayette. and behind H
Rocks" famous mules huddled to
gether in a big three-seater, we star
ed on our journey. and such silen
Journey. Palmer, who was usually ;
jolly fellow, looked more like maj
going to a funeral than to prize
fight. In fact, we were all as silent a.
the grave, and to make matters worse
It was q bitter cold, dark morning ant
we all kept looking anxiously towart
Old Grizzly Peak In hopes of seems
the sun show up. But the sun woult
not show We soon arrived at apoin