Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-04

in Contra Costa country, where under
Palmer's direction Hi Rock" drove
down an old unused road and shortly
afterwards we arrived at our destlna-
ton.
1t was an ideal spot for n private
mill, being out OF sight OF everybody.
II was a level spot about forty feet
square right on the banks Of Wild
Cat Greek. aud here In fifteen min
utes after our arrival we had y fegu,
lation ring pitched and the men ready
to fight By this time Il was rain
ing, but rain cut no figure with those
gypsies.
About seven O'Clock their hats
went over the ropes and In few
minutes after Palmer, who Was the
referee and time keeper, was giving
the principals and the seconds their
instructions. He spoke a. gently - Q
father to the lighters. but grufly eau
toned the seconds not TO do anything
that was not strictly on the level
Palmer appointed Eli Rock bottle.
holder for the opposite corner. and
Jim Cassidy acted In the same capa-
city for us. Both men were fairly
clever. each OF them having several
turn-ups in their travels and were aB
anxious to clash as any two game
cocks ever saw Il was now raining
hard, but both men were ready 50
Palmer called time and the battle
for the stake money and = wife be-
gan. Il was a battle all right, q bat.
tie that some Of the present day cham
pions ought TO have seen. Both were
Young. strong and game and fought
ike wildcats In the rain and sluah
TOR fifteen rounds. lasting l6 minutes
Palmer had provided the trunks and
regulation shoes, which al looked
like and the boys both being dark
skinned at times II was hard to tell
them apart
The fight again demonstrated that
lighters are born, not made: they were
,nly noyices, but fought like Oid-timers
displaying great skin, ganneness and
endurance.
It was anybody's fight for half an
hour. but after that Riley's boy te-
gan to fade and the fourteenth round
'ound him "a blind &c q bat Is
Week. wanted Palmer 70 call IL =
iraw, but Palmer declared there must
Be winner, and we al knew he
meant what he said Whbn time WAS
called for the Hixteenth round their
ner gave as the fight. never saw
sither fighter after that day. but I
new the winner got the girl ell
right.
This was remarkable fight in more
ways than one. Il was the last prize
light fought in California under the
london Prize Ring Rules. An account
If the fight negerreached the news
lapers each man backed himself;
here was not single spectator pres
ent Palmer managed the whole 81.
air; he was the lone promoter; he
vas also the stakeholder. timekeeper
md referee. In fact he was the ma
lager of both men and he made good
every respect Everyone who saw
that pfizedght but myself, Is dead and
zone. big Neck Smith and Bill RI
'ey cashed in years ago. Jim Cassidy
md "Eii Rock the bottle holders,
are also with the great majority.
Tom Mccormick, q crackerjack Lon
Ion prize6ght artist himself. died In
Chicago years ago, and Palmer,
gypsy but as faithful as q dog and
4 credit to his race, passed away
about twenty years ago A great
change has come over the game since
79. We have some decent fellows
connected with the fighting business
| today, but we have not many charac-
tiers like Bendigo Palmer, the Gypsy
King"