COCK FIGHTING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4456, 1 July 1875, Page 3

COCK FIGHTING.

(From thfe Glasgow Mail.) The. announcement that a great cock-fight had taken place at the well-known racecourse of Aintree, near Liverpool, must have surprised most people, but the statement that cock-fighting is going on almost daily In some part or other of the country is calculated to take one’s breath away. The credit of this exposure lies with a correspondent of the Birmingham Morning News, who occupied about five columns of that journal on Monday with an account of his experiences among cock-fighters during the time He has had the honor of their acquaintance. It is only fair to .the writer to say that his narrative, though skilfully constructed, is as cool and calm as the nature of the subject could well allow, and bears no marks of sensationalism either in the statements made or in the manner of stating them. His object was to expose a form of gross cruelty, against which there is a law which is worse than no law at all, tad it is to be hoped that the Legislature will take some steps to put down the sport with a strong hand. The writer first made the acquaintance of some cookfighters, among whom were “ the most celebrated trainer in England, bar none,” a young gentleman from Staffordshire well, up in all the mysteries of the game, a Birmingham professional man and :( Birmingham manufacturer, both of whom were the owners of cocks. From these persons some valuable information was got. One of them “ expressed his abhorrence of anything approaching cruelty. He maintained ‘ There is not a shadow of cruelty in “ cocking,” because the birds like it.’ Compared to cock-fighting, he described fox-hunting as ‘ simply horrible,’ and indulgers in the sport as having ‘ something to blush for and no mistake.’ ‘ Now, cock-fight-ing is not like hunting,’ he added, ‘ the fox always runs away, but the cook never does—unless it’s a coward.’ His supplementary re- ■ marks were 1 to the effect that he thanked heaven for making him as he was instead of a fox-hunting squire." The spurs with which the poor fowls are armed when set to tear each other .to pieces are made of steel or silver, and are very valuable articles. They are from IS to 2J inches in length, and slightly incline towards each other. The Birmingham manufacturer had .spent £4O to £SO in the attempt to perfect silver spurs. The diabolical art had died with a man who made his fortune in the trade, and spurs of his make now bring twenty times their original value. As to the process of preparing the cooks for their bloody work the miter says —“Cooks are always‘trimmed’and‘spin-red’ before being forced to fight. The trimming,, consists, in removing the feathers from the neck and upper part of the breast, besides shortening the feathers in the tail. ‘.lf you were not to trim the bird the other cook would seize it by the feathers and stake it like a dog,’ remarked Worcester. ' Preparatory to being spurred, cocks are ‘ spoiled.’ The spoiling-—an appropriate word—consists in cutting off. the heels of the cocks, leaving a stump about oneeighth Of an inch long. From three-quarters of an inch to one inch and a quarter is the length usually cut away. A small piece of thin leather is placed upon the stump, and the spur fixed with thatchent ends.” ! The “main” at Aintree was a very important event in the history of the sports. A “main,” it should be mentioned, consists of an odd number of fights, and the cocks winning the majority are, of course, the victors. On this occasion there were eleven battles ; the stakes were £2OO, and, in addition, a sum of £lO was laid on each bird. The two trainers were from Lancashire and Warwickshire ; and the honor of these two counties as schools of cock-training was at stake. If the eleven battles had been fought, twenty-two birds would have been engaged ; but that by no means' represented' the number brought to the pit.' Lest the gentlemen should be baulked of their sport ,by - any , unforeseen event, there were a great many, surplus roosters, two or three of which came from Ireland, and one, we are ashamed to say, from Scotland. ' It was no easy matter for the writer and his friends,’practised hands though they were, to find the scene of the entertainment. v After wandering about the racecourse for a time, they were piloted to the grand-stand by a mysterious person, who communicated with them, mainly by signs. Ten minutes’ further delay, and they .were admitted by a little old man, who, after getting ten shillings from each, told them to go “straight up those stairs, gentlemen.” “ We obeyed, and found ourselves in a room about 35ft. long by 20ft. wide, with a slanting ceiling, and separated by a partition of wood from another room of equal dimensions. This, then, was the cockpit. In the centre of the floor was a woollen carpet of a crimson color, measuring some 15 by 9ft., and round the room were a number of benches and a couple ottables. Weights, scales, andspurslayiuacomer About forty persons were present, nearly all of whom had the appearance of gentlemen in even affluent circumstances.” We shall not attempt to describe the brutal scene which followed. The poor birds fought with all the ferocity for which. they are proverbial ; they tore each other to pieces with beak and spur ; and only desisted when, blind and dying in mortal agony, they could stand no. longer on their feet. Much betting, of course, took place, and the highest encomiums were passed on the “magnificent fight” shown by the cocks. Only the third battle had been fought' when the cry of “ Police" was raised, and the votaries of “the moat fashionable sport out” beat an ignominious retreat. Some got out by the windows, others by breaking down the wooden walls of the building. About a dozen or so were met by the police on the stair, and their names taken, hut the oockfighting fraternity are much too shrewd to give their own names. When attending a “main” they provide themselves with other peoples’ cards.; and as the police have only power to take names and addresses, it is almost impossible to get a conviction. The fighting at Aintree took place on Thursday, andbn Saturday another “main” was held at Sutton.Coldfield, a few miles from Birmingham. On that occasion Shropshire and Worcestershire were the contending counties. There were five battles, which Were carried to a successful conclusion before the arrival of two constables, and by that time even the farce of taking names was impossible, as the scoundrels had collected their poor maimed victims and driven off. Now that attention has been called to this abomination, wo hope it will be put an end to as speedily as possible. The task will probably be one of some difficulty, for the men who encourage the disgusting sport have plenty of money, and although public opinion may prevent them from coming forward ns its avowed advocates, they will no doubt bring influence to bear which may be even more effective than personal argument. Men who are so wedded to the sport as to avow their intention of chartering a steamer and carrying it

on at sea, if they cannot do so ashore, are not likely to be easily baulked of thenpleasure. The law as it stands at present is quite inadequate. Every person who keeps any place “for the purpose of fighting or baiting any bull, bear, badger, dog, cook, or other kind of animal, whether of domestic or wild nature,” is liable to a penalty of £5, and so is “ every person who shall in any manner encourage, aid, or assist at the fighting or baiting of any bull, bear, badger, dog, cock, or other animal as aforesaid.” But the chief supporters of the amusement seldom or never appear in a case. When birds, spurs, and other articles have been taken by the police, there are always plenty of trainers ready enough to go forward, claim the property and pay the fine, knowing full well that the veal owners in the background will not allow them to suffer loss. The law will continue almost a dead letter until the police have power to arrest. Probably imprisonment without the option of a fine is the only punishment at all likely to be an effectual deterrent.