A Burglar Caught by a Skeleton & Other Singular Tales from the Victorian Press (23 page)

Singular Prize Fight

A prize fight between a man with one arm and another with one eye took place near Cossington, a secluded part of Leicestershire, on Sunday evening week, in the presence of a large number of spectators, who arrived in sections.

The fight lasted one hour and forty-five minutes, and was of a most determined nature. The one-eyed man had his eye so damaged that at last he could not see, and the one-armed man, who was also severely punished, was declared the victor. The stakes were £10. The principals are known to the police.

The Illustrated Police News
, May 15, 1886

A Human Skull for a Football

A curious spectacle has been witnessed in a dissenting graveyard in Heywood this week. A wall in that town, which has for at least two generations served for a fence to the Wesleyan graveyard, was recently blown down, leaving the soil of the graveyard much exposed.

The spot has been used latterly as a playground by children, and on Saturday a number of boys were playing football with what they thought an excellent substitute for a ball.

After diverting themselves for a while, one of the youngsters took hold of the supposed ball, and was terribly frightened on seeing human teeth protruding.

The alarm of the boy attracted a number of men who were working a few yards away, and the substitute for the football was found to be a human skull, which had evidently been washed out of a disturbed grave by the recent heavy rains. It was taken possession of by the proper authorities.

The Manchester Evening News
, November 25, 1882

A Dog in the Football Field

During the match at Aston Lower Grounds on Saturday, between the Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion, for the Birmingham Cup, an unpleasant incident occurred.

When the game was at its height a tiny white terrier suddenly appeared on the field, and joined in the chase after the ball. He was evidently an enthusiastic devotee of the game. He was very keen on the ball, and had a fine turn of speed on the heavy ground. Wherever the ball went the little terrier followed helter skelter, following every pass, and rushing between the legs of the players to roll over the ball, eagerly biting its smooth sides, while the thousands of spectators roared with merriment and delight. Green captured the dog, and threw it gently on to the heads of the spectators, from whence it scrambled down outside.

It was not to be deprived of its sport that way, for it was soon on the field again. It didn’t even appeal to the referee for a foul, but at once joined in the game, and led a wild rush of the Albion forwards for the Villa goal.

It of course greatly hampered the game, and the referee ought to have stopped play until it was removed. At last Burton captured it, and abandoning the game in the kindness of his heart, for the little animal was in constant danger, rushed off with it in his arms towards the dressing-rooms. He had not gone many yards when he met Woodhall coming down the right wing with the ball at his toe. Burton bravely tried to tackle the Albion player with the dog still in his arms, but was at last obliged to drop the dog and devote his undivided attention to Woodhall.

The ball soon went to the Albion backs with doggie after it in full chase, but its football career was over, for one of the Albion backs, meeting it on its way to the ball, gave it a brutal kick, and poor little doggie turned up his legs and lay stiff and still on the damp turf.

Everybody thought it was killed, and the roars of laughter with which the antics of the little fellow had been watched changed into something like a groan of horror, and then into a storm of hisses. Two men ran into the field and carried the dog off, and laid him outside the line of play. There was a cheer all round the ground when at last he wagged his tail.

Supplement to the Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury
, March 10, 1888

Misconduct of the English Football Players

On Monday evening, a disgraceful scene was witnessed at the Waverley Station, Edinburgh, where the English football players, who took part in the international match, assembled preparatory to leaving the city by the 10.40pm train for the south.

It was evident from the shouting and bawling, and generally boisterous conduct of some of the party, that they had been indulging too freely in strong drink.

The railway officials were unwilling to interfere so long as they confined themselves simply to shouting; but they were forced to do so when one of the Englishmen gave an engine driver a blow on the breast, which sent him reeling against a carriage.

The engine-driver, generously enough, did not press any charge against his assailant, and the players were hustled into a carriage, and the doors locked upon them. Just before the starting of the train, however, one of them got out and struck a railway policeman.

The policeman attempted to detain him, but two of the others, coming to their comrade’s assistance, gave the officer some rough treatment.

While the party of four were struggling, the train moved off, leaving the three Englishmen in the custody of the railway officials who came to the policeman’s assistance.

They struggled violently to free themselves, kicking and using their sticks in a savage manner. The policeman received a severe kick while he was lying on the ground, which nearly broke the bridge of his nose.

The prisoners, whose names are Reginald Hasley Burkett, Henry James Graham, and William Gordon, were taken to the Police Office, but were liberated on finding each £2 bail for their re-appearance.

When the case was called in the Police Court, yesterday, Mr Lanton stated that delay for a week had been asked, and as he had no objections Sheriff Hallard agreed to an adjournment. The case will therefore come before the court again next Wednesday.

The Manchester Evening News
, March 11, 1875

Amusing Incident at Rock Ferry

Whilst the football match Cheshire Lines v. South Tranmere Y.M.F.S. was in progress last Saturday, a young bullock became very frisky on seeing the players running about in their variegated jerseys.

The bullock rushed in amongst the players, and finally espying Ashton, the Friendlies goalkeeper, between the posts, charged him some distance away, and whilst the goal was left undefended the ‘Linesmen’ scored a goal, and no whistle being sounded the point was counted.

The Cheshire Observer
, October 3, 1891

A Curious Race

In Brooklyn under the auspices of the ‘New York World,’ a remarkable race recently took place.

The competitors were an elephant, a camel, a horse, a bicycle, and an autocar. The elephant and camel, exhibition animals were ridden by their keepers, the horse was ridden by a famous horseman, and the bicyclist was a sprint rider, and the autocar was driven by an expert.

The elephant and camel were both given a start of half a mile from the autocar, which was given an eighth of a mile by the horse and bicycle, the course being three miles. The elephant proved the victor, winning in 6min. 20sec., with the bicycle second, and the autocar third.

The Midland Daily Telegraph
, Coventry, May 22, 1899