CHAPTER X.
The Gymnasium Business—Life in Rochester—First Meeting of Hogan and Tom Allen—A Disgraceful Affair.
Our hero’s next exploit was in Geneva, which town he visited for the purpose of meeting Dempsey, a local pugilist of some reputation.
It was arranged that a sparring match between the two should take place, so that Dempsey’s friends might decide whether they were willing to back their man against Hogan.
The exhibition was very largely attended, and excited a good deal of interest. When the men made their appearance they were greeted with applause, and their movements were closely watched. Ben had made up his mind that he would let Dempsey get the best of the match, in order that a fight might be brought about. This little game would probably have worked but for the fact that there were some among the spectators who knew Ben, and knew also what he could do. When these friends saw Hogan playing off, and permitting himself to be knocked down by Dempsey, they began to cry out:
“Hold on, Hogan. That won’t do!”
Of course Ben, finding himself discovered, was obliged to handle his fists with his usual skill, and this not only knocked Dempsey, but likewise the match, into a cocked hat. Nobody was willing to back the Geneva boy, and the fight accordingly fell through. However, the sparring exhibition yielded about four hundred dollars, so that the trip was not a failure.
Soon after this, Ben, in company with Snatch Murray, went to Buffalo and gave an exhibition in that city. Mackey was in the town then, training a man to fight Cummings, and having failed, as we know, to get the Rochester champion in the ring, Hogan contented himself by fighting Mackey. The battle lasted through only four rounds, at the end of which time Mackey had got enough. Indeed, he had got too much.