While in Oneida, Ben saw by the newspapers that the girl had got into trouble in Rochester, and had been committed to the penitentiary. He accordingly followed her to that city, and after some little effort, obtained her release. The two then proceeded in company to Buffalo.
It so happened that Adoc and Payne were also in the city at this time. Ben had not forgotten how these two worthies skipped from Albany without sharing the prize money as they had agreed to do. He therefore put Miss Annie to good account in getting even with the two pedestrians. It did not take her very long to relieve them of all the money they had, thus settling up with interest Hogan’s old scores.
Ben meantime had returned to Oneida, where he was giving lessons in boxing. The town, as the reader probably knows, is still frequented by many Indians, relics of the once famous Oneida tribe. Ben conceived the idea of training seven of these noble red men, and taking them to Europe to exhibit. But the project fell through, and proved a losing speculation.
Returning to Syracuse Ben met with Bob Bridley, then the champion middle-weight of England. The two formed a partnership, and gave sparring exhibitions in Syracuse, Geneva, Lockport, Waterloo, Erie, Buffalo, and finally in Cleveland.
During this trip, they cleared an even seventeen hundred dollars. At this time Allen and Gallagher were matched for a fight, and upon reaching Cleveland, Ben and Bridley, on information which seemed to them trustworthy, put up their entire pile on Allen. They had been informed that Gallagher was sick, and would be in no condition to fight. As it was, however, he showed up well enough to knock the wind out of Allen, and the money out of our friends who had backed the latter.
Finding himself again strapped, Ben proceeded to Pittsburgh, where he made his first appearance in a sparring exhibition held in Lafayette Hall. Gearing, Reise, and others figured on that occasion.
Ben next went to Petroleum Centre, hoping to raise money enough to enable him to fight Allen. A funny incident which occurred at this time deserves to be briefly related.
In Nell Robinson’s house—where Tom Snowden was then tending bar—our hero met with an exceedingly verdant chap whom we will designate by the appropriate name of Green. Ben who still carried with him that peculiar-looking tobacco-box, already described, showed it to Mr. Green. Mr. Green at once became interested. Ben explained to him how simple it was to open, and then offered to bet him ten dollars that he couldn’t open it. One Gasper, who acted as a capper, suggested that Mr. Green make his bet twenty-five dollars. It was immaterial to Mr. Green, and so the wager was made, and Ben pocketed the money. Instead, however, of becoming enraged, this seemed only to heighten the good opinion which Mr. Green entertained toward his new friend. Ben had grown somewhat shabby at this time, and the generous Mr. Green magnanimously proposed to buy him a suit of clothes. This offer was very readily accepted, and proceeding at once to a clothing store, Ben blossomed out in a complete new suit, which was afterward crowned by a shining silk hat.
These little incidental expenses were nothing to Mr. Green so long as they purchased for him the privilege of being in Ben Hogan’s company. He had a profound admiration for pugilists. So to pamper this innocent weakness, Ben introduced the fellow as Mike McCool. That suited him to a T. At Ben’s suggestion, they obtained a violin and bagpipe, and visited various bar-rooms, in all of which Mr. Green flaunted himself as the genuine McCool.
“You see,” said Ben, “with these musical instruments we can travel around together, call at all the saloons, get a crowd, and then give sparring exhibitions, and make piles of money.”