Two weeks before the day appointed for the fight, Dublin Trix left Ben, and his position as trainer was filled by Jerry Donovan. There was still little training to do, as Ben was in no condition to bear it. However, he did not grow disheartened. During this time he made many friends among the better class of people in St. Louis, all of whom were surprised to find so gentlemanly an appearing man in the pugilistic profession.
The long-expected day, on which the fight was appointed to take place, came at last. During the night, Ben had succeeded in getting six hours’ sleep, and he awoke feeling better than he had for many days.
At an early hour in the morning, Tom Kelley put in an appearance with a horse and buggy to drive our hero to the river, where they were to take the boat.
It had been arranged, in order to avoid any interruption from the authorities, that the two principals should meet the boat at points below the city on the Missouri side of the river. The boat itself was packed to overflowing with admirers of the manly art. The matter had not been kept as quiet as caution would have dictated, and the result, as will be seen, was of an unpleasant nature.
Ben and Kelley drove to the point agreed upon, while Allen struck the river a mile or two lower down. So confident was Hogan that morning of winning the fight, that he told Kelley he would go another five hundred dollars on the result.
While the two principals waited on the shore, the steamer made its way down the river. When some distance below the city, the wind which had been blowing a small hurricane, drove the boat toward the Illinois bank, and such was the force of the wind and current combined, that it was impossible to change her course.
A deputy sheriff and a posse of men, who had got scent of the party, were waiting near the point where the steamer struck the shore, and they immediately made a descent upon the craft. Those on board were arrested, and some of the leaders were kept in Illinois and taken back to St. Louis. The real game for which the officers were searching, that is, the pugilists themselves, was not captured. This mishap to the boat of course put an end to the fight for that day. It was asserted by those who ought to know that the excursion money amounted to four thousand dollars. If it did, Hogan never received a dollar of the sum, and to the best of his knowledge, neither did Allen.
The New York Clipper and other sporting papers charged that this running ashore of the boat was all a put-up job on the part of Hogan and Allen. The statement which I have here given will, it is believed, show that such charges were wholly without foundation. Hogan had not the remotest idea that any such thing was about to happen, and it is only fair to assume that Allen was equally blameless. Neither of the men profited financially by the occurrence, and they certainly did not expect to gain in reputation by any such proceeding. It is more reasonable to conclude that the boat was driven ashore purely by accident, and that the arrest of the party was simply a piece of bad luck—not bad intention.
After the first postponement of the match, Ben was anxious to go to Detroit, but Allen and his backers would not agree to this. They insisted upon making Omaha the place; and Ben, who was ready to yield anything rather than give up the match, consented to the latter place.
The second match was made for five hundred dollars additional a side, and the championship of the world. Each man was to select one umpire, and these together were to choose a referee. Allen named Looney as his man, and Ben selected Tom Kelley.