The Life and Adventures of Ben Hogan, the Wickedest Man in the WorldHogan, Ben (Benedict)
History
The Life and Adventures of Ben Hogan, the Wickedest Man in the World
Hogan, Ben (Benedict)
Hogan, Ben (Benedict), 1841?-
Our hero went into the ring, therefore, with a double incentive for
winning. After a pretty woman had said what French Kate did to a fellow,
it would have been enough to make a parson fight for all he was worth.
Marsh Elliott and John Sweeney acted as seconds for Ben. Seven rounds were
fought, at the end of which Holliday threw up the sponge, and Hogan was
declared the winner. He thus got the purse, and also preserved his
friendship with Kate.
After the fight was over, Marsh Elliott began to do some heavy blowing,
asserting that he could furnish a man who "could knock the daylights out
of Ben Hogan." This sort of talk really had reference to himself, and as
Ben was perfectly willing to try conclusions with the man, he invited him
to step up whenever he pleased. But Elliott had no idea of meeting Hogan
in a fair fight. He shot at him through a window in the hopes of killing
our hero, and failing in this attempt, was forced into a fight the next
day. Ben disposed of him in four rounds, breaking his nose and giving him
a terrible using up. He then secured Ben's arrest, but the tables were
turned in court, and he was himself fined twenty-five dollars while Hogan
was released.
On the very next day, as Ben was sitting in his parlor, four men entered
the room, with the avowed intention of killing him. Hogan arose and said:
"I am unarmed, and only one against four. Give a man some sort of a show
for his life. Let me have one revolver, and I'll take my chances against
you all!"
Just as these words were uttered, and most fortunately for Ben, a number
of friends dropped in to see him, and the would-be murderers cleared out.
The attempt to make way with Hogan did not end here. A job was put up by
which he was to be induced to engage in a fight with one "Stonehouse
Jack," with the understanding that the latter was to kill him in the
fracas. This little plan fell through, however, as Ben met the crowd, and
at the muzzle of a revolver made them lay down their arms. Believing his
life to be in constant peril, Ben appealed to the authorities, who,
knowing the character of the men he had to deal with, told him that he
would be justified in shooting any one of them who might attack him.
Acting upon this assurance, he fired at Stonehouse Jack, as that worthy
was coming out of a dance hall. Unfortunately for society, the ball missed
its mark and Jack escaped.
Striking out for fresh fields, Ben went to Babylon, where, in conjunction
with French Kate, he opened a first-class sporting house. Babylon was a
peculiar place, and fully as wicked as the ancient city of that name.
There were only eight houses in the town, and six of these were gambling
houses. The inhabitants were not over-pious, as may be imagined; and a
more desperate set it would be difficult to find.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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