At an early hour Saturday morning, Chief Twiss of Dundas, Officer Berlinghoff of the S.P.C.A. and Constables Brown, Venard, Gillespie and Thompson of Hamilton, raided a barn on the Waterdown Road and secured the names of thirty-three cockfighters and also fifteen live and three dead birds. The sextet left about 11:30 Saturday night in a rig, and the midnighters on the streets who happened to see the buggy load, little thought that the officers in the rig were armed to the teeth in expectation of a big fight. Going by way of the Valley Inn road and thence up the Waterdown hill, the party arrived in the vicinity of the scene of the battle about one o’clock in the morning.

Leaving the rig in charge of one of the men, the officers started in search of the barn where the fight was going on. Several barns were visited, but nothing of a suspicious nature was discovered, and just as the officers were beginning to think that they had been stung or steered onto the wrong track, a fight was spied in a nearby barn.

With Chief Twiss and Officer Berlinghoff in the lead, and the rest of the party a short distance behind, the march on the barn was continued. The two leading officers, stealing their way in the dark, had arrived about twenty yards from the barn, when the door opened and a man was heard wrangling with someone inside. The officers stopped and waited for the man to go inside, and as soon as he had done they continued their advance. They found the door unlocked, the doorman having forgotten to spring the latch. Immediately the constables in the rear were signalled to, and while Officers Twiss and Berlinghoff went inside, the other officers stationed themselves outside to catch any who might try to escape.

When the officers gained admission, there were in the building thirty-four men, all seated around the pit. There was no fight on at the time, the last bout had finished just before the officers arrived. Many of the men were shooting craps, and on seeing the officers someone shouted, “Blow out the lights!”

Immediately the lights were extinguished and the barn was in total darkness. Chief Twiss drew his gun and shouted “Stand still, I have twenty men outside.” Walking to the door, the Chief yelled to Constable Brown who was stationed outside: “Shoot any man who attempts to escape and surround the barn.”

“All right, Chief,” came the reply, as the four officers outside ran around the barn. The men inside still held their ground, and refused to turn on the lights. Chief Twiss lighted his lantern, and again drawing his gun, said: “I’ll shoot the first man who tries to escape. You’ll go the same way as a dog without a muzzle.”

“All right, Chief,” again raing out on the midnight air, and one of the sports said: “It’s all up boys, they’ve got us this time.”

The lamps were lighted and a pretty spectacle confronted the police. Hanging on the walls, all ready for transportation, were several bags, all containing game cocks. Legs were to be seen protruding from beneath the hay piles, while some had taken to the rafters in the hope of escaping. When the excitement passed over, a more sorry looking bunch could not have been found anywhere. Those who had bet on the winners, and had cleaned up a nice little roll, shivered at the thought of having to part with it. Those who had not cashed a bet felt glum before the police arrived, but the attack became more serious when they saw the police.

What made the sports more sore was when their names had all been taken, they discovered that instead of twenty, only four officers were outside.

In the rush for birds, dice, etc., only one man escaped, and how he managed to get out is more than the officers can tell. They say that they have heard of cats getting through a very small hole, but this was the first time they heard of a human being escaping through a hole only eight inches square. All of the others, seeing that they were caught, quietly gave their names when asked. Some of them started to give fictitious names, but were told that it would go harder for them in the end if they did not give their correct names. Even to that warning some paid no heed, and only after the officers had threatened to hold the owner of the barn, a German, responsible did the men give their correct names.

When the officers rushed the place, they found in all eighteen birds, three of which had been killed during the evening. The officers took charge of the chickens and took them to the city and placed them in No. 3 Police Station. None of the men were taken to Hamilton, but all will be summoned to appear in court.

Cock fights, it is alleged, have been going on in the vicinity of Waterdown for some time, but the police until Saturday night were unable to locate the spot. Officer Berlinghoff got wind of the doings and working up the case, he decided that Saturday night was the best time for a raid. He had been tipped off that there was to be a fight Saturday night, but the man who told him was unable to give the location of the meet.

Mr. Berlinghoff visited Adam Brown, President of the S.P.C.A. and told him he thought he had a good chance to pull off the new coupe. Mr. Brown told him to go ahead, and, with a view of getting help, he applied to Chief Smith, who told him to notify Chief Twiss. Chief Twiss was asked for his aid, and agreed to meet the men in Hamilton Saturday night.

The men caught in the barn are well known residents of Brantford, Waterdown, Burlington, Dundas, Aldershot and the district around Waterdown. The birds seized will, if a conviction is secured, be sold and the money turned over to the S.P.C.A. The society will also receive half the amount taken in if fines are imposed.

Officer Berlinghoff, when seen, said: “I have heard that there was a fight last Wednesday night, and was also told that one was to be pulled off on Saturday. We were lucky in arriving when we did, for if we had been five minutes later, in all probability the men would have escaped, as, when we raided the place most of the sports were preparing to leave for home. The owner of the barn, a German, was the most excited one of the crowd, and seemed to feel pretty mean at being caught with the goods.”

The barn in which the fights took place is about a mile north of Waterdown, and was fixed up for the occasion, resembling a miniature arena for sports. The pit was situated in the centre of the structure in such a manner that about fifty lovers of the game could be comfortably accommodated. The building was lighted by coal oil lamps hanging from the ceiling and was in all one of the most up-to-date cock-fighting arenas in this part of the country. The police refuse to divulge the names of the owner of the barn, or the men whose names were taken.

On Monday evening before any summonses had been issued, J. L. Counsell appeared before Mayor Lawrason and Magistrate Lawson and pleaded guilty for twenty-four of the culprits, to aiding and abetting a cock fight, and were fined $7 each and costs, making $10 in each case. On Tuesday morning five more appeared and were also fined the same amounts, making $290 paid up to date. There were thirty-three in the scrape, leaving five more to whack up yet, and summonses have been issued for their appearance.

It is said that half the amount of the fines will be paid over to the village of Waterdown, where the fight was held, half to the informant or such person as the Justices may direct.

In this case it is believed that Chief Twiss is the one to whom the credit is due for the capture, as the S.P.C.A. officer had given up the case, believing he had been fooled, when the Chief got busy and found out where the sport was being pulled off.