Hickory, Oct. 24—One of the prettiest free-for-all fights ever staged in this part of North Carolina was witnessed—and participated in—by people watching the high school football teams of Hickory and Statesville play at Statesville this afternoon, according to reports reaching Hickory this afternoon, reports which are, seemingly, verified by black eyes and bruises carried by numerous Hickory people.
Hickory folks all declare the fight was a draw; that neither crowd was able to chase the other. Statesville warriors, it is said here, were greatly assisted by 20 Statesville firemen, which of whom had a blackjack. The blackjacks were used, too, it is claimed. White, Hickory football player, suffered a broken nose and a badly bruised face. He says a fireman hit his squarely in the face with a blackjack.
Johnston Avery, who was covering the game for the Hickory Daily Record, was drawn into the fight and survived several rounds, only to be knocked out when several men attacked him. His lip was rather badly split.
The fight, according to Hickory men who witnessed the game and took part in the fight, started when Wall, umpire, after a play was made, asked the Statesville captain if he was ready, but failed to ask the question of the Hickory captain, with the result that the play was run before the Hickory team knew play had been resumed, Statesville getting through for a touchdown.
The Hickory captain, Bren, asked Umpire Wall why he failed to ask if Hickory was ready, to which Wall replied that he had asked the question of Hickory. This Bren denied and sharp words ensued. One called the other a ??, which one is not certain, but Hickory people all say that Wall struck the first lick.
Immediately after the first lick was passed the fighting became general. The entire field was covered with combatants. Had it not been that a larger Hickory delegation accompanied the team to Statesville it is believed the Hickory warriors would have been chased out of Statesville.
As it was, it was a hard-fought contest. The fight was finally ended, it is said, because the combatants gave out.
From page 3 of The Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, Oct. 25, 1924
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1924-10-25/ed-1/seq-3/
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