Chapter 2, That’s Entertainment.
Watching Peter From a far was a Publicans Agent, he could see that the new style entertainment, although rough, and may have failed in London, but was perfect for the many thousands of Irish emigrants, that had decided to stay in the area, and not go to North America.
After one of the Blackmans stints, Henry Solomon, noticed he had perfected a full comedy act.
And made him an offer to be his agent and partner,
The first thing he thought Peter required was regular style he discussed many before coming up with a soldiers uniform, from the South African Wars,
The one that they both liked best was that of an Officer in the Guards, Peter being smitten with the White Pith Helmets. that caught there eye,
With money collected from the many venue’s Peter was operating at.
They purchased a second hand, uniform, of a Colonel. in the Guards,
Not only the Pith, but a red tunic, blue britches and silver spurs, and as many medals as a large man’s chest could contain.
Within a short time, Peter was reciting poems, from the front, singing popular ditties made famous over time, but still contained the rude element of the local scourer’s. accent.
Working 5 days a week, not only in the many dives, spread about the county but he made a compete break through when Henry decided on a new script it came about owing to the popularity of Horse racing in Liverpool area.
Henry was also an agent for the most popular Hotel in Liverpool. The Adelphe was the haunt for all lover of National Hunt sports, the 2 weeks before the yearly Grand National. was a typical event were every bedroom room was taken, mostly by the Illegal Bookmaking element operating in England, they would set up the same as a London Coffee House with the walls covered with lists of the forthcoming event. and all the prices available.
Henry saw a great opening for Peter by acting as a TIPSTER. there were racecourse tipsters, already in competition but non like a black, Colonel. with so called friends, in every royal household in the country.
Peters act, as a retired officer and gentleman, was hilarious, if not a little outrageous. but somehow the spurs and britches gave the impression of a National Hunt Amateur Rider, and possible owner, could it be that the Tipster was inspired and would have his eyes and ears, in all the leading stables.
He would claim to be the son of Queen Victoria, and a relationship of hers with the Zulu King Cashways.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Cetshwayo-c1875.jpg/175px-Cetshwayo-c1875.jpg
No one knew that the South African King opposed to Britain’s imperialism, would soon be in a terrible war. ,
Being a mixture of Irish and Liverpudlians, They just loved the Anti Royal sentiment.
But the main part was that black tipster was some how produced as a race horse owner, who knew all the winners, Peter had become a specialist Tipster,
There was a slight problem that wasn’t of concern, on the stage, but was to be a disaster in a few years time Peter was Illiterate, and could only sign his name with a large X. he required Henry to make out all the betting slips with the names of there selections and any witty comments.
The two weeks prior to the 1869 Grand National. Peter worked every night solid, tipping The Lamb. As pure white horse, that he would claim that Victoria had sent him direct, to run in the race, the amount of information of jockeys and trainers, made any comment by Peter acceptable.
The amount of cash they were earning was spectacular, when The Lamb won at 9/1 having been 25/1 weeks before. the big race, there were hundreds, who had followed his lead, and were now happy to continue following what ever he tipped them, all the year round.
He even befriended, those who were actually part of the industry, so improving his knowledge.
That night at the Alephie was exceptional. with the floor flooded with beer,
It was this moment when an observer would have noticed that Peter had two very dangerous, habits one was to drink himself paralytic every night after his act was completed, but he also spent every penny he had, buying drinks for every one rich or poor,, he was not going to last very long at this rate.
Within 12 months the end could be seen, every night Peter would fall asleep, drunk, sometimes on the floor of the stage, others outside the last of his venue, in the gutter.
This was when; the love of his Scouser clients, began to wane,
Many mornings, market workers, would see The Black Tipster fast asleep, next to his head, was the PITH Helmet propped up like a Gazunder (Toilet) full of urine, certainly not his own.
There would be vomit, all over his tunic and britches. With the spurs missing,
The medals of some value had been sold by Henry well before this time.
After many arguments, about these loss’s Peter expected new uniforms, to be produced the next day.But the money had run out,
It was when a sober Peter realized that Henry had been taking more than the 50% partnership. In fact a further 25%.
Hardly speaking to each other, Peter was expected to dress himself, but with no cash, the dress became laughable, a Pith hat was now green, coated with fungus, the riding boots, were odd wellingtons, cut short, and on the chest of a canvas Mack were 5 silver coloured tin can lids.
It was amazing that people still purchased his tips, but not so many, and the laughter that followed his act, was now, cynical.
On the forthcoming National Event 1870, Peter decided that the very successful partnership from the past must come to an end,
Calling Henry to his side telling him that this would be the last of there partnership, after the 1870 race they would go there own ways,
In hindsight this was a disastrous decision.
As Peter worked the Liverpool crowd there were still clients, who had remembered the last year’s winner,
As the horses were going down to the start, Henry began to distribute the slips, placed in white envelopes, Peter had told Henry which horse he was going to select, and it was up to Henry to create the information on a slip and entered into a envelope, the horse was to be “The Colonel.”
In the past Henry had entered a clever witty comment, alongside the Horses name, but as Peter could not read or write, he left that to his partner..
Within a short time there were over 100 of Peters old clients in a steady circle, paying for the tips, various amounts, based on how much Henry thought they could afford.
Even Peter did not see what was coming, and was to drunk, to duck from a heavy blow across his head, within seconds there was a riot, with the Black Tipster, pole axed on the floor, only 3 policemen, with riot gear, and long wooden staffs, saved his life,
Back inside the Temporarily Built Police Hut on the course it was discovered that Henry had written out, an ungraceful comment, about white men, and there wives, ignoring any selection. it was the last throw of a dissatisfied partner.
After a period in the City station Peter was let go with no prosecution although there were over a 100 race goers seeking his blood
The Black Tipster was no more when “The Colonel”. Strolled home an easy 4 length winner it made no difference, only Henry had backed the selection, no one else had been informed.
It was 6 months before anything further was known of Peter, the Tipster, when the body of a tall black man, covered in leaves and twigs, was discovered alongside the wall of the Liverpool Lunatic Asylum how long he had been there no one seemed to know.
It was a further 50 years before a sailor, arrived in London, http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJ9n6KfY_Is2OxLtHjO8VodsNUvWOCXeTEoc_6imao9OB663kkOg
Peter McKay in 1881 was originally from an island called St Croix, part of the US Virgin Islands in the West Indies. He arrived in Britain in 1902 and after a year of mostly menial work he managed to join the chorus of the first all-black West End musical show called In Dahomey.
With very little evidence in print of who was the original Black Tipster, Prince Monolulu will have to go down in history as the real McKay. but we no difference.
It was his timing that made Peter McKay so famous.
Horseracing during the 2 WWs was promoted, through Film, with all the big races, The Derby, Grand National and Royal Ascot, shown on the Pathie News so that every film watcher would also see, the big Sporting Events, there in the middle of the action was Prince Monolulu. In his royal robes of a Royal, just like Our Black Scous, This Prince also had a great personality, who would call over to the Duke of Windsor, in such a friendly terms that all the race goers believed that they must have been friends,
Reminding the Duke that he hoped the 6 penny special had been delivered on time to Buckingham Palace.
The crowd roared with laughter. Just like they did 50 years before.
Two things gave him the impetus the first was when he tipped the 1920 Grand National Winner Spoin Kop at 14/1. Clearly heard on the news bulletin, that publicity was worth a fortune, to the new Black Tipster.
And for it to be seen on the news was worth its weight in gold.
Dorothy Paget, the £millionaire daughter of a Lord Queensborough, literally hated him and would miss some of the bread and butter meetings, even if she had a runner, if she had been informed that the Black Prince was there tipping.
He had the habit of calling her My Love, and as she was very Butch, she would have knocked him out there and then, if she had had here way,
The Aga Khan, hated him even more so, when The Prince Monolulu virtually inferred that they were cousins. the joke didn’t go down very well. but his son, Prince Ali Solomone Aga Khan, known as Aly Khan husband of actress Rita Hayworth. would spend ages discussing, the days racing, once again improving the Tipsters, following,
Horseracing and its popularity had taken off, big time some of the crowds were enormous, but for an hour before the first race, every one wanted to watch the “Princes Act”
His “Ive Got a Horse” became world famous, and made Prince Monolulu an Icon in his own time, very few punters had an opinion of there own, and what better than a tip from a Royal. There were all sorts of confidence tricksters on the British racecourses, who sought out any mug they could find, and non better at conning the public was The Bogus prince.
I am ready to believe that Peter McCoy copied The Liverpool Tipster, from something he had heard. There act was to close, not to be a resemblance created not by chance, but by history.
They both dressed in a similar pattern creating a royal persona, both had amazing personalities, who would speak and converse with any one even the Kings, of England. Both started off with an amazing lucky streak tipping the winners of the biggest race of the year, and at enormous prices,
Both finished up destitute, with there costumes smelling of urine.
Very few knew what a rouge Peter Mcoy was he was, married 4 times, he would be invited, too many dinner parties of the rich and famous.
It was when he was invited to an after show, dinner, for the Royal Household,
One of the royal wives, who will remain anonymous, had fallen in love with him not because of his winners or royal blood but of the talk amongst film starlets, and going the rounds, that his manhood was larger than Errol Flynn.
When he arrived at the Savoy, with an invitation, his new Royal friends, the doorman refused to let him in, for he was in top hat and tails, and not the silk robes and feathers of the Prince Monolulu.
It was fate that they should both die, in similar circumstance, winning and losing fortunes in there time, only to end up destitute.
So once again I will give my humble opinion that every success story. Creates a copy cat, years later that will succeed and then die out, again.
So if you are on Job Seekers Allowance. change you name, and be unique,
Cubone.
What a coincident THE END.