According to one theory he was a son of Meiseki ISHIKAWA, who was a vassal in Miyoshi clan, he was a large man with strength of 30 men, broke into the treasure house of his master at the age of 16, killing 3 guards along the way, stole a gold-mounted sword, fled and wandered in various provinces and stole, but he was caught in 1594, and he was roasted to death in a cauldron along with his child at Sanjo-gawara in Kyoto.
一説に三好氏の臣石川明石の子で、体幹長大、三十人力を有し16歳で主家の宝蔵を破り、番人3人を斬り黄金造りの太刀を奪い、逃れて諸国を放浪し盗みをはたらいたが、文禄3年追捕せられ、京都三条河原で一子とともに釜で煎殺されたという。