The daily gazette., 1882-07-13
BRUTAL BRuIsERs.
Philadelphia Local PugiIists Pound Each
other Mt Gray's FerryxA stifr Fight.
philadelphia Record,

fPhiadclphia Record.
A desperate prize fight occurred in the
Twenty-seventh ward, in this city, yesterday
afternoon, in which the contestants fought
thirty-seven rounds in an hour and eight
minutes, and one of the principals was
taken from the ring In an insensible condi-
ton. The fight took place in elump of
timber, known as Clark's Woods, near the
lower Schuylkill, and was witnessed by
about hundred persons. Thomas John
son, driver, living ON IIaines street, above
Twelfth, and john Mahaffy, also living in
the Seventh ward, were the bruisers, and
Ed Hickey and Joseph McGlinchey the
seconds. Philip Hughes acted as referee
The fight grew out of an old dispute as to
the prowess of the men, who are well known
In the southern section of the city as hard
hitters, and it was agreed that they should
fight 1t out under the rules of the London
Tho ring wNs pltched at $50 O'Clock yes
terday morning, and at O'Clock the men,
stripped to the waist, stepped in and shook
hands. johnson weighed 1917 pounds and
his opponent 14O pounds. They appeared
to be well matched, although johnson
looked tougher than MahalIy. The time OF
the first two rounds was consumed in
sparring TO test each others mettle, but in
the third round the men warmed up to their
work and some terrible blows were given by
both. Finally johnson got lock on Ma
hafiy's neck, which sent him spinning
around on his heel. Following up his adj
vantage johnson struck straight from the
shoulder, hitting his opponent on the left
temple, who fell to the ground in heap.
Mahaffy, however, came up smiling in the
next round, and the men clinehed and
struggled about the ring for some moments,
xyhnu Mo bnf w n We aud T11,n
to the ground with a bleeding nose. The
fighting continued desperately, but evenly
until the eighth round, when johnson
struck Mahaffy two terrible blows In the
face, which closed up one of his eyes and
sent him almost exhausted TO his end of the
ring. In the ninth, tenth eleventh and
twelfth rounds Mahafiy was sent to clover,
and was being terribly punished about the
face and head. One of his fingers had been
knocked out of place, and his body was
full of bruises.
The thirteenth round was the most desper-
ately contested of the fight. Mahaffy faced
his smiling rival with plucky boldness, and
opened the fighting by sending a terrible
blow between Johnson's eyes which seemed
to stun hiH for a second, but he recovered
in time to ward off another aimed at his
neck. The men then clinched. johnson
came near being thrown, but held himself
up by the knee, in which position he strucl
Mabaffy under the arm, sending him back {
few feet. For several seconds blow afte
blow followed in rapid succession. Mahaff'
was being pretty badly punished when III
planted left handler on Johnson's righ
temple, sending min spinning across thu
| ring and almost knocking him over tn
ropes, which, however, caught the falling
man by the back, saving him a tremendou
| fall.
1t was evident that when the men faeet
each other in the next round that Johnson
blood was up. His punishment in the pre-
| his temper. lie went at Mahafiy from tn
start, striking blow after blow on his fac
and breast. Mahaffy had all he could do t
defend himself, and it was some time befor
/ he attempted to retaliate. When he did
johnson broke down his guard with a left
handed stroke and sent crushing blo'
directly between his opponents eyes. Ma
hafiy fell to the ground, and some one in tn
crowd called out +: "you have killed him.
Mahatly, however, came to the scratch TO
the next round, although evidently weaken
| ing. The fighting continued desperately to
| 90 minutes longer, johnson downing hi
man almost as fast as he came up.
In the thirty-siXth round Mahaffy coul,
scarcely stand, his face was beaten almos
into Jelly and both of his eyes were closed
johnson was fresh and smiling and did nc
attempt to punish his opponent much. ii
sent him to grass with a left-handed bio,
| from the shoulder, and Mahafiy's secon
then threw up the sponge.
! After the fight the two men shook hands
Mahaffy is badly bruised and was terIibl
punished, but was out last night with som
friends. johnson was not disflgured.