Omaha daily bee., 1884-03-17
A Cleveland Rival Looms Up Against
SluggGr Sullivan.
Making His First Appearance
Saturday Night in Chicago.
His Baoker, Duncan G. Ross,
Stakes Sc, 900 on Him.
Claiming He Can Whip the Bos-
ton Boy in Bare-Fist Fight,
But Will Not Have Any Queens
bury Rules in His,
Ross Says sullivan Must Fight Now
Or Take a Back Seat"

Or Take n Back Seat"
CHICAGO, March ia sparring ex-
hibition was given at the Natatorium in
this city to, night, at which Mervine
Thompson. the Cleveland man, was the
attraction, being pitted against a local
boxer named Brennock. Three thou
sand people were packed in the building,
all that it would hold safely, to see
Thompson. His appearance was greeted
with some cheering, but the crowd guyed
him a little after he had made a few
passes at his antagonist on the theory
that he was no equal for Sullivan in spar
ring skill. He allowed Brennock to ad.
minister a number of sounding blows, re-
ceiving them good naturally and only
retaliated once, putting in a body blow
which sent the young man against the
ropes and compelled him to sit down to
be famed. When the fourth round end.
ed Duncan. @. Ross announced he would
match Thompson against John l.. Sulli-
van or any other man for a glove or bare
handed fight for 81 5000. Pat Sheedy, a
local sporting character, Immediately
stated he was authorized to match Sulli-
van for $1,000 a side. Ross at first
wanted to make the match for s $500 a
side, but finally conceded to make the
match for So, 600 a side, and both men
put up a deposit of $500 each for a fight
TO finish, within three months, either
with or without gloves. The papers are
to be signed next week.
H PRELIMINARY PALAvER.
Special Dispatch to The BEE.
CHICAGO, March 16.-Duncan @. Ross,
the hacker of Mervine Thompson, of
Cleveland, says in reply to John L. Sui
livan's %insinuation that the match is pro-
posed merely as a bluff, or for a gate
money affair, that he doesn't want any,
crowd or any gate money, and that if
| Sullivan or his hackers will make a match
for $4,000 a side, he Ross) will be glad
to have
H FIGHT IN A PRIVATE ROOM
with only four or six men on each side
present. In reply to..Sullivan's PROPOSE
ton that the fight be under the Queens
bury rules, Ross says he is unwilling to
make a match on these conditions; that
his challenge is for the championship;
that no championship match in the his
tory of the prize ring was ever fought
under the Queensbury rules; that all he
demands is the ordinary conditions-that
is to say,
A SQUARE STAND UP FIGHT,
under the English prize ring rules.
Ross would prefer naked fists, but if
Sullivan insists on it, rather than not get
a match with him, he (Ross) is willing to
have the fight be with small gloves. Ross
continues: 81 propose that Sullivan
shall fight or take u back seat. l have
remained over here all day in order to
arrange this matter, neglecting my bust
ness. l must return to Cleveland to-
morrow morning.
MY MONEY
is lying in tbs Ohio national bank, and
when 1 get home l propose to send 20
Richard X. Fox, of the Police Gazette,
New York, $4,000 as a forfeit. If Fox
is not satisfactory to Sullivan or his back
er, ]. will put it in the hands any other
man to be mutually agreed upon. Charles
K. Davies, the preliminary stake holder
has telegraped Sullivan telling him that
l insist on a fight under the regular
championship rules. If he will telegraph
his acceptance, tomorrow morning l will
cover Pat Sheedy's $500, now in Davies
hand.
BRUIsERs ON A BARGE.
NEW YORK, March 16.-A prize fight
for $500 was fought to-day on q barge
which was towed out into East river to
escape the police. The principals were
Tom Hogan and Jim Barr, both from
Green Point. Four rounds were fought.
Both were severely punished, four of
Barre teeth being knocked out the first
round, and in the fourth he was knocked
senseless. Hogan was declared the win
ner.
sULLIvAN's REPLY.
Los ANGELES, CAL, March 16.-John
L, Sullivan, in reply to the challenge
from Mervine Thompson, of Cleveland,
says he will fight him, under Marquis of
Queensbury rules, for 5000 a side, or
any match which Sheedy can make with
Ross. He says he believes Thompson
wants a gate money affair, like that of
Robinson in San Francisco. Sullivan's
hacker says he has telegraphed Sullivan's
acceptance to Sheedy. Sullivan will be
in New Orleans April LIST, and intends to
be prepared to fight about then and
there.
STILL ANOTHER.
1t is reported hat a man in Tomb
stone, Arizona, is getting ready to meet
Sullivan when he gets there.