New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-23
FALLING DEAD IN THE ENG.
FATAL ENs OBJ A PRIZE FIGHT-THE SURVIVE
sURRENDERs HIMSELF.

FATAL ENB OF A PRIZE FIGHr-rHE SURVIVOR
sURRENDERs HIMSELF.
prize fight which resulted In the death OF one OF
the principals took place early yesterday at the Live
Oak Hotel, Fort Hamilton, kept by one Nick Thomp-
SON Pefore midnight Saturday a motley throng,
consisting Of fifty sixty patrons of tho manly
art had gathered about the place witness milf
arranged by ed Mcdonald who makes such
matters his business. The principals were William C.
Dempsey, age twenty four, employed in The New
York Herald press room, and newsboy, Simon Bes-
ser, age nineteen, who goes by the Of Swlpes'
Neither Of the men weighed 100 pounds, and George
(knOwn as Dolly Parker, a member of the Bedford
Athletic Club, OF Brooklyn, chosen referee.
" Jimmy" COnlin wrestler, and I" Jack" Dougherty,
OF Philadelphia, were Besser's seconds, and Billy
Clarkson and PHIL Buckley performed the same
Office for Dempsey. The time keepers were =" WASH
Phillips and Harry" Carroll Both principals were
dressed in tights and trunks, but neither wore shoes
Various stories are told about the number of rounds
and the length OF taken In the fight, which took
place in he basement of tho hotelS One eyewitness
says that Swpes7 struck Dempsey twice In the stom
ach, causing him to stagger forward At this moment
Swpes7 dealt Dempsey a staggering blow on tho
right temple. knocking him down. Dempsey fell TO
the floor frothing at the mouth. He did not arise
and come the scratch within the seconds allowed
and Swpes7 was declared the victor and awarded
the gate money $27 Dempsey's seconds soon found
that their man was dead, and carried him up into
the sitting room of the place, where they dressed him
in his clothes and sent messages to his friends The
crowd speedily dispersed
Dempscys mother took tho body last evening TO
his home at No 20 Hicks-st., Brooklyn. Dempsey
leaves young wife to whom he hau been married
fifteen months, and a Child two months old The men
engaged In getting up the fight have lndustriOusly
circulated the report that Dempscys death was caused
by heart disease Tho Coroner has ordered that an
autopsy be made to-day. Mcdonald, the man who
got up the fight the referee seconds and time keepers
have disappeared swipes,' however, after keep
ing in hiding all day yesterday, applied at p m to
John Eckhardt. night cashier OF The Morning Jour
nal" for advice. Mr.. Eckhardt urged him 10 give
himself up to the authorities and accompanied him
Police Head quarters, Brooklyn where he was com
mltted to await the action Of.the Coroner.
The surviving prize fighter IS mere boy in appear
and declares that he has never trained for fight
His story is that when Nc Donald urged him and Demp-
sey to go into the m' and held out lavish induce
ments Of gate money and fame. II was arranged bo-
tho two principals that they were 10 make tho
fight fake of four rounds, at the end of which
Dempsey to felgn being knocked OUT Only
one round however, he claims. fought, and much
TO his surprise DEMPSEY Law down at the end of two
minutes, after striking him terrific blow on the head
when he was declared the winner, "Swipes' claims
that he had not the slightest suspicion that Dempsey
RI