The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-12-17
It FINISHED JOHN WARD.
The Most Brutal Prize Fight on
Record Fought Near Butte
on Sunday.
One Hundred and Five Rounds,
and the Result the Death
Of One Man
ward. Hall Conscious. Heid ~ by
uls seconds aud Then Knocked
Down Eleven Times.

BUTTE, Dec. l6.- special. Butte has at
last had prize fght which tx too much for
the equnimity Of even this camp and the
brutal and disgusting set-to which oc-
CURED last night bas aroused public indig-
milton TO q high pitch The prize fight
might just as well bc chilled murder, for il
has so resulted. Tho details OF the terrible
affair are ms follows; q. II. Ward is Young
carpenter who has been working in Butte
for several years, and who has
always done we'll and been regarded
ms sober Industrious and good
citizen. lie came here from Virginia and
has no relatives in the country. lie WIS
about thifty years Of age and unmarried. A
few weeks ngo he took contract TO build
house for John Gallagher, young miner
about the same age rs himself. Gallagher
has handsome young wife and two child
rem. Ne is u miner who has been working
in the ST. Lawrence, one Of the Anaconda
properties now closed down ON account OF
the fire. Gallagher WAS economical and in
dustrious aud saved enough money go buy n
lot in South Butte. lie then negotiated
loan through Evans, Nichols 4 Co., a
rcnl estate firm. and hired Ward to build
the house.
The job was finished 0bout two weeks 0go,
and Ward presented bill for $l00 for
extra work which hc had done on the house
over and above the siipulaiions Of the con
tract. Gallagher admitted that this extra
work had been done, but claimed that the
charge of 500 WAS too much. lie offered
to pay $50, and said that sum wis ample
! payment for the extras. ID WIS
over this disagreement that bad
feeling WIS engendered between
the parties Al one time there wns talk Of
n compromise between the men ON $3.50,
hut II came 10 uaught. Hard words we're
exchanged between the men, aud Ward re.
pcHtcdly threatened 10 lick Gallagher
Afterwards b. went 10 Gallngher's house at
South Butte, and in the laiter's absence
spoke Tudely To his wife. This incenscd
Gallagher still further, aud he mnde threats
of giving Ward beating.
Tho matter would probably not have been
pursued further, however but for
the fact TINT four days ago Ward
went into the Office of Nichols a
ilelohan aud boosted that he could whip
Gallagher ia Eight to a finish. AZ tho siuo
! time he displayed roll of bills. amounting
to several hundred dollars, which he offered
to bet IN support of the proposition ho had
just advanced. lielehan WIS friend of
Nichols, and after hnying been repeatedly
urged 10 bet, put up so on Gallagher. The
pair went out and found Gallagher, who
agreed Ia fight and regular articles of
agreement were drnwn up in the Occidental
ealoon, The fight WIS agreed upon
10 take place ON Sunday AZ Crystal
/ Springs, resort of sports about
slN miles west of this city. II was agreed
that the match should be- in nccordAure
with London prize ring rules, s,nnd to finish.
The affair WAS kept a profound secret,
aud five friends of cneh of the principals
we're invited 20 witness the fight lcstor-
day afternoon about o'clock two hacks
were hired and lhc two principals and tho
ten men went out tp Crystal Sptings. Tie
fog and smuko were very dense, and the
| party lost the road and did not get 10 the
springs until 6 O'Clock. II was O'Clock be-
fore All the prelimharics were finished and
the men entered the ring.
The fight was brutal beyond description.
Both the men were tall, broad-slouldcrud
and powerful fellows, weighing 0boDi ls0
pounds EACH equally matched md in splcn-
did condition They Ind no knowledge Of
the art Of self defense, and the tight WIS
horrible sluPging match from beginning to
finish Ward had the best of II from the
first, and lend At will, knocking his oppo-
nent down with fearful violence Galla-
ghcr's body rapidly became mere mhsg IT
bruises, and his face WAS swollen almost out
oi!the scmblenco of humanity. a knock
down, according 10 London prize ring
rules, constitutes thr end of a
round, and Ward knocked Gallagher down
ninety times in succession. To add
10 the beHstly brutality Of The fight, Gal
lngher's left arm wns broken in The forty
eighth round. lie WAS knocked down with
great violence. md fell on his arm in such
manner as 20 brenk il between the wrist aud
elbow. incredible as il may seem, he re-
sponded cach round 10 the call Of time aud
fought fifty seven rounds in this condition.
His left arm began 10 swell nj once, and 10y
the time the fight WIS over Wna nearly AS
large m his body. Of course. in this shape
he WAS absolutely helpless and at the mercy
Of Ward but he refused to give np the fight,
and Ward kept knocking him down until
the nintv eighth round.
In this round came the opportunity for
which Gallagher bRd been waiting. he
found an instant when Ward WINS on his
guard, and gathering all his great strength,
struck with all the energy of despair and de-
sire for revenge. The blow caught Ward
under the chin and he dropped senselcss.
Al the call u time his seconds propped him
20 his feet in n half-conscious condition.
and in this shape he WAS knocked down
eleven times boy Gallagher At the end of
the l05th round Ward WIS unconscious aud
Gallagher WAS declared 10 be the winner
The unconscious form Of Ward wns
placed in hack and he was taken 20 his