The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-12
JUST HOW SLAv|N WON.
The Chances Are That McAuliffe Was
Overturned and not Prop
erly Coached.
Fox Wants to Back Sullivan to
Meet the Victorious Aus
tralian.
But John Refuses to be Patronized by the
Man Who Pitted Kilrain Against
Him.

The suddenness with which Frank Slavin
defeated Joe McAuliffe SO astonished the
sporting men of America that they are al
most completely paralyzed, says a writer in
the New York Sun. few of them have
found their tongues long enough to say
that they don't know how it came about,
while most of them are dumbly awaiting
fuller particulars of the fight, in the hope
that they may clear up the vagueness that
now surrounds it. 1t does seem strange
that big brawny fellow with weight,
height and reach in his favor, who had
fought some of tho toughest and
oleverest men in the ring without
once showing trace of the white feather,
who in the first round of the late
ontest had apparently all the best of it,
should in the next go all to pieces, but the
ring. like the turf, has many surprises, and
this fight was one Of them. It will not sur
prise me to find that McAuliffe was over
trained, just as Sullivan was when he met
Charley Mitchell in France. A fight under
Queensberry regulations is far different
thing from one under regular prize ring
rules, and men, especially big men, should
be trained differently for it. night or SO
before the fight Nat Goodwin, the comedian,
was telling some friends in the Hoffman
House that Joe couldn't lose it, and in ex-
PLANTATION of his belief he said: ''When first
saw McAulitfe in London he looked like
big truck horse. The next time saw him
he was like coach hose, but the last time
haps if Joe entered the ring a coach
horse, he might give better account of
himself Had Madden confined his train
ing to perfecting his wind and strength, to
teaching him ring tricks, and especially
how to fight at long range, he and his prin-
prestige and in purse. He had ample
warning of Slavin's intentions in the ring.
for. weeks before the battle, the
Australian announced that he intended
to rely on his hard hitting powers
for victory; 81 never saw :, any :, man an that
is only hard hitter with his right hand
from all accounts, and any one who knows
anything about fighting knows that right
hand blows are the hardest to land and the
easiest to avoid if an opponent is wary.
If Joe had made the most Of his inches,
fought Yankee Sullivan. Tom stood on the
defensive at the outset and let Sullivan
make the play, countering him heavily
every time he led. This plan, if initiated
by Joe, would have made a long fight, but
it ought to have pulled him through all
went at the Australian pell-lnell to
beat him off hand. This gave Slavin abund-
ant opportunity to close in and middle
his man. The result shows that he utilized
these opportunities fully. Johnny Mackey
easily handled if you get the wind out of
them" This fight again proved the truth
of this old maxim. When the second round
began it was plain to see that McAuliffe's
wind was touched, and doubt not he had
received several hard blows about the region
Of the heart. Slavin sized up Macs condi-
ton and his feelings instantly, and, instead
of giving him any respite, he went in for
another rally. Deficient in wind, Joe's speed
had left him. The pain about his heart.
no doubt, distracted his brain, and
In an instant to avoid the rain of blows
that were being showered on him he adopt
ed the novice's tactics of dropping his head
to save it. Then he gave his last chance
away, for Slavin, who was watching for
this banged him with terrific force on the
stunned and dazed. He got up slowly and
mechanically, and SO 'groggy" that he
chung to the ropes for a moment to STEADY
himself. All this time Slavin, cool and
collected, stood with his right poised ready
to give him ''the stroke of erace'' the in
slant he should leave the ropes. Poor Joe,
no doubt, at the time could only see him as
through a fog, and when he was again
hit with pile-driver force consciousness ut
terly forsook him, and he sank to the boards
limp, battered, bleeding and utterly played
out. Madden has since been reported as
imputing his defeat to his want of courage.
think he rather lacked proper training
and coaching as to his proper method of
fighting.
The next question is, "Who can bell
this victorious Australian pugilistic cat?''
Lord Lonsdale, see, thinks Peter jackson
is the proper man to do it, and he talks of
backing the darby against him. Richard
X. Fox, on the contrary falls back on the
great and only John l.. Sullivan, but
John will have none of him or his
the best of friends, but he Is good and con-
sistent enemy, and he has no love for the
man who has spent thousands of dollars in
the effort to wrest the championship of
America from him. He will pull none of
Fox's chestnuts out of the fire for him,
scorchine his fingers. Nevertheless, fight
between Sullivan and Slavin is not wholly
improbable. We have Just been informed
that John has signed an agreement to make
an Australian tour after the termination of
his present theatrical engagements in
the antipodes next summer. Sullivan is
extremely jealous of his tstic reputation,
and while he is ut to enter ring he will
never acknowledge that any man but
himself l6 the champion OF the
world. Neither will the public. Frank
Slavin wears the title champion of the
World'' to-day, bat I doubt if there is
man in America who honestly believes that
he is n match for Sullivan. This being the
case. Sullivan in Australia will be nettled
again and again BY the press of that far-off
land, which will naturally favor the native
born son. and will crack him up rs the boxer
par excellence. This will be especially the
case if jackson and Slavin should meet in
the meantime and Slavin should defeat
him. There is plenty of money in Mel
bourne and Sydney, and plenty of game
sportsmen. too, and they will offer a purse
of tempting proportions for a combat be-
tween these king gladiators, Sullivan
might hold out little while against
re-entering the ring. His reasons
would be misconstrued. however
and there would be printed hints and even
charges that he was afraid to take chances
with the native champion. That would set
tie the matter, and if there were forty the.
atrical contracts to the contrary, Sully
would brush them aside like cobwebs aad
vindicate his courage. Depend upon it, if
Slavin and jackson fight, and if Sullivan
goes to Australia, he will fight the victor in
that far-off land.
George Godfrey asks, "Why wouldn't be
q good man to tackle Slaving" His Ques-
ton ia easily answered. Because you
wouldn't stand the gofiing Slavin would
give you." Godfrey is cracking fighter
when pitted against seoond-class men,
but he won't do to pit against the frst-
raters. That was proved conclusively when