Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-24
MURPHY WAS GAME
Dixon, the CoIored PugiIist,
Wins a Fight.
LIGHT WEIGHTS DON THE GLOVES.

The White Man Stands Forty Rounds Of
Terrible Hammering. and Even Then
Doesn't Want to Give Up-A Rare tx
hibition of Endurance Under Punish
ment-The Result a Foregone ConcIu-
sion from the Start.
PROVIDENCE. X. l.. Oct. "a The glove
fight between George Dixon (colored,. of
Boston. and Johnnie Murphy, of Haver-
hill, Mass took place at the rooms of the
Gladstone club in this city last night. It
was won by Dixon, Murphy's seconds
throwing up the sponge in the fortieth
round. 1t was seen at the start that MUIR
ply was overmatched. but it took Dixon
hours and As minutes to whip him The
fight was for $1,000 side and si.7OO
trophy. There was an insmense crowd in
attendance. sporting men coming from
all sections Of the country. Dixon had
trained down to ll3 pounds, and Murphy
tipped the beam at the same weight.
Murphy's fighting weight is JOS pounds.
Murphy's Phenomenal Endurance.
Murpby's staying powers were simply
marvellous. and it is astonishing how he
managed to come up round after round
In the face of the terrible punishment he
received. 1t was thought by the way the
fight started in that Dixon would win in
short order and at the sixteenth round il
looked as though the succeeding round
would finish Murphy, but he revived con-
siderably after that round and took his
punishment gamely. He WAS badly used
up at the finish, and though barely able
to crawl over the ropes protested against
his seconds throwing up the sponge In
fact he went over To Dixon's corner after
the referee had given his decision and Of
fered to continue the fight. He presented
pitiable spectacle, his face streaming
with blood and his mouth open, gasping
for breath.
Description of the Fight.
The men entered the ring at 9:35 and
the sponge was thrown up at 11:30 From
the first it was Dixon's fight. Murphy
could hardly ever reach Dixon, while the
latter, although never striking a knock
down blow, kept pegging away at Muir
phys face and stomach until il was the
wonder Of all the ring side how the little
white man stood up to the fight. From
the first to the sixteenth round il was one
smash after another in Murphy's face,
sometimes daZing him, and time was
called very fortunately for him in several
rounds. In the fifteenth foul was claimed
by Murphy's hackers, and although it
looked like a good claim it was not al
lowed and Dixon's seconds cautioned him
not to lose the fight on foul.
Murphy's Best Work.
From then on Dixon fought more war;
ly, evidently intent upon firing Murphy,
who Was full of fight, and though leading
fra To- Ii
near the darkey. In the sixteenth. seven
tenth, and eighteenth rounds Murphy
showed up well In fact, he had the best
of the sixteenth round. and it was the
only round in which he did any fighting.
He threw Dixon handiiy by sharp twist
when Dixon rushed upon him, and the
fall rather ratified the colored pugilist.
Murphy started for him Immediately
after he got up, and getting Dixon
against the ropes near his own corner.
gave him two or three sbort-arm blows
Then they were separated. Dixon was a
little groggy, but the round ende ed there.
Dixon Fights Safe Fight.
From then on to tie thirty sixth round
Dixon attempted 10 rushes. He fought
cautiously and safely, getting in when
there WAS an opening. and always get
ting away when Murphy tried to get in a
hit. In the thirty -seventh round Dixon
got Murphy into the southwest corner of
the twenty-four foot ring, and near the
close of the round rushed him with both
hands He struck him right and left full
IL the face, and Murphy's head dropped.
IL was thought that he WAS done for, but
he rallied ducked his head under the
rain of blows and started for his corner.
Dixon caught him Just befo re be reached
it, and fought him TO his knees; Murphy
being unable to defend himself, fell pros
trate in his corner He WAS picked IN
and Dixon started in to finish him, when
time was called
Murphy Game to the Last.
1t was believed that the thirty-eiphth
round would finish Murphy. but he was
game. He struck back as well as he
could, aud used the whole range of puVil-
istic tactics to save his hackers money.
but without saving himself from terrible
punishment. This and the thirty ninth
round were simply series of blows by
Dixon, each one intended to be a fnisher.
but at the fortieth round, Murphy stag
gered to the scratch again and tried to
stand up. He did it for one and half
minutes, and then fell into his seconds
arms, not knocked out, but worn out.
Dixo n seemed scarcely fatigued and WAS
un injured save for a brulse over the left
eye, and a slight swelling across his nose.