Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-23
BILLY WINS.
MANNING KNOCKS OUT LEWIS IN
NINE ROUNDS.
The Contest Characterized by Clever
Work and Gameness-Features of the
Affair.

The Manning-Lewis contest at the
rooms of the Pastime club last night
| drew good house. Long before the
fight of the evening began the seats
were all full, and number were com.
PEELED to occupy standing room.
The evenings sport was opened with
three preliminary bouts by light and
middle-weight champions of greater OF
less local obscurity. Their efforts, how
ever, were duly appreciated and ap-
plauded, even when they succeeded be-
yond their widest anticipations in not
hurting each other. But they served
as an apology, and the audience was
ready for the event of the evening when
the principals appeared.
Lewis entered the ring first at
9:40 O'Clock, and was seconded by
Billy Shannon and Tom Savage.
He weighed, it was stated, 142 pounds.
Manning entered few moments later.
He weighed las pounds.
Very few moments were spent in pre-
liminaries. Manning won the choice of
gloves. They were soon put on. John
Brink, Charlie SHREDDER and Jimmy
Flanagan were chosen time-keepers,
and at 8 80 the referee, Mort Curren,
called time.
The first round was much of walk
ing match. Lewis made one or two
rushes, but with a clinch and break
away the round ended. There were no
apparent results.
In the second round there was little
in-fghting, Lewis forcing Manning to
the ropes. They clinched, and in break
ing away Manning tripped and fell.
There was little more sparring at
close range, with the only result of
light tap in Lewis's face. Honors were
about easy when the round ended.
Round three was really the opening
of the fight. The work was all done at
close quarters, and although the referee
was continually calling ''break away"
it was hard so tell many times if the
contestants were clinched or not. There
were no effective blows given in this
round, but in the opinion of many
Lewis was demonstrating superior in
trinsic fighting qualities, if not such
good generalship.
In the opening of the fourth round
Lewis landed the first fair blow of the
fight, finding Manning's right eye for
swinging left-hander. He then forced
the fighting and rushed Manning along
the ropes to the latter's corner, from
which he narrowly escaped receiving
severe punishment. The last half of
the round was fought in the center of
the ring, and was marked by sharp and
close fighting, exchanging blows about
equally, and with nothing to indicate
that either had the best of it.
The fifth round was practically repe-
tition of its predecessor in the manner
of the fighting, although more blows
were given and taken, and on retiring to
their corners Manning appeared to have
a trife the worst of it.
Lewis evidently thought 80, too, for
he pressed the. fighting in the sixth
round and seemed to direct his atten-
ton to giving heavy, swinging blows
rather than guarding his opponents.
just here Mr.. Lewis made fatal mis-
take. He not only failed to connect
with any degree of force or precision
upon the person of Mr.. Manning, but
Billy got there with two good swinging
body blows and ended the round with
square smash in Lewis's left optic.
When time was called at the begin
ming of the seventh round 1t was noted
that Lewis had lost much of his elasti-
city. His tactics were changed to the
defensive, but Manning made the pace
lively enough. He rushed the fighting
after the first clinch and wound up the
round by countering Lewis's two-hander
on his body with terrific biff on his op
ponent's ear. 1t was corker.
It was also noticed by many, when
the eighth round opened, that some
thing was going to drop. 1t did. Mr..
Lewis dropped. He came up to the
scratch with forced smile upon his lips
and light swelling on his left eye. 1t
is safe to say.that the swelling also was
forced, but it remained. Three times
Lewis essayed to do little fighting, but
each time Manning sent him down with
a well-directed blow in the neck. The
last time he went down the time
keepers watch saved him.
In the ninth round Lewis came up
gamely, but seemed very weak. Many
thought, as he went down time after
time, that he was feinting to save his
wind, but the last time the time-keeper's
watch did not save him, and the fight
was awarded to Manning.
AS soon as the referee made this an
nouncement there were loud and vigor-
ous kicks from the Lewis supporters.
It was asserted by number Of amateur
time-keepers that he was counted out in
eight seconds, and one of the official
time-keepers was of the same opinion /;
but however that may be, Lewis was
to all intents and purposes whipped,
and the referee, even if bis decision was
little previous, saved Lewis from q
round or two more of unnecessary pun
ishment.
Manning won the fight fairly and
souarely. In fact it was plainly his in
the eighth round, and the subsequent
tskicking'' from the Lewis contingent
should have been sternly suppressed.
The contest was highly exciting and was
most satisfactory to lovers of the sport.