The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-03

l
Up the Sponge in the Twelfth Round.
NEW ORLEANS, March 2.-[Speciall-
Peter Maher,. Of Ireland, an aspirant
for the heavyweight honors, and
Robert Fitzsimmons, of Australia, who
is the middle weight cham pion OF the
world, met tonight before tho Olym.
pic Club OF this city for purse of
$4,000, of which tho loser gets 81, 900.
Fully 5000 spectators saw the fight.
1t was magnificent gathering. There
were sporting men from England, Ire
land and every corner of the United
States.
Chicago and New York between them
had fully 500 delegates. New Orleans
supplied its leading merchants and pro.
fessional men and that sports wero
there goes without saying.
| Fltzsimmons showed up this morn
ing He'had an army behind him. His
fine condition was apparent to all who
saw him. He came over on an early
train, accompanied by Choynski, Greg
gan and Robertson, and was in glorious
spirits lie laughed, ioked, and
chatted, but RETAINED from any mention
Of the fight.
| Several people attempted to tell him
about Maher, but he refused to listen,
saying that he would SEQ for himself
when he got into the ring
| F1tZsimmons is over six feet tall, and
when he trained for his fight with
Dempsey getting down to la pounds,
he was so thin that he seemed liable to
break into pieces at anC moment,
This time, however, without anv
weight limit, no has trained up instead
of down, and has grown as stout as a
man of his build can DO imagined to be.
lie has weighed between l6s and l72
pounds at different portions of his last
work-day, and tonight was very near
ITO pounds.
After he walked and talked through
the crowd in the morning his friends
obtained renewed confidence, and many
bets were placed on him at even money.
In tho Paris mutuels majority of the
tickets issued bore the name of Fitz.
simmons,
at s:a5 o'clock the arena, with its sea
of humanity, decorated in carnival
colored drapery and flags of all nations,
| PASSShVSo - bia olB liz.
Prof. John Duffy was selected as
referee. Capt. Billy Barrett was, as
usual, in charge Of the arena. A few of
the big bets registered today were as
follows:
Charley Johnson, $4,000 on Mahcr;
Jimmy Adams, of New York, ST. 500 on
Maher; d. Ii. Ormsby, $3,5OO on Fitz-
simmons; Billy Madden, $1,000 on
Maher; Garfield Track Syndicate, OF
Chicago. composed of John Condor, and
Harry Varnell and others, upwards of
$1,000 on Fitzsimmons; Geo. Clark,
Chicago, $4,000 on Fitzsimmons; Steve
]rodie. 81 900 on Maher. Jerry DAILY is
said to have wagered $4,000 on Fitz.
Simmons.
Edward Curtis made his first appear
ance as master of ceremonies and was
heartily cheered. Charles Mitchell and
Arthur Upham were the first to enter
the ring at 500. They gave very
clever exhibition and were heartily APP
plauded, although it was apparent that
Upham was no match for Mitchell.
Slavin and Vacquelin took their
places and made rafting go. Slavin's
superiority did not manifest itself as
much over his opponent as Mitchells
did over Upham.
Mitchell and Slavin closed the pre-
| 100 WIN ii SptTlIeN DOuU ana
everybody stretched before settling
themselves for the card of the evening.
Nhe timers for the Maher- Fitgsimmons
contest were George Clarke, of Chicago,
for Fitzsimnons: P. j. Donohue, for
Maher, and r. NJ Frank, for the club.
titzsimmons reached the club at s
o'clock and Immediately stripped. He
was accompanied by Jimmy Carroll doc
Choynski, Prof. j. Robertson, and ap.
peared in superb condition.
The men entered the ring at exactly
O'Clock. Maher was the first, dressed
In black trunks, with black stockings
and black fighting shoes. Gus Tuthill,
Billy Madden and Jack Fallon were his
seconds. Fitzsimmons entered moment
later, and grasped Makers hand and
was cheered to tho echo for some time.
Jimmy Carroll followed his principals
example, and Choynski and Greggans.
who assisted Carroll in Fitzsilb mons
corner, Immediately began preparation
for battle. Both men were stripped
to the waist. Fizsimmons wore
scarlet breech cloth, with black fight
ing shoes and black stockings. The
Official weights announced were: FitZ-
simmons, I65; Maher l7S.
Time was called at 9:l5 and the men
met in the center OF the ring. Fitz-
| olmHohb opened inc Dali by folntln6
Maher. The latter made two left leads
Tor the face and Fitzsimmons countered
on the eye. Maher made another lead
with his left but missed. Both mon
missed and Fitzsimmons jabbed his left
glove into Makers nose. Fitzsimmons
knocked Maher down with his right
under the jaw and landed his left on
| Makers nose.
When Maher got up Fitzsimmons
staggered him with another loft handler
and repeated it q moment later with