The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-27
HAYS WAS THE WINNER.
Frank Freeman. OF St Paul, Lasted
Something Over Five Rounds
Against Him.
A Very Auspicious Opening for
the New Helena Ath-
letic Club.
Two Preliminary Bouts. One of Them
Very Lively, Before the Big Glove
Contest Came on.

Contest Came or.
1t was an auspicious opening that the
Helena Athletic club had nt their quarters,
Helena ayenue and Warren street, last
night. Everyone with sporting blood in
him was there if he could roasibly get
there. The attendance was about 500, and
the unanimous opinion WAS that all present
saw good entertainment in tho way OF
glove contests. One of the preliminary
bouts was almost as interesting as the main
contest. or course there wae more less
feeling among many in the audience for
one or the other participants in the several
contests. and much applause and come
shouting when anything particularly good
was done, But on the whole very good
order was preserved, and the club manage
ment deserves great credit for the way the
initiatory night passed off. Special credit
is due Referee Duno Mcdonald for his
part of the performance, and to
President Harrity. Secretary Dillon,
and Manager Strothers for the perfection
of the arrangements. The success of the
first night presages many more exhibitions
of "the art of self Defense" and as the
prestige of the club grows more commodi-
GUS quarters, especially designed for such
contests. are assured. The ring WAS pitched
on an elevated stage, in full view of every
body in the house, and against the south
wall of the building, the seats being ar
ranged in a semi circle around it. The
ropes for the eighteen-foot ring in which
the contestants were to do their woik WAS
| arranged inside the one for the seconds, so
that the men were in no danger at any time
of going against the stakes. d. A. McMil-
Ian and James Kelly were timekeepers for
the evening.
| One feature of the clubs work was very
commendable, and that was the prom ptness
with which the exhibition began. 1t was
announced that the first preliminary bout
| would begin ut half past nine O'Clock, and
| it was not two minutes from that time when
Harry Rodgers. the South Butte Spider"
and Charley Eyton, of Helena, stepped in
to the ring. The Spider" was attended by
his brother Chick" Rodgers and Ben
Mann was in Eyton's corner. Though this
contest had been looked forward to simply
as an appetizer for what was to follow, ID
proved very lively affair. Eyton was the
heavier of the two. When Referee McDon-
aid sent the men to the center of the stage
they went right to business. There was
some pretty hard infghting for few Sec
onds, and several clinches. In breaking
away once Eyton accidentally fouled RodQ
ers. He admitted it as soon as it was
claimed. and as no great harm had been
done, the referee let the two men 90 on.
Rodgers once rushed Eyton to the ropes
and i'll turn went there himself. and rs he
was coming away he got a hard blow on the
ear that sent him down in the larger mans
co ner. He got up in good time, but be-
fore any hard work could be done time was
called. Eyton was much the freshest of
the two. The second round was all in Ey-
toms favor. He got Rodgers in a corner
and punished him severely. The Butte boy
did little else than clnch. Eyton pressed
the fight and got in his right twice. once on
the head and once on the mouth, before
time was called. When time was called for
the third round Rodgers aimed vicious
blow at Eyton, who cleverly ducked and es-
capped it. Some intighting followed and
then Eyton got in Il blow OH the neck that
sent Rodgers down again, this time with
the blood dropping from hin nose.
| ! he little fellow escaped being counted out
by getting up at the call of nine"
and Eyton at once rushed him to his corner
and landed one good blow Rodgers was
sending i'll sounding body blows. and to
escape one aimed at his neck Eyton ducked
retty low. Rodgers claimed he had been
fouled again, but 1T WAS not allowed, and
as'it WAS within nine seconds of the time
the round was ended there. At the cali of
time for the fourth and what was to be the
final ronnd. Rodgers refused TO get up from
his corner, and was counted out. He made
the crowd Il little speech. saying: Il don't
want you to think Pm qnltter. | got it
twice III the same place." referring to the
claims of foul. 1t was evident he was not
evenly matched against Eyton. and his
brother says the Spider" has been sick for
some time. The referee awarded the
10 Evtn VIII had nf anh hfall
earned them.
Az the two professionals who bad been
engaged tor the other preliminary go" had
not arrived, Il four round contest WAS ar
ranged between Chick Rodgers of Helena
and an athletic looking young man who
was introduced as Charles Mace. of Da-
kota.' If he was novice he was certainly
Il cool one. The contest was somewhat t
tame for the first three rounds and for the
better part of the fourth. The stranger
showed hImsslf q good boxer, and avoided
any of the hard blows aimed by Rodgers
who did all the leading. Rodgers got III
some light ones on Mace's head and mock
but some vicious left swings landed
J on nothing. Ii was toward the
close of the fourth round that the
two did anything like work. Then
Rodgers made a pass near the edge of the
ring, and the Dakota man came back at
him with several hard raps on the head.
The audience was now warmed up to the
point of expecting some hard fighting, but
the call of time shut them out of il. Many
called for another round, but it WAS not al
lowed by the referee, who declared that
Rodgers had gotten the best OF it. 1t was
apparent all the way through that Mace
could have given Rodgers plenty to do had
he wanted to go i'll and fight. He didn't
even have second until Sid Huntingdon
and Kid Gallagher volunteered to act in
that capacity for him. If no ever starts
out to do up man somewhere near his
size there will be trouble for somebody.
Now came the event of the evening, the
contest between Ike Hays, colored, of Hell
! enn, and Frank Freeman. of st. Paul. re-
Gently from Butte. Neither man wore
anything but his skin and pair of trunks
and shoes Hays weight was given as l7S
pounds, and Freemans as l79. william
Rideout, Harry Collins ana Sid hunting
don were behind Hays Ed German, Jim
Burns and Kid Gallagher seconded Free
man. Referee Mcdonald announced that
the contest Mas for a purse OF $3.50 (of
, which $500 was to go to the winner and
$50 to the loser). and the heavyweight
championship of Montana.
;. At the call of time Hays started in at
once to rush the fighting. Freeman met
him half way, however, and some sharp
. and heavy intighting followed. For time
IL looked IA If the colored man was getting
the best of it, but soon Freeman started in
A | to let Hays know he was still in 1t. He
, hammered Hays about the nose and mouth
till the blood came. Hays is no. partial to
~ 4 ,-h. u.lo