The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-09-07
Dixon Spry as Cat and Fresh as Daisy in
All but One Round, and Even Then He
Got the Best of the Inning.
The Knockout Blow a Piled Driver
Stroke Plumb on Skelly's Neck. !.
Sullivan and Corbett Ready for the Fight of
Z Their Lives To- -Night-John's Pitch Plas-
ter Likely to Cause Strong Protest
Bantam Skelly Knocked Out by Dixon In
the Eighth Round,


Bantam skelIy Knocked Out by Dixon In
the Eighth Round.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 6.-The fight to-
night in the Olympic Club arena-the
second high priced attraction provided for
public entertainment and to test the en-
durance of the stars in the fistic armament
was q contest between black and white.
in which public sentiment was nearly all
in favor of the Caucasian and the public
betting nearly all on tho side of the Afri-
can. Both men stood high in their class
and yet each was q representative
of q class. Dixon had, up to this evening"
fought an innumerable series of winning
mills in professional ranks. while his
worthy opponent had equally a. spotless o
record in tho amateur contest. One had
experience In gameness. the other was
known and highly rated for skill and dog
ged determination to do or die. The match
was for the biggest money ever contested
for by bantams. aud whom the gong rung
for the opening round the championship D
title hung in the balance. There was not
the same interest in the fight tonight that
prevailed in that stubborn contest of
twenty -four hours before. because 1t 10 Jked
beforehand like q cinch for the colored
man. Then it was sandwiched in between
two greater mills.
To-day, on the streets, ell the talk among
the talent ran in the direction of the fut.
ure test of the heavy-weights. Between
times, however. visitors in town and the
local public found time to discuss the less.
or lights. Mae out of ten men wanted
Skelly to win, and the same proportion
felt it risky piece of business to invest
It's money that way. The Brooklyn contin-
gent was an exception to the rule. 1t rated
Skelly as q star performer, because 1T had
seen him fight, had his measure. and was
patriotic to the core. That created bit of
sentiment In the Brookly n mans favor, but
it did not affect the betting to the extent of
cutting down the odds. Yet the odds were
tempting, and they were taken by hum
dreds of betters who risked q few dollars
at 3 to /. For q few moments during the
went back to the original figures of to l.
while Dixon was an unmistakable fa-
vorlte at to 10.
BLACK SPORTS" WITNESS THE FIGHT.
The arrival of Corbett created a ripple
of excitement during the day, and the
presence of Sullivan almost engrOssed
attention. Towards nightfall the crowd
turned Its attention to the more immediate
tight and its footsteps toward the club.
1t seemed to think it had plenty of time,
however. and it gathered in the big am
phitheater with much less crushing and
much more decorum than 1t did last night.
The scenes differed but slightly from those
of twenty-four hours before. In person
mel the crowd was much like the other in.
congruous assemblage that had gathered
there. There were gamblers. bankers.
clerks, lawyers. Journalists. prize-fghters.
athletes, educators and politicians indls-
criminately packed together. The weather
good-natured multitudes that gather here;
yet it was different in ono respect. Ordi-
narily there is not a black face to be seen.
Tonight there was cloud OF them In the
galleries. One of the stars tonight was
black man, aud the club, acceding to q
natural desire on the part of the colored
people to witness the engagement, set aside
aspace for them. The cOlOred brother did
not come In large numbers but he took q
deep interest in what went on, and he ielt
q pardonnble pride in the representative of
the race. The chief of police sent o colored
policeman to keep the black contingent in
order, but he did not have much trouble.
for the crowd was as orderly as an audi
lent police discipline was preserved as here
tOfore. and the crowd was handled with
the greatest ease.
The men weighed early in the day. When
they signed the articles they agreed to t D
the scales at 11S or under at 2:s0 in the
afternoon. or about six hours and q half
before the fight was to begin. That was
considered to be slightly to the advantage
of Skelly. who takes on flesh more rapidly
than his opponent, but the dusky boy from
Rnaf mt min m N afi z .
o'clock o-day carriages were sent to the
quarters of the men, and the lighters aud
their trainers were brought down to the
club. There was little difference of time in
into room of the club where a nicely bal
anced pair of scales stood waiting for the
men. 1t was happy meeting; white and
black shook hands. and both chatted pleas
antly, while the best OF feeling seemed to
prevail between the rival hackers and the
more important trainers. Tho men stripped
together and each showed MP In superb
form: at least that was the opinion of those
who saw them. Chairman Sport, of the
sss on 80 D0s
he who handled the scales. Skelly was
comfortably under the limit. weigh
ing 116ls pounds. but Dixon was heav-
ier. When the colored boy stepped
placed st the limit, refuoed to rise. and for
a second or two 1t looked ss though George
was not down to weight. After pause,
when Dixon held his breath in hard. tho
beam wobbled. and finally went up with
an effort. He jumped Oft the scales quick
ly, and was said to be at weight 1t was
close call, as he probably scaled less than
one ounce under the limit. When the weigh
ing was over the men went back TO their
quarters and there spent the afternoon and
evening. doing comparatively little work.
but each manifesting contidencein the ont
come of the evenings test of speed and
skill.
WAITING FOR THE mill" TO START.
The crowd tonight was somewhat small
er In point of size than last night. but it
was nevertheless an immense gathering.
large enough. indeed. to pay the purse aud
yet leave the club q balance in its ledger