The record-union., 1892-05-28
SACRAMENTO ATHLETES.
Boxers Kelly and Rubenstein Are Now
Coast Champions.
How They Vanquished All Corners in
the Amateur Tournament
Other Contests.

The members Of the Sacramento Ath-
letic Club were in high state of glee
yesterday when they read in the RECORD
UNION that John Kelly and Henry
Rubenstein Of the local club had won the
middle-weight and bantam-weight cham
pionships, respectively, at the Pacific
Coast amateur boxing tournament at San
Francisco Thursday evening.
These two athletes were the only rep
resentatives of the Sacramento club who
entered the tournament, and the fact that
both bring home first prizes and cham
pionships is looked upon as great vic
tory, both for themselves and for the club
they belong to.
Rubenstein had hard row TO hoe, but
his gaIneness and cleverness landed him
at the top of the heap. He only weighed
100 pounds-six pounds below the ban
Jam-weight limit-and all of his oppo-
nents were heavier than himself. He
nrst met and defeated jerry Sulll-
van, unattached. His next opponent
was Joseph Kenny of the San Fran
cisco Athletic Club, who had previously
defeated William Spellman Of the Olym-
pic Club. RubensteIn defeated him after
six hard rounds. Prior to this bout 1t
had been announced that the loser OF 1t
would box bye with Skuce of the San
Franciscos, who was still fresh, and II
successful could enter the final bout for
the championship. Kenny, however,
declined to box with Skuce, both being
members of the same club, and hoping
thereby to secure Skuce's victory over
Rubenstein, who had already boxed ten
rounds. But, Notwithstanding these
odds, the clever little Sacramento barber
went into the San Franciscan and defeated
Ii Nv fc rtv fpI,f loft 1aa6S annlnnCG
and generalship.
The little fellow was pronounced a
wonder by the Olympians, who, when
their own entry was out of the race, nat
urally favored the Sacramentan, as a
strong feeling of friendship exists be-
tween the two clubs.
Kelly had an easy time Of 1t capturing
the middle-weight championship. lie
only met one man, and that one did not
last through the first round. His name
was Kemp, and he represented the Lur-
line Athletic Club. Kelly knocked him
all over the ring and was about to knock
him out when kemp'S seconds threw up
the sponge. Kelly is comparatively a
new hand at the game. He is pupil of
Professor William j Johnson, instructor at
the local club, and eX-amateur middle
weight champion. Kelly has a remark
able physical development, and, being
quite an apt pupil, advanced rapidly un-
OOT care 1uO IodCIdulJHlO
clubmen have looked upon him for sew
eral months as possible champion, and
now their hopes are realized. He went
into the tournament under difficulties,
one of his eyes having been quite seri-
ously hurt about week ago. But he
had his mind set on going, and go he did.
There were four entries in the middle
weight class, but one managed to get low
enough in weight to go into the welter
class. Another saw Kelly being weighed
in and drew out. This left only Kemp
and Kelly.
The friends of both men were looking
for their arrival yesterday, intending to
give them reception, but they did not
come up. Rubenstein's friends decorated
his shop with flags and bunting.
The various championships, as decided
by the tournament, will stand as follows
during the ensuing year: Heavyweight,
John Kitchen, Jr., Acme Club, Oakland;
middle-weight John Kelly, Sacramento
Athletic Club; welter-weight S. Vicini,
Olympic Club, San Francisco; light
weight, George f. Green, Olympic Club;
feather-weight, William Daily, San Fran
cisco Athletic Club; bantam weight,
Henry Rubenstein, Sacramento Athletic
Club.