Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-07-31
THE PRIZE RING.
The Cox-M Mar. Fight 1t Davenport Saturday
Night.

The 1O-round contest between
Thomas Cox, of this city. and James
Mara, of Iowa City, took place at
Northwest Turner hall, Davenport.
Saturday evening. and while it was
declared draw it was clearly Cox's
fight. There was a round contest
between Harry Toher and George
jackson, the latter colored. as a cur
tain raiser, and at 1880 the, contest
OF the evening was announced.
Cox was the first to enter the ring,
with Danny Hurley and Zeke Muir
dock as his seconds. A moment
later Mara entered with Harry Nc
Coy and l.. Muhs as his seconds.
Billy O'Donnell, the lightweight
pugilist of Omaha, was chosen Off
cial time-keeper, while Jim Murdoch
acted as time-keeper for Cox. John
Masterson acted for Mara. Cox won
the toss for corners, and George
hlspen was chosen referee, and dis
played that cool-headedness which
has marked Caps base ball career.
John Finnigan was master of cere-
monies. Cox weighed $50 pounds,
while Mara weighed 156. Before the
hight j. G. Jasper, of Butte City,
Mont, came upon the stage and
challenged any man to fight 10
rounds or finish contest for from
5000 up, to weigh between 100 and $50
pounds.
The Principals.
Referee Rispen introduced the menu
and a moment later time was called
and they faced each other for the
hrst time. Both were alike, cautious,
and walked around the ring each
leading, but falling short. There
were few light exchanges and the
round ended with honors about even.
In the second round Cox started to
force the fighting, following Mara
into his own corner and then onto the
ropes. There was frequent clinching
and few stiff body blows were land
ed by each. Mara managed to get in
his left on CoX's wind, but the latter
returned it with interest a moment
| later with force to the ropes and
stiff punch on Mara's neck. The
third round was characterized by the
display of some science on the part
OF Mara. Cox was as usual forcing
the fighting and his opponent acted
entirely on the defensive, seeming
DESTROYS of displaying his cleverness
in avoiding punishment. The round
ended in clinches and some light in
| fighting. At the opening of the
fourth both were eager and some stiff
punching followed. Mara pursued a
peculiar habit of yelling every time
| Cox forced him. Cox, however, kept
up the fighting, and had decidedly
the best of the round. Round five
was repetition of the fourth, except
that both were playing for the 9TH
er's wind. In the sixth, Cox slipped
in leading, and fell, but was up again
in an instant, and the round was
nothing but a series Of clinches,
Mara seeming. to show the best wind
at the end of the round. The sew
enth round was tanner; both walked
around and led lightly, but no heavy
blows were struck and the round
ended without any damage to either.
In the eighth there was some hard
fighting again. Both mems wind
was good and Mara again resorted to
his defensive tactics, landing fire.
quently, which each time ended in a
| clinch
The Crowd Becomes Weary.
| The crowd by this time had got
| pretty well worked up and was Just
in shape for what followed. When
time was called for the ninth, Cox
was out of his chair and into Mara s
corner like a flash, and before the
latter could gather himself together,
Cox landed a couple of hard punches
on Mara's neck and breast. The lat
ter was forced back against his own
chair, but his seconds showed him
out against Cox and clinch fol-
lowed. Had Mara's seconds left the
ring as they should have done, Cox
could have punched his man silly
before he could recover himself AS
it was, the crowd yelled and hooted
and it was with difficulty that they
were kept quiet. This seemed ia
scare Mara somewhat and he clinched
Cox at every turn. During the lat.
ter part of the ninth and also the
tenth round, there was more clinch.
ing and inighting, Cox getting the
best of it by keeping continually al
his man. Both were sparring for
wind when the round ended. 1t was
plainly CoX's fight. and although
Referee Rispen did not award it tc
either, it being 10-round confess
for points, Mara was plainly bested
and not only that. but was a disap
pointment to many who had heard OF
him as being something of a phe
nomenal.