The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-03-15

extrsvagant purses ended tonight. a mag
nihcent crowd IN point OF size and person
mel saw great battle tonight. a vi tory
won and defeat suffered. The scene was
the most superbiy appointed fstic arena
in any land, an arena that had grown like
the legendary bean-stock, almost in a day.
The interest tonight was not as great by
many degrees rs on the occasion OF the
battle for heavyweight supremacy last
September, when the ponderous pugilist
idol Of the country was laid low by the
modern ring David, but the fight tonight
was nevertheless the most important and
most general subject of conversation this
evening on the streets, in clubs, In
saloons and in parloFs. The club had
vetoed the efforts OF tie newspapers 20
bulletin the fight because it did not want
TO keep anyone away from the arena,
but the telephone bells jingled merily
and bulletins found their way in every
direction, in spite OF precautions.
Famous in Their own Land.
Clubs and managers had tried for sew
eral months TO bring the Australians to-
gether They were both famous fighters
in their own country before they started
for America. Their merits were slwavs a
subject of comparison and they had met.
but!the representatives who came here said
that the air of hipDodrOme was about their
other fight. Fitzsimmons came first; he
whipped local men and jumped into inter
national Impotence by his defeat OF
Dempsey. Maher came after and Fitz-
simmons had TO go out of his class to fight
The import of pugilists brought Hall to
cut the midd.e-wsizht champion down.
The story OF how often they were nearly
matched, what they said of each
other and how their matches fell through
would make book Of reasonable proper
tions Ultimately the articles were signed
ard the pugs and their friends gathered ia
tue Northwest for q great struggle. The
law siepped in and its strong arm parted
the RiGdiators. They tried again 10 aTraD &c
amatch. but it fell through ike Others be.
fore. Hall crossed the water and dropped
out Of sight until one morning the sport
ing world awOke to find that highlands
middle weight Idol had been laid in the
dust by the powerful Australian.
4 Match Inevitable.
A match between the Australians was
then inevitable. Fitzsimmons was the
middle-weight champion and Hall his
only rival. The dispute over weight was
G matter OF controversy. Ii ragged for a
while and then the champion conceded
everything ana tie match was arranged,
the greatest purse two men had ever
fought for was obtained and Fiizsim n ons
and Hall went their respective ways to
prepare for the battle.
They are men of somewhat similar
build. Both are giants. strong. healthy,
bi9-boned, long armed, stubborn. formid-
able fighters, experienced in the ring and
hard punchers. Each has a distinctive
style. Each has been regarded as n won
der. So close was the match considered
that for q long time even money Was
waged on either, the pool rooms letting
the better take his choice. Hall promised
10 20 into the Tingside q iaTOTite and there
wGs a trace OF spite in that.
a G rographicaI Division.
The East ia. been anxious to revenge
itself on Fitzsimmons for the defeat Of
Jack Dempsey, and they went to Hall
not only because Hall was considered a
good man but because the sections were
drawn against the outb and Hal. There
was not much choice, hOwever. and the
betting was constant duriag the day. Hall
seemed most strongly fayorite and Fitz-
simmons only lightly the choice OF the
talent. Ii was 9 to 10 on Hail. ct nightfall
--95 20 100 on Fitzsimmons An influx OF
Fitzsimmons' friends and several bundles
OF Fitzsimmons' money appearing in the
pool-room late in the evening beat down
Hall and made Fitzsimmons for the time
the favoriTe. even money demanded for
Hall and 4 to on his opponent.
Some wild Rumors.
Wild rumors ran riot before and after
noon. There was an unauthoritative
threat Of interference every hour Of the