Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-09
b MIN WE'RE SAD.
SCENES LAST NIGHT AROUND TBS
POOL ROOMS
rting Crowd Was Out in Full SirsngIh-Ihs
Betting Was Brisk in the Early Evening"
Some Who Wagsrsd and Some Who
Wished They Hadn't

As a drummer from New YORK re-
marked the other day while ne stood
slipping a lemonade seltzer In well
known resort "Wheeling is about as
sporty a town as was ever in outside
OF New Orleans, and that is especially
so in the interest taken in all kinds OF
contests all over the country" This was
in a measure Illustrated last night In
the general concern thai was manlfes-
ted in the Hall-FitzsimmOns fight. At
nearly all the resorts and pool rooms
the boys began to gather early IN the
evening, and conversation on the re'a-
tive merits of the men was rife, every
new conner chipping in new idea, ana
knocking out In one round all that hau
been said before.
Perhaps the largest crowd gathered
At McLaughlan'S at the corner OF
Twelfth and Water streets where Tor
over TWO hours there was Surglng
mass of humanity that extended clear
ont across the sidewalk, and into tae
street. AS early as eight O'Clock the
sports were on the scene, and by nine
o'clock the room In which the pool sell
ing took place was completely nIleG'
Like an omnibus, however, the people
continued TO jam in, and policeman
stationed at the outside door had MS
hands full trying TO keep the new COM
ers in line. Just before the fight began
or rather lust before the first round was
received, the room was packed like sar-
dimes. Everybody seemed 20 push up
against everyone else, and u was one
big deadlock all over the apart
ment. There were all classes
and conditions Of people In this crush
OF seething humanity, and as many OF
them were smoking, and all sorts OF
weeds from "two-ier quarter to saw
dust scrapings in an old clay pipe, the
atmosphere within became gently VIII
ated. In fact il would have been an
easy matter to have sawed out blocks OF
the air.
And vet the boys stayed religiously
on the scene, and breathed and swal-
lowed everything in sight, their minds
intent on the earliest word by wire.
The pool seller at the further end OF the
room began early TO sing out the prop
osltions, but many people who held
money I'm their hands were unable 20
wedge through the crowd 10 get at the
pool seller, but IN many Instances 10 was
passed over the tOpOf the crowd through
a dozen or more hands, and the ticket
came back by the same route.
The betting in the early evening was
in favor of FitzSimmOns. This seemed
81. q word had nRon
received from New Orleans in the early
evening saying the betting was even,
but II anything was in favor OF Hall
But the boys at Mclaughlin were
clamorOuS for FitzSmmons all through
the early evening, and TIE constant call
of the bookseller was "Ten dollars on
Fitzsimmons, does anyone want Hali?'
But there were a good many Hall
takers. and one man on the Island drop
ped quite a comfortable bundle. 10
fact. there were several bundles drop
ped. Not so much money passed over
the board, however, as was expected.
Only a few thousand in the aggregate
was the business Of the evening. There
were various forms Of propositions sub
mitted. one Of which was that the tight
would not last over twelve rounds, an
other that IL would not last over fifteen
rounds, and still another on the odd and
even rounds, that is whether the fight
would terminate on an odd or an even
round.
After the first round was in and the
hOnors were announced as even, there
was still further clamOring for Fitzsim-
mons. And such a din and confusion as
prevailed; one could hardlj hear their
Dwn voice.
When the Grand Opera House broke
Loose, crowds from there poured In upon
the scene, swelling the thrOng consider
ably. But when the fourth and last
round was announced, the Hall men
quietly and surreptltiouSly stole away
with look of sadness on their cheeks,
while the other side remained TO iubi-
late. The shortness of the fight was
rather q surprise the boys.