Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-02
PUGILISTIC FIZZLE.
HOwLEY DECLARED THE WINNER ON A
TECHNICAL POINT.
Riley Fails TO Respond in the Ten Seconds Time
and Referee Coughlin Decides ihe Con-
tssi-Great Dissatisfaction on
All Sides.

The great Howley- Riley fight, upon
which high hopes and brilliant expec-
tatons were built, is now thing OF the
past.
And it is safe to say that pugilism In
Wheeling will now be back number
for two or three moons; at least so FAR as
getting another crowd out the road
is concerned. The tickets were two
and three dollars each, and a. the boys
rode in last night after the tizzle was
over. they were industriously figuring
how they might have otherwise advan-
tageously invested. 1t was hard
for the boys to see where two dollars
worth came in. There would probably
not have been so much complaint had
the fight come to q sudden termination
through the intervention OF the police,
or more especially if one of the contest
ants had been actually knocked into
etherea! space, metaphorically speaking,
but to see the fight stopped by deci-
sion on technical point just in the
heat OF the battle, and both men IN
scathed, was CALLING to the mob or On
lockers. Referee Coughlin gave the
fight to Howey just before the begin
ming OF the eighth round because Riley,
he claimed. remained in his seat twenty
seconds after time was called, ten Sec
only being allowed.
1t was variagated collection Of
sports who witnessed the glove contest
1t was extensively advertised as gilt
edged affair, aud the admission tariff
was placed up 4 notch higher than here
tofore. This fact had no effect upon
the attendance, as the affair proved 10
be the biggest financial success yet
given under the auspices OF the Pas-
time Club. 1t goes without saying that
the old time sports" were there, but
there are many lovers OF the manly art
who are not embraced in that compre-
hensiye term-business and professional
men-and they were present in good!y
numbers.
The club room showed decided inn
movement since the last contest. Out
side the enclosure tiers of seats were
arranged in ampitheatre form, afford
ing excellent facilities for all the spec
tators. The new arrangement lncreas-
ed the seating capacity OF the hall TO
probably eight or nine hundred. Inc
seats outside the enclosure were dis
nosed OF ct 81 each, while between the
ring and railing were the s. men, the
pIug hat contingent. Most OF the
crowd came from Wheeling and vlcln-
ity, but well known people from points
rs far remote as F&irmont and NC
KeesDort, were noticed. When the
hour for the preliminary bout arrived,
there were probably six hundred peo-
pie in tho building.
All the outgoing W. & E. e. motors
during the early evening were well pat
ronized, and not few hacks were
messed into service. Prior to the con-
test the usual scenes were enacted in
the bar and In and about the hall. The
crowd was in the main orderly and good
natured, and there were no figats not
down on the bills. When the crowd as
sembled in the hall some excitement
was created by the breaking down OF q
row of seats. No person was
Injured. A little later some lads
on the outside evidently mlstook the
hall for an electric car, judging from
the shower of stones which came
through the windows. Several OF these
missiles struck spectators, put no per-
son was seriously hurt. There was a
marked absence OF betting upon the re-
suit OF the evenings event in the crowd,
aud probably not 500 was put up be-
fore time was called for the first round.
The bets were about even on the result.
About ten o'clock President Cox, OF
the club, announced that the evenings
| entertainment would be opened with a
| five round bout between two ebony
bued pugilists, "Babe" Bolan, and
"Dusky" Moore. This and the exhibit
tion given Immediately after by two
other colored fighters, proved to be the
most interesting, and certainly the
| most exciting sport of the evening.
"Buck" Tyler did the honors in his
eharac teristic style in "Babe's" cor
uer, while ESQ pound darkey
performed similar service
! for DUSTY" When time was called
both advanced to the center at a
sprightly gait and the fun commenced.
| The exhibition was almost entirely
| devoid of science, but was none the
less enjoyable for that. II would be
| simoly impossible to describe the affair,
as blows were ralned upon both men in
such quick succession that it would be
imoossible to determine which secured
the advantage. The audience fairly
howled with delight during the prog
ress or the contest, and when the gong
rang for the close of the last round the
SPECTATORS were not satisfied, but cried
| for more.
II "nusty" and "Babe" furnished
| amusement for the crowd, it was but a
preparation for the feast of pugilism to
| follow. The President ushered into
the ring two more smut colored war
riors, who were introduced as Winfield
Bagley, of Washington, d. c., and Da-
yid Hall, Of Cumberland, Nd. Both
men had been struttlng about like game
cocks, wearing nobby plug hats, before
| the fight. The audience expected
something rich, and it was not disap-
| pointed. The same seconds oficiated
as in the preceding fight. Bagley had
the advantage OF at least twenty-five
pounds in averdnpois, but his opponent
was sassy niggah." Somebody called
out "come seven," and the pugilistic
game of craps was started. Both were
''hot," and made "pasSes" every time.
When the three rounds were finished
the audience wanted more. Honors
were even, and the contestants we're
willing, SC time was called for another
round, which was ended by the plucky
little fellow putting his opponent to
sleep. Hall was full Of tricks. and had
a peculiar style OF clapping his hands
and jumping about that reminded one
of plantation hOe-down.
| Then came the nrinciual event OF the