The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-12-13
SPORTS ARE ANXIOUS.
THE GRAND JURY INVESTIGATING
THE PRIZE FIGHT.
Editor Duane and Several of the Other
Spectators Tell What They Know,
Which Appears to be Remarkably
Little-An Exodus of the Sports
The Result Still in Doubt this
Afternoon.

AS has been stated exclusively by
FREE PRESS, the grand jury is after
the prize fighters, and it's session Mon
day afternoon and Tuesday have been
enlivened by the appearance before
it of dozen persons who have been
supposed to know something about
the affair which took place week ago
Sunday morning, and which the FREE
PRESS was the only daily paper to
chronicle. Among the witnesses be-
fore the jury yesterday afternoon was
Editor j. d. Duane, of the Weekly
Ledger. The latter came out Satur-
day morning with detailed account
of the fight, by rounds, and boasted of
having been represented there.
According to the Ledger's account,
the fight took place in L. D. Saylors
barn, in Lime township, four miles
north of the city, between the hours
of 2:30 and 4:30 a. m. Am Davis and
Jack O'Donnald were the principals,
six ounce gloves were used, and eleven
rounds were fought, when Davis fail
ed to respond Davis had the appear
ance of weighing 165 to ITO pounds,
and O'Donnell $50 to 155 pounds. The
former was coached by Joe Robb, late
of Portland, Oregon, and a winner of
several fights there, while O'Donnell
was coached by Danny McCaferty,
who whipped the Omaha kid before
the Florida Athletic Association of
Jacksonville short time ago. Davis
was not looking in good form when
he stepped into the ring.
The Ledger gives the following &C
count of the eleventh round:
Eleventh Roundabout men were
slow to respond. The referee called
time twice before they stepped into
the rig. O'Donnell rushed the fight
ing from the start and begain punish
ing his man about the stomach and
ribs to cripple his wind. But he could
not down him, and clinch in the
middle of the round was followed by
claim OF foul by Robb who jumped
into the ring and told O,Donnelrs
coach, who disputed the claim, that
he knew as much about prize fighting
as he did and wanted the rules read.
While the dispute was on Davis sat
down and McCafferty objected to it
while his man was standing. The
referee decided against the foul and
gave Davis fifteen seconds to resume
the fight, and not being able to do so,
time was called and O'Donnell was
declared the winner The party took
the hacks and returned to this city,
arriving about 4:3O.
The Ledger also says that another
fight is scheduled for sometime dur
ing the winter. O'Donnell fought
seven round battle few weeks ago
with Jim Mullen and was knocked
ont. The main facts given by the
Ledger were previously published in
the FREE PRESS.
The publication OF the details of
he aft air caused the grand jury, al
though about ready to adjourn, to
look into the matter, and subpOenas
were at once issued for Mr.. Duane,
his son and several of the seventy-five
spectators who witnessed the fight.
This created a sensation among both
those who actively participated and
the on-lookers, several of whom are
prominent in the community, and
there was an exodus from the city,
and numerous tickets to st. Paul and
elsewhere were sold at the depots. A
delegation from St. Peter witnessed
the fight.
The witnesses were closely exam
ined by County Attorney Benedict
and Foreman Torrey. Mr. Duane adj
mitted that he was present at the
night, but was busy taking notes for
his paper that he failed to noticeowho
the other spectators were, and could
not swear positively who the fighters
were, as he was not near enough to
be sure He had judged of their weight
by seeing them on the street.
Other witnesses yesterday after
noon and this forenoon gave evidence
of very general character. One said
that he had witnessed prize fights and
that compared with this affair was a
farce. Others were questioned as to
who gave the information at mid
night in the saloon where they
rendezvoued that "the stuff was of, y
which was blind for fear the police
would ''get on" Very little definite
information was elected on any point
but there was considerable sport for
the jurors ia the shrewd answers re-
turned by some of the witnesses.
The jury is still examining wit
nesses this afternoon, and may no
get through today. 1t is very secre-
tive in regard to it's proceedings in
the case.