The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-07
OLYMPIC CLUB MEMBERS DISPLEASED.
Superintendent Kennedy Severely Crit.
eized for His Management Of
The Tournament.

Francisco Athletic Club, strapping fel.
low of 100 pounds weight, pounded Martin
Dalton of the Olympic Club, a light
middle-weight, 154 pounds, until the in
dignation of the audience, attested by
Kisses and calls of ''stop it," stake him
off" and the like, compelled the referee
to put an end to the painful exhibition.
Nearly all the members, who spoke OF
the affair yesterday, were outspoken in
| expressions of condemnation Of the man
ner in which the contest was arranged.
Martin Dalton, the boxer who was so
severely pummeled by the San Francisco
Club athlete, makes sweeping accusations
against Superintendent Kennedy.
81 was simply forced into that contest
against my desire and judgment" he said
sand when went into the ring I knew
that l was doom ed to beating if not q
knockout. Walter Watson, the club in
structor in boxing, induced me to join the
club because he thought he saw future
champion in me, and though / hav e been
a member for nine months, | have very
few friends and acquaintance in the club.
| work hard every day and do not go to
the club at night, SO do not make many
friends there. Some time ago when the
tournament was first spoken OF | entered
and was matched to meet Kelly of the San
! Franciscos. He injured his hand in train
| ing and was compelled to drop out. A
few days before the tournament | asked
Kennedy for couple OF passes, and he
told me in a joking way that if |
would consent to meet Miller or Kenealey,
in case either should fail to show up at the
/ appointed time / could have them. | an
swered in the same manner that | was
willing. On the night of the tournament
Kennedy came to me and said:
Dalton, you have got to fight Miller.
Kenealey can't go on l told him that [
was not in condition, as 1 had been out of
training since Kelly had gone wrong; had
! been working very hard at my business all
day, and that besides Miller was big man,
| in the pink of condition and would simply
| butcher me.
"He said that was all right; that he
would see that | got the SIS trophy, win or
| lose, and that | must go on. | still re-
| fused, and he then said that if [ did not
| get up and fight Miller when called upon
that [ would be debarred from the club in
! future.
II thought the matter over, and con-
| Guided that | would rather take a beating
than lose my membership in the club, and
| for that reason | went up and took my
| humping like man. The members were
so indignant that they rushed into the ring
| and stopped it before he had time to knock
me out.
miller did not want to knock me out
and went at it easy, but Kennedy went to
his corner at the end of the first round and
told him that if he did not get in and mix
things he would get no prize out of the
| Olympic Club even if he did win. After
! that, of course, he went IN to slaughter me
and was succeeding when the bout was
! stopped"
| In reference to Dalton's statement Mr..
Kennedy, the superintendent OF the
| Olympic Club, said: $50 far as Dalton is
concerned the report that he boxed Miller
because I had threatened to have him
fired from the club unless he went on is
! falsehood.
| 'On last Monday night I asked Dalton,
| in the presence of Fred ButZ and others,
| if he would take Miller or Kenealey's place
| in case either of the heavy-weights should
meet with some accident and could not go
on.
| ''Dalton at first hesitated about taking
| the job, but when offered him two tickets
| for his friends and prize in case he should
| lose he readily accepted and seemed over
! loved because he would be afforded an OPP
| portunity of showing the members what
| he could do in the way of boxing. We had
no difficulty in getting Dalton to con-
sent to a meeting against Miller on
| Tuesday evening. He said, though,
| that there was little hone for
| him against such big fellow as he would
be outclassed. No threats were made to
remove him from the club. We need all
| the good athletes we can get here. Dalton
| Joined the Olympic Club and paid his in
! itiation fee on February 8, 1894, and any
person who thinks that he is not bona
| fide member can come up here and we will
show him the books and credits to Dalton.
| Now you have everything and have moth
| ing further to say in the matter.
r. L 4, Il 1,.A L.
| had promised Dalton nice prize should
he (Dalton) consent to box against Miller
and that the Olympic boxer accepted.
81 will state however" said Mr.. Ham
mersmith, "that Dalton did not like the
| idea of going up against such big man as
Miller, and unless he had been offered good
| inducements | dare say he would have re-
! fused The club was without man near
Miller's equal in size, weight and strength,
and we had, reluctantly, to call upon Dali
| ton to take Kenealey's place. /, person
ally, did not like to see such match, but
as the members were anxious to have
peep at the big boxer of the San Francisco
| Club we got Dalton to appear, and had
matters so arranged that in case Miller got
angry and rough with the middle-weight
the contest would be stopped"
Professor Walter Watson, the clubs box
ing instructor, who taught Dalton what
ever the latter knows about fisticuffs, said,
when asked about the matter: 'Why,
Dalton has been restless for some weeks
past thinking when an opportunity wonld
come so that he could appear before the
club. The man he had been matched
against received an injury few weeks be-
fore the clubs contests, and was unable,
consequently, to meet Dalton. The latter
has ever since then been after me to get
him a match, and the opportunity came
when Kenealey informed the club that his
match with Miller had to be declared off.
dalton is game fellow and good
stiff puncher, but 1 knew that he would
stand very poor chance of whipping
such a big fellow as Miller, who weighs
over 1870 pounds. Dalton did not like to
face Miller, but after l had little chat
with him he quickly consented to go on
and do the best he could, just to oblige the
club. Mr. Kennedy did not threaten him
with expulsion from the club in my pres
ence.
"Why, how absurd an idea! What au-
thority has Mr.. Kennedy TO remove any
club member who pays his dues and con-
ducts himself like gentleman? No,
Dalton was perfectly right in having some
anxiety about meeting Miller, but the in
ducements that were offered him by Mr..
Hammersmith, the leader, and the little
talk that I gave him caused Dalton to