The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-12
Succumbed to Blows on the Jaw
in Just One Minute and
Three Seconds.
LIGHTER PUGILIsTs FIRST MET
Casper Leon of New York Had Little
Trouble in Besting Billy Smith
of Philadelphia.

MASPETH, l.. l., Nov. 1.-THE meet
ing OF Peter Maher and Steve O'Donnell
in the arena of the Empire Athletic Club
at Maspeth tonight created an immense
amount of interest among the sporting
fraternity. AS early as o'clock there
were very few vacant seats in the club
house. and outside long line of sports
pushed and struggled in frantic efforts
to get at the box-office. There were lot
of out-of-town sporting men present from
Philadelphia and Boston, and even from
Pittsburg and Cincinnati. 1t was the
largest crowd ever seen at the Empire
Athletic Club.
Maher was the favorite in the betting,
his manager, ]. J. Quinn, laying odds of
5 to 2 whenever he could find takers.
O'Donnell was not without friends, and a
good deal of money changed hands. The
opening bout was between Casper Leon of
New York and Billy Smith of Philadel-
phia.
Leon and Smith commenced their six
round bout at catch-weights at 9 o'clock.
Tim Hurst was referee. Just as the boys
stepped into the ring Corbett came in and
was received with good deal of applause,
but some kissing was audible through the
cheering.
The first round was tame, neither of the
boys exerting themselves overmuch. The
second round ended in Icons favor and in
the next the New Yorker rushed at his
man and landed with both hands on the
face. Leon landed a stiff left on the ribs
forcing the Philadelphia to the ropes,
but the latter retaliated with a heavy
swing. Leon went to work quickly in the
fourth and soon had Smiths nose bleed
ing. The New Yorker kept right after his
man and had the Philadelphia in dis
tress. Smith rallied q little on the en-
couragement of the Philadelphia contin-
gent in the house, who cheered their rep
resentative on. Leon forced the fighting
in the next and got in a terrific right on
the jaw, which made Smith very weak
The Philadelphia was very tired, but
plucky, and was on his feet when the bell
rang.
Smith came up with a smile to shake
hands for the last round. Leon jabbed
him in the face and uppercut him, but
though the Philadelphia was in great
distress, Leon could not finish him and ne
stayed the round. The referee awarded
the bout to Leon.
The opening bout only served to whet the
appetites of the 1000 persons who packed
the arena and they were all Joy 10 see the
big fellows. They were announced to fight
twenty-five rounds at catch weights.
O'Donnell's seconds were Billy Delaney,
Jim McCabe and Ben Murphy. Maher was
looked after by Peter Lowry, Buck Corne-
of Do
Corbett responded to calls for "Corbett,"
and stepping into the ring said: "All I've
got to say, gentlemen, is that if I'd been in
England or Australia and had acted as
Fitzsimmons did I'd be chased out of the
country"
O'Donnell was the first to appear at 9:35
o'clock. He was well received. Maher,
who stepped into the ring about minute
after, got great ovation.
Round 1-Maher led his right, landing
on the jaw, knocking O'Donnell down.
The moment the Australian got up Maher
repeated, and again O'Donnell went down.
He rose on the nine count, and after spar
ring for second Maher knocked him down
and out with left swing on the jaw,
Time, l minute and seconds.
ODonnell had to be carried to his cor
ner, but recovered and was assisted to
the dressing-room. The crowd went wild
and poured into the ring amid scene of
the widest enthusiasm.
ODonnell did not seem to realize what
he was up against, and did not make the
slightest effort to defend his jaw. He got
up only to be felled like sheep.
Corbett, who had chair near the ring.
got up and looked at O'Donnell with a
smile on his face. He jumped into the
ring and shook Makers hand cordially,
being one of the first to congratulate the
Irishman.