The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-31
KNOCKED O'DONNELL OUT.
PETER MAHER, THE IRISH
HEAVYWEIGHT, WON IN
TWENTY-SEVEN SECONDS.
AUSTRALIAN CLEARLY 0UTCLASSED
1t Was Maher's Fight From the Start
Football Referee Roughly Handled
at Little Rock-Yale Eleven De-
feated the Nashville Team.

New York, Dec. 25.-It just took
twenty-seyen seconds of time for Peter
Maher, the Irish heavyweight pugilist,
to again demonstrate his superiority in
ring tactics and hard hitting qualities
over Steve O'Donnell, the Australian
boxer, in the arena of the Greater New
York Athletic club at Coney island. Both
men were in excellent condition and
trained to the hour and each of them
were confident, but Makers hackers
made him a hot favorite by laying odds
ranging from to 5 on the Irishman's
chances of winning. From the outset
Maher never left the result in doubt. He
rushed at O'Donnell the moment the
referee called time and O'Donnell assum-
ed the defensive. The big Australian led
his left for Makers body, but the Irish
man blocked the blow with his right
hand glove. Then Maher sent his left to
the chin, and swung again with his left
on the face. He put O'Donnell to the
floor a second later with left on the
chin, and after the Australian regained
his feet Maher landed left smash on the
jaw, following it uickly with a left half
hook, which sent O'Donnell down in a
heap. Steve rolled over on his back in
helpless condition and the referee slow
ly counted him out. The big Irishman
stood about twelve feet away from his
fallen opponent while the referee was
counting off the seconds and as soon as
the referee tailed ten a tremendous
shout went up from the 1900 people who
watched the brief encounter and the band
played "The Wearing of the Green" in
honor of the victor.
Thirteen months ago Maher and
O'Donnell met at the Empire Athletic
club, l.. l., and on that occasion Maher
three seconds. Since that time O'Don-
nell and his followers have frequently
said that Steve would not rest contented
until he had another try at Peter.
O'Donnell was the first to enter the
ring. He climbed through the ropes at
$3.50 o'clock. clad in a gr:|y colored bath
robe. His seconds were Sam Fitzpatrick,
Billy Madden, Mike Butler and Gus
Rubin, the Canton, Ohio, giant. When
Maher emerged from his dressing room
five minutes later cheer went up which
shook the building. AS soon as he got
into the ring Maher bowed his asknowl-
edgments for the warm welcome extend
ed to him and he never looked better in
his left. He was escorted by Peter Low
rey of Dublin; Pete Burns of Harlem,
his sparring partner, and Jack Quinn of
Brooklyn.
Maher, when weighed, tipped the
scales at 1T IL pounds and O'Donnell
turned the beam Mt 1871. The men shook
hands at 3:46 and Referee Alec Brown
lost no time in bringing them together.
There was dead silence in the house
when the men put up their fists and
Meher rushed aIrpss the ring almost to
O'Donnell's corner.
Both SPARED for few seconds and
O'Donnell led his left for the body, but
Maher blocked the blow with his right
glove. Peter jabbed his left hard on the
chin and landed heavy left swing on
the face. This staggered O'Donnell and
he seemed unable to avoid Peters rushes.
Maher sent O'Donnell to the floor with
hard left on the chin and the Australian
stayed down four seconds. AS soon as
he got to his feet O'Donnell assumed a
defensive attitude, but Peter quickly
sent his left once more on the chin and
as O'Donnel was falling he caught him
quickly with a left hook, knocking the
Australian down and out.
O'Donnell was counted out according
to the rules and Sam Fitzpatrick and
assisted by Lowrey, carried him
to his corner.
AS soon as 1t was seen that the Irish
man had won, a tremendous shout went
up and the spectators rose as one man to
their feet and hats, caps and umbrellas
were thrown into the air. The official
timer told the announcer that the time of
the contest was ninety seconds, but John
j. Quinn of Pittsburg, who was keeping
time tor Maher, as well as many others
who held watches on the contest, declar-
ed the actual time to be twenty-seven
seconds.
Before the spectators left the house it
was announced that in all probability the
next contest to be brought off in the
Greater New York club would be between
Peter Maher and Tom Sharkey.
Maher will leave for Pittsburg tomOr-
row and tomorrow night he will spar
with Joe Choynski at that place.
REFEREE ROUGHLY HANDLED.
Little Rock, Ark, Dec. pa football
game this afternoon, played at West End
a r. hnt ho Al