The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-26
FIGHT GIVEN TO RYAN
REFEREE TIM HURsT,S DECISION
KISSED BY THE SPECTATORS.
Unsatisfactory Outcome of the "MiII-
"MysteriOus, Billy smith.

MASPETH. L. l., Nov. 25.-For the fifth
time Tommy Ryan. OF Syracuse and "Mys-
FERROUS" Billy Smith. of Boston, met to-
night to decide which was the superior in
the welter-weight class. All previous en-
counters had been as interesting as they
had been exciting. a battle royal was
expected. The referee stopped the fight
after two minutes and forty-four sec
onds in the ninth round. and declared Ryan
the winner. This decision was Kissed and
several men offered to back Smith before
any club in America for 5000 to $40. 600 a
side.
The crowd was not as big as had been
counted on, but there were probably 1000
people in the building when the prelim-
mary bout was put on with the inevitable
Charlie Hovey as announcer and Tim
Hurst as referee. Jem Mace, the old-time
English champion, occupied a seat in one
of the ring boxes and he vas the center OF
attraction before the sport began. By
way of an appetizer. Billy Moore, of
Syracuse, and Frank Patterson, of
Brooklyn, started to box ten rounds at 122
pounds. Patterson, at the outset, showed
himself to be the master of his opponent,
but in the second round Moore began to
assert himself and some very pretty fight
10 NASNN0' OAOA Ill tNcn up ~
the sixth round. and then the Syracuse
pugilist began to take an active interest in
the game. A fierce smuggling match marked
the close of the last round. If the battle
had gone half a minute longer Patterson
would have been knocked out. Referee
Hurst declared the boat a draw.
The big event of the night was then in
order. and the spectators were all on edge
to see what the result would be. The SYRIA
RlSQ contingent vas III ANYTHING more
than confident that Tommy Ryan would
prove the victor, but the Boston mystery
had a good following, and the "Hubites''
placed plenty of money on Smith at even
money. Ryan entered the ring at 1895
o'clock. He was accompanied by Jimmy
Handler, Fred Smith, Tom Brady and
George English. Smith was escorted by
Charley White, Tim Magrath, Bill Crowley
and Harry Black. The men met at catch
weights but there was very little difference
in their weights.
The fighting was nearly even up to the
eighth round. when Ryan forced it and
held Smith to the rope until the gong re-
leased him. In the ninth Smith sent his
right hard on the face. making Ryan's
right eye bleed badly, Ryan swung his left
on the face and Smith slipped tothe floor.
They began smuggling right and left on the
body and face, and Ryan seemed to have
slightly the better of the argument. The
referee saw that the men would soon reach
their limit and stopped the bout after two
minutes and forty-fOur seconds had been
used up in this round. He then declared
gave the decision there were many cries
of discomfort and Kisses. r. J. Murphy. of
Long Island, shouted that he would back
Smith against Ryan. at any time for any
purse at catch weights, and he stipulated
that he was willing TO put up any sum
from 5000 to $4,000. providing that Tim
Hurst should not referee. The result was
unsatisfactory TO the majority of the spec
tators. and the partisans of both men are
willing to have them meet again in order
TO decide which is the better man at catch
or stipulated weights.