Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-10
The SHARKEY-FITZ STEAL.
UP FOR REVIEW YESTERDAY N
THE SUPERIOR COURT.
Two nf SharI<ey's Trainers Testify to
an Alleged Plot 10 Rob Fitz of
the PurEe--Say carp Was
"Fixed"-Sport News.

San Francisco. Dec. G.-The legal contest
- laiucen Sharkey and Fitzsimmons for the
possession or The $4,000 purse has com
rnenced before the superior court. Excite
mont was intense when the proceedings
began 5n me crowded court room, and
Nanaesr Julian brought cut his witnesses
to PROV. the conspiracy which he stated
had deprived l'itz-immons Of the purse.
Australian Billy" Smith, one Of Shark
e. trainers was the first witness. He de-
tailed mis- work in connection with prePar-
irE Sharksy for the ring. and said, when
the question of a referee was mooted in
Sharkey's training quarters. he was asked
10 suggest q referee. Witness suggested
Hiram cook. and said Lynch then asked
him If he knew Cook well enough TO talk
business with him. Afterward, witness
said. Lynch characterized Cook as no
good" because he would not favor his
own brother in fight" ON the evening
nj the fight Sharkey told witness that
Ear, had been fixed upon as referee, and
that carp WAS ali right Witness de-
ECrihed the uprOar over the prellmlnarieS
10 the fight, and said when FiiZsimmons
objected To the bandages on Sharkey'
hand Earp went over To Sharkey's corner
and said. Take of those cloths; II will
hc all right anyway Witness said when
Sharkey received the knockout blow on
the Jaw in the eighth round, Lynch said
70 Sharkcy: lie low; hold your hands
on your groin and pretend to faint with
rain" Sharkey was then carried TO
room. He did not appear to be hurt. Wit
ness said Allen, another trainer, removed
Sharkey's bandages and did the work
which caused the swelling. Sharkey was
then driven to his hotel in hack. Allen
was with him. Sharkey was all right
George Allen. another of Sharkey's train
ers cOrrOborated the story of the previous
witness, adding that severa! physicians
were refused admttance when Sharkey
was undergoing the operation with which
Allen produced the evidence Of foul. Lynch
said no doctor should come into the room
and interfere with his plans. Witness sald
Sharkey told him National Athletic Club
was composed Of Groom, Gibbs, Lynch and
Sharkey. and that Sharkey was to receive
% per cent of the proceeds Of the fight
after the purse was deducted. Sharkey
said his three partners in the National
club were broke" and Sharkey had had
TO advance $500 for preliminary expenses,
which had left the sailor pugilist stranded
financially. Witness said few days be-
fore the fight Sharkey told him he thought
carp would be the right kind of referee
for him, and added it would be worth
g. 100 to carp IL he were the right kind of
a referee.
II is claimed that Allen. in an affidavit
made yesterday, named Wyatt carp Dan
J. Lynch. Tom Sharkey and Dan Need
ham as the prime movers in the plot The
whole scheme is said 10 have been hatched
at Sharkey's training quarters at ocean
Beach II was arranged that Sharkey was
to make II appear that he had been fouled
Al some point in the contest when he was
in danger of losing from Fitz' blows;
further that the signal was to be given hy
Sharkey. who was 20 bend over and place
his hand on his groin. and at that moment
Needham was 10 jump into the ring and
claim a foul. Then the referee was TO give
q decision in favor of Sharkey-
Dan J. Lynch. Sharkey's manager and
hacker. made the following statement to-
night to the Associated Press: Mr.. Shark
ey desires all his friends, and especially
those in the East. to suspend judgment on
the story told to-day in court by Australian
= Billy Smith until Sharkey can be heard on
the stand. The fact of the matter is that
Smith periured himself. and We will prose-
cute him for perjury when the present trial
is over. His statement is tissue of false
hood from beginning to end, and it is very
clear to me that he has been bought by the
FitzsimmonS crowd to give testimony dam
aging 10 Sharkeys case. Smith demanded
$500 after the fight for four weeks assist
anCe as trainer. Sharkey refused to give
moro than S4o0 This is the animus of his
testimony i'm court to-day