The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-10

San Francisco, Dec. "a large as
semblage of ring followers and men
about town crowded Judge Sander
sons courtroom this morning, in ex
pectation of hearing sensational de-
velopments regarding the manner in
which the Fitzsimmons-Sharke prize
fight was fixed" and they were not
disappointed If credence is to be
placed in the story told on the witness
stand by Australian" Billy Smith,
Sharkey's trainer, Fitzsimmons was a
defeated man before he left New York.
According to Smiths testimony, J. ].
Groom, ]. H. Gibbs, Danny Lynch,
Sharkey's manager, and Sharkey him
self were the men who composed the
National Athletic club, before which
organization the now notorious contest
was fought. These men, Smith swears,
engaged Wyatt carp as referee with
the understanding that he was to
award Sharkey the fight directly Fitz-
simmons landed a body blow or stom-
ach punch, which might be stretched
into a foul carp was TO receive
$500 for his services. Smiths story
is in substance as follows:
HOW IT WAS DONE.
Five weeks ago he was employed to
train Sharkey at the Ocean Beach ho-
tel, George Allen and Danny Needham
assisting He had frequent conversa-
tions with Sharkey about his prospect
i've contest with FitZsimmOns. Three
weeks prior TO the fight Sharley re-
QuesUed Smith to suggest a good
referee. Smith named Hiram Cock,
and Lynch promised TO call on that
gentleman. = few days later Lynch
informed Smith that Cook was not a
suitable referee. Smith was then adj
vised by Sharkey OF the fact that ne
(Sharkey) and Lynch had an interest
in the National club. ShaTkey
stated that Lynch, Groom and Gibbs
were all broke, and that he him
self was obliged To put up $1,000 TO
guarantee his appearance in the ring,
leaving him almost broke.
Lynch and he We're each TO receive
20 per cent Of the gate receipts after
the expenses and purse money had
been deducted. Ten days before the
fight Sharkey mentioned to Smith that
Lynch had succeeded in engaging one
Wyatt carp. a horse owner, to act as
referee. carp had agreed TO give the
fight TO Sharkey on foul the first
time FitZsimmOns hit him a body blow
at close quarters, and in considera ton
of hi-decision the referee was to be
paid $500.
EVERYTHING WAS FIXED.
On the morning before the Tight
Sharl1ey again assured Smith that
everything was fixed" satisfactorily
for Sharkey to win. After describing
his movements in the ring before the
call OF time. Smith continued:
'Sharkey was dazed at the end of
the second round and was practically
defeated then. I did not see the knock /
out blow. After Sharkey fell, Lynch !
whispered TO him. Pretend TO be u
great pain, and ii viii be all right
We carried Sharkey TO his dressing /
room and put him on a cot. Lynch re- /
fused 10 allow anybody in the room. /
SneSkey kept holding his hands to his +
head and complaining of his sore ear /
and jaw, but said nothing about his /
groin. 1 started 10 remove his trunks, /
but Lynch stopped me. We then car /
Tied Sha:key to a hack and removed /
him to his hotel. Alien, Lynch, Need ,
ham and myself laid him out on a bed.
I took eff his shoes and trousers and /
Allen removed mis- trunks He made [
no complaint except regarding his
head and ear and I saw no evidence
OF discoloration about the groin. A
screaming, and Allen remarked, 1 !
don't ike the looks of this; I'm going
away After waiting Is minutes they
let me into Sharkey's room, and I !
found, Tom all bandaged up. A bottle
OF potash was on the waShstand. l do /
not know what il was used for, but it
could hardly have been applied to his
sore ear. Lynch then told me 1 could
go for the night, as he had engaged
4 man 70 sit uD with Sharkey. The
following evening I called - Snarkey
and found the swelling on his groin
very apparent, but he did not com
plain of suffering any pain in that
ever. He asked me what kind of a
fight he had put up, and l told him
Pretty good He said that Fitzsin-
mons could whip .Corbett in two
rounds He hits like a mule con-
tinued Sharkav, and Corbett would
told me 1 could sleep with him that
night. I offered to put hot bandages
on him, but he told me they were not
necessary. Before going tc sleep he
jumped out of bed, lii q cigar and
walked around the room. He assured
me that he was all right excepting his
sore ear
Lynch, Groom and Gibbs denounce
his story, ard could not be shaken
He also disclosed the fact that DR.. Lee
was not summoned TO Sharkey's bed
SIDE until two hours and half after
the fight was over.
IS RANK PERJURY.
lynch, Groom and Gibbs denounce
Smiths testimony as rank perjury
They claim that Smith demanded 81. 600
for his services as trainer, and de-
chned to accept the $500 rendered him.
Allen, who promises TO corroborate
Smiths testimony tomorrow, was of
Tered 500. but attempted TO blackmail ,
Sharkey and Lynch into paying him t