The San Francisco call., 1896-08-24
TWO BELL|GERENTSWA
Frank Delate and Tony Johnson
Fight for a Girls Affec-
tionS.
A Brutal Slogging Match Near Hay
wards Which Was Interrupted
by the Officers.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, |
90S Broadway, August %.

9OS Broadway, August q.
a quarrel over young lsdy's affections
resulted in prize-ring contest of twenty
rounds this afternoon near Haywards.
For several days the plans for the combat
have been kept a secret so as to avoid in
reference by the police, and when the
party left Haywards at noon they departed
few at time so as not TO attract atten-
ton, and in this they were successful.
Shortly after o'clock the principals and
their friends met at place on Hellere
ranch and held conference. The prin-
cipals are two young and powerful fellows
of Haywards, and for long time there
has been bad blood between them. The
casus belli was the affections of young
lady, who is said to live on a ranch near
Meek's place.
About week ago it was decided TO
meet in open combat and to-day was the
time fixed. As a result of the conference
between the men it was decided that the
contest should take place in a cow corral,
which was about twenty-four feet square.
The principals were Frank Delate and
Tony Johnson and each weighed about
165 pounds. When stripped they pre-
sented a muscular appearance, and the
suggestion of their glances as they eyed
one another was not such as to warrant
the idea that there would be any leniency
shown toward each other.
No time was lost in introducing the
men or in shaking hands, and when
''time" was called they flew at each other
like animals rather than men. In the first
round Johnson did most of the hitting, but
Delate did not seem to suffer much. Just
as the round closed Johnson landed a fierce
blow on Delate's cheek and claimed first
blood. The following three rounds were
rather tame, as each man had learned that
his opponent was neither coward nor an
amateur They spared cautiously for a
good opening, but it did not come till the
fifth round, when johnson landed heavily
on DeIate's neck and knocked him off his
feet. He was down five seconds, and but
for the call of time would probably have
been counted out.
Delate seemed to be getting the worst OF
II, but he was evidently able to stand any
amount of punishment and at the close of
the sixth round he took Johnson by sur
prise and closed one of his eyes. This was
the fart effective work that Delate had
done and he did it so quickly that his
friends regalned their hope and cheered
SO loudly that there was nearly riot
among the spectators. Delate then COM
menced to turn the tide of fortune, and
from the tenth to the end of the thirteenth
round he made toy OF his antagonist and
used him up badly.
The fourteenth round was another sur
prise. johnson braced himself and did
some hard rushing. Delate had worked
SO energetically for the previous twenty
minutes that he was forced to act entirely
on the defensive and in the fifteenth both
were badly punished and winded men.
There was not much fighting in the six
teenth and seventeeth rounds, but what
there was was done by Deiate.
When they came up for the eighteenth
round there was a desire on the part of
the friends OF both sides to call the matter
OH, but the principals were still sanguine,
ana although they presented most re-
pulSlye sight and their clothes were COW
cred with blood they would not give up
but expressed desire to continue till one
or the other should be beaten. They could
not tolerate any further suspense as to
who was to have the right of way TO the
lady's heart and so they started promptly
when time was called for the nineteenth
round. Little fighting was done, as both
men were anxious to get their wind.
The twentieth round was lust started
and few vicious blows had been struck
when the alarm was sounded and a cart
was seer driving rapidly over the hill.
One of the men was recognized as a
Deputy Sheriff, and when this fact was
made known there was a rush for the
teams and every body drove off too fast to
permit of any arrests being made. There
was much excitement in Hayyards to-
night over the affair, and every effort to
obtain the names of anybody but the prin-
cipals was in vain.