The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-06
NEW YoRK SPORTS.
In Il Quandary as to the Payment
of Debts.

OF Gents.
New York, Dec. 5.-The sporting men
in this city who made wagers on the
fight between Fitzsimmons and Shar-
key are in a quandary. Those who
bet that Fitzsimmons would knock
Sharkey out inside OF ten rounds do
not know whether they have won or
lost, While others who backed Fitzsim-
mons to win are at a loss to know
whether to pay up or not. Among the
sports there seems to be a wide differ
ence of opinion. "ParSon" Davies,
who strongly supports Fitzsimmons in
the latter's claim upon the purse, be-
lieves that the referees decision is not
final, and that a verdict from the
court viii be necessary TO settle the
controversy. In regard to this matter
Davies said yesterday:
Il have heard number of opinions
that the referees decision is final and
that all bets must be decided that way,
but I beg to differ with them. If FitZ-
simmons and Julian can prove in court
that there was collision between the
referee and the Sharkey crowd, all bets
should be declared off. Ny argument
is that if the referee had an under
standing with Lynch and Sharkey be-
all when he entered the ring. but mere
ly an agent, and that his ruling was
not in accordance with the rules of
fair play. If it had been stipulated in
the articles of agreement that the
referees decision should be final with
out recourse to the law, there could be
no appeal. But as such a condition
was evidently omitted. there is
chance for an argument"
CORBETT'S IDEA.
Jim Corbett, who heard Davies ar
gument. differed with him. He said
that as glove contests in California
were Illegal the appeal of Fitzsimmons
would probably be thrown out of court.
He declared that as both Fitzsimmons
and Sharkey agreed upon carp before
they began 70 fight, the referees de-
cision must necessarily be final, and
that bets should be paid accordingly.
Tom O'Rourke also expressed the
opinion that the decision was final
Regarding the payment of wagers on
the Knockout of Sharkey inside Of ten
rounds" said O'Rourke, Il think that
those who bet that F'itz would put his
man TO sleep are losers. The decision
OF the referee that Sharkey was
knocked out by foul blow seems to
make my point clear. A foul being
key was not knocked out. technically.
If the foul had not been committed, in
the referees judgment. how does any
body know whether Sharkey would
have stayed the limit or not? II Shar-
key was dropped by blow below the
belt, which made him a winner, how
can he be declared a loser? And can
anybody say that he was fairly
knocked out? To put man out fairly
his opponent must land a blow on the
jaw or a vital spot above the belt. If
Sharkey was hit foully ne could not
have been put out fairly. 1t is such
complicated affair that it would be
well to await the result of the court
proceedings before paying wagers.'
a sporting man who overheard these
arguments suggested a novel way out
of the difficulty. He said that if the
National club of San Francisco wanted
to do justice to its patrons and to the
men who had wagered big money on
the result il should refer the contro-
versy to a committee of five of the
best sporting authorities in America,
who would hear all the evidence, pro
and con. and then render a decision
that should be final.
Mike Donovan said that those who
bet that Fitzsimmons would score a
knockout should get their money.