The San Francisco call., 1896-04-17
TOM SHARKEY A WINNER
Choynski Failed to Stop the
Sailor in an Eight.Round
Bout.
The Police Stopped the Contest in the
First Round, Choynski Being
Disabled.

A large crowd witnessed the eight-round
glove contest between Tom Sharkey and
Joe Choynsh last evening at the Peo pies
Palace Theater.
AT 10 o'clock exactly Tom Sharkey and
his attendants, Danny Needham and Tim
McGrath, pus in an appearance. Sharkey
looked in fine condition. but was drawn
down considerably in flesh. His eyes
looked dull from course of hard train
ing. He said that he felt so K" and
would fight for his life. a.
Joe Choyhski with his football bangs
soon followed. He was looked after by
Ed Graney aud ]. Carkeek.
Joe wore confident look and smiled
when the large audience gave him
hearty receptions.
Some argument resulted as regards a
decision in case the contest should be
stopped by the police before the end of the
eighth round.
The contestants finally decided to leave
the question at issue to the option of the
referee, Albert King, who was mutually
chosen to referee the match.
After the referee had cautioned the box
ers not to resort to foul lighting heg gave
the signal to the time-keepers and time
was called for the first round. The condi-
tlons were that to win the long end of the
purse Choynski had to stop Sharkey in
eight rounds.
The sailor looked anxious as he met his
opponent in the center of the ring.
Joe Immediately assumed the aggressive
part and sailed in to knock the nose off
Sharkey's s handsome face. The latter, un-
der instructions from "Spider" Kelly, one
OF his attendants, played defensive game
and backed away from the hard-hitting
Joseph.
Nearing the end of the round Choynski
cornered the sailor i'll the southeast end of
the ring and a rally resulted. Sharkey re-
ceived stiff upper cut from Joe's right in
the chin and in an attempt to get away
from further damage he smashed at
Choynski with his left and missed.
The blow was instantly followed by an
upper-cut, but Sharkey struck wild, and
being close up to his opponent he struck
Ghoynski in the groin. The receiver
doubled up like jack-knife in pain, and
his second, Eddie Graney, ran to his as
Sistance.
The attendants of Sharkey then jumped
into the ring and pandemonium reigned
for aafew minutes. Finally, Captain Bird
sail took hand in the dispute and or
dered every body, excepting the contest
ants, outside the ropes.
Choynski evidently received hard and
painful blow which he acknowledged was
unlntentional on the part of his opponent.
The spectators were growing impatient
and anxious as to the result, but when
Choynski rose from his seat and signified
to the referee by motion of his hand that
he was ready to proceed, a wild cheer
shook the rafters of the old building.
The rounds up to the finish We're almost
a repetition. Sharkey was satisfied to re-
main on the defensive, expecting thereby
to win the decision. Choynski tried vari-
GUS moves to draw his opponent out, but
the sailor did not attempt to play an ag-
ORC Ssiv arf nntjl the last rnnpd hay
he mixed matters up with Joseph.
From the second to the seventh rounds
Choyinski frequently caught Sharkey on
the neck with left-handers and the sailor
was sent on all fours at least dozen times,
but the fact that he was always on the re-
treat when hit by Joseph the blows were
not of the Furnishing kind.
The contest proved beyond dobbt that
to stop fighter who battles on the de-
fensive in a limited round-conJest is con-
tract which few pugilists can successfully
accomplish, especially if the aggressor is
physically the equal of his opponent.
In the eighth and last round Choynski
made a desperate attempt to drop his
Furnishing right on Sharkey's jaw. He
closed in upon the sailor and hot fighting
at close quarters resulted.
Sharkey dropped on his knees several
times to avoid being knocked out, and for
this mark of cowardice he was hooted by
the supporters of fair fighting.
AS the round was drawing to close the
sailor mixed things up with his opponent
and in rally that followed he landed
few stiff blows on Choypski's neck. The
latter was hitting wild when some person
shouted "time."
The seconds of the pugilists jumped into
the ring and separated the contestants.
Referee King announced that as Choynski
failed to stop his opponent IN eight rounds
he awarded the contest to Tom Sharkey.
The betting last evening closed with
Choynski favorite at $40 to So. The gen.
eral opinion after the light was that if
nent Choynski would have won the con-
test. Neither of the pugilists bore any
marks of punishment.