The herald., 1896-12-03
A SOCIAL FUNCTION
At SAN francisco
Draws the Ladies to the
Pavilion
Mr.. SHARkEY IND HONORABLE HD
Give an Exhibition Of Modern
Physical Culture
TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE
ss
Fill the Hall end Keep oat ssxssl
Otber Thousands
TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE
Fill the ..tialI end Keep 0ut Ssxesl
Other Thousands
The Pleasant Event Mueh Appreciated b
Those Present
But Ladies and Gentlemen Groaned anA
Howled When the Unconscious
Sailor Got the Decision on an II
Alleged Foul.
Associated Press Special Wire z .s 7eas.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 2.-No event
in the history of pugilism on the Pacific
coast ever attracted public attention
here as did the battle between the heavy
weights. Robert Fitzsimmons and
Thomas sharkey. tonight
| Between 5000 and 10000 people .occu-
pied all the available space in the big
Mechanics pavilion, and watched the
contest, which everyone regarded AZ
! practically deciding the championship
| Of the world. The long. lean New zea-
| lander, who had had succession OF vic-
| tories in the United States In the last
! five or six years, entered the ring tonight
| with almost every apparent advantage
| in his favor He could count upon his
| experience and science, his height and
reach, and every other quality which
/ goes into the making of the real prixs-
| fighter.
| Against him was the sailor lad who
was unknown six months ago, but who
| rose to fame recently when he came
perilously near trailing in the dust the
colors Of California's idol, James J.
| Corbett. Against the science and expe-
| rience and the superior height and
| reach of Fitzsimmons was Sharkey. with
his youth and strength, probably one OF
the greatest examples Of muscular de-
velopment that the prize ring has pro-
| duced. man not accredited with the
science of Fitzsimmons or Corbett.
but who had proved that he would be
q "choppnig block" for no one, and who
was known to possess most remarkable
strength and endurance ard to fear
nothing that ever stepped into a ring.
| Both men trained hard and we'll for
several weeks before the contest. and
| particularly during the last few days
each had expressed the utmost conf
| dence in his ability to gain victory and
( the $4,000 purse which the National
Athletic club offered the victor. AL
| though the contest was limited to ten
rounds there was hardly a spectator
| in the pavilion tonight who did not ex-
pect to see one or the other of the fight
ers go down to defeat before the full
| limit of the fight had been reached. The
men themselves evidently expected the
same. Fitzsimmons and his trainers
were. confident that Sharkey would be
| put out in from one to five rounds, ard
| Sharkey expressed every confidence
! that he would defeat Fitzsimmons with
in seven rounds.
The betting public naturally leaned
| toward the man of experience, and the
odds in Fitzsimmons' farvor averaged
about 2x to /, in some cases going a.
high as to 1, but just before the fight
started the prevailing odds were 20 to
g. There was no lack of Sharkey money
at these figures. and many bets were
offered at even money thatlFitzsimmons
would put his man out within six rounds.
| The National club had made most
elaborate preparations for the fight and
1t is probable that similar contest was
never witnessed by as many people.
| The twenty-four foot ring was located
in the middle of the pavilion, the largest
building of its kind in San Francisco.
and over $50 boxes. accommodating
from six to ten persons each, surrounded
the ring. and beyond the boxes and In
the galleries on four sides OF the build.
| ing We're row after row of chairs. Every
seat In the building was occupied, ana
thousands of men stood up back Of tn
| rows of chairs frs
| One unique feature of the night wao
| the fact that for the first time in the
| history of pugilism the management q
| the club threw open the doors to women,
and several hundred women were in al
tendance tonight, some of them gray
haired matrons, whose enthusiasm %
the subject had led them to venture b.
yond the bounds of copventionalfty.
One hundred police and as many moyo
| special officers were in attendance. ana
a hundred ushers, all in evening dreaa
| escorted the spectators to their seats.
! Long before the fighters appeared -
! the ring solid mass of humanity wao
| banked from one erd of the pavilion t.
| the other. There was no lack Of enthu-
siasm at any stage of the fight, an0
notwithstanding the lonx delay before
the event of the evering' occurred.
there was nothing but the greatest good
nature everywhere. and there was net
the slightest sign Of a disturbance.
| Several preliminary events preceds1
the main contest and It was very late
when Fitzsimmons and Sharkey appear
ed in the ring.
| One of the most noticeable differences
in the men was In regard to height. the
| New Zealander being 5 feet I'm tncheiI
| and Sharkey feet 81 inches. Eaen
man weighed about LIS pounsd.
The seconds for Fltxnlmmons 1870
Martin Julian ana Sack Oknlxnnee -