New-York tribune., 1896-01-05
KILLED IN 4 PRIZE FIGHT.
THE MAN WHO WAS KNOCKED OUT DIES
FROM HIS INJURIES.

In stable loft in East One hundred and twelfth
q, Friday night Henry Rodriguez fatally in
1ured in a prize fight with John Shagner. Shagner
Is only sixteen years old and lives at No 2oSl Third
ave He was arrested yesterday morning by De-
tective Beesloy and acknowledged that he had
knocked OUT Rodriguez. Thomas Russell. also
OF No 9037 Thrd-ave.. is said to have been referee
OF the fch. and he arrested by Detective Per
tins who found him in bed yesterday morning. He
d.njed being a witness of the fight. Henry Heenan,
OF No 33S East One e-hundred and seventeen hist
and Robert Hanloy. of No. 1886 East One-hundred-
snd-foureenth-st were arrested witnesses of the
fight and Philip Amarosa in whose stable the fight
took place. was also taken in.
According to the prisoners Russell was not the
referee. That duty they say. was discharged by a
man named Fuller, whose address they did not
know They also say that the two principals of the
fight belong to the Sherwood Club, an athletic or
eanzaton Of Harlem young men. Rodriguez and
shagner have been at odds for some time and the
fight was arranged to settle their differences In
ci6entally there stake of $40 The fight was
to be for ten rounds The affair was to have been
pulled off, in Beach Han. and tickets OF admission
were sold al % cents each, and on Friday evening
considerable crowd gathered at the hall at the foot
Of East e-hundred- -.ixteenth-st, only to be
dispersed by Acting Captain Sheehan. Of the East
0ne-hundred and-twent y-ffth-st. station. who had
learned Of the projected fight.
Then the stable-loft in East One-hundred-and-
twefth-st. secured, and by twos and threes the
crowd assembled. without exciting the suspicion OF
the police. The fight began at 10:S0 o'clock. Rod
fiquez who the heavier man. forced the fight
ing from the start but failed TO damage his op-
ponent. At the end OF the seventh round Rodriguez
was hardly able 10 stand. Shagner strange to say
touched with pity and proposed draw, but
Rodriguez would not have It so. AT the opening
Of the tenth round Shagner struck his opponent on
the point of the jaw. Rodriguez fen TO the floor
Unconscious and In that condition carried TO ms
home The police Of the East One-hundred-and-
fourth-st. station were notified and an am
bulance was sent for. When 1t arrived Rodriguez
was dead.
This is the story told by the witnesses Of the
fight The police do not entirely credit II. The
gloves said have been worn by the fighters weigh
eight ounces and soft. Captain Westervelt
thinks that the must have fought with bare
fists or that Rodriguez met with foul play for his
face terribly beaten, the back OF his head was
cut and mis- body bruired.
The theory OF foul play Is strengthened by the
fact that there are missing silver watch and a
dollar IN change which the dead man had when he
went TO the fight. 4 further suspicious circum-
stance is the fact that Shagner does not bear the
slightest mark as a result of the night.
Coroner ONeagher viewed the body OF Rodriguez
Yesterday morning Before Magistrate Crane Shag
ntr was held on a charge Of homicide. and Russell
Keenan,. Hanlev and Amarosa were al held as
prt.p