The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-10

and Lynch there were heard loud mur-
murs from the indignant spectators when
they found that their suspicious were all
too true.
Smith said that he was % years of age,
a blacksmith by occupation, and that he
had resided in this City for little more
than seven years. During that time he
had worked at his trade in several foun-
dries and iron works in this City.
Smith went on to tell how he had acted
as Sharkey's trainer at the Seal Rock
House on the ocean beach, with George
Allen as his assistant, and during the five
days before the fight Danny Needham
came in and helped.
On one of his walks with Sharkey about
three weeks before the fight, Sharkey re-
quested him to look up some people from
among whom suitable referee could be
chosen. On that afternoon Hiram Cook
came out to the training quarters, and
Smith believing that he would be fair
referee spoke to him about it. Cook ex-
pressed his willingness to serve. Smith
mentioned the matter to Sharkey and ex-
pressed the opinion that Cook would give
"a good square decision" Sharkey re-
u
the matter.
The next time Dan Lynch, Sharkey' s
manager. came out Sharkey spoke about
Cook and gave Lynch his address. Lynch
asked Smith whether he was sufficiently
intimate with Cook to ttalk business
with him, and Smiths answer was that
he knew Cook pretty well, but not well
enough for that. Lynch thereupon an
nounced his intention of seeing Cook at
once.
In day or two afterward Lynch came
back and reported that he had seen Cook
and that Cook would not do. Lynch had a
talk with Sharkey and after he went away
Sharkey told Smith that Cook was "no
good" and that he didn't want him to
referee the fight.
He said that Lynch asked Cook how he
would decide q fight between Cook s
brother and Chinaman. Cook replied
that if the Chinaman won, he would de-
eide in favor of the Chinamar. This
statement disguised both Lynch and
Sharkey, and Sharkey said to the witness
in the complimentary vernacular of the
pug, "We don't want that - to be
referee for u.s."
1t seemed, according to the witness, that
whenever any body was mentioned by the
pugilistic circle of which he was a men,
Der. the absentee was spoken of as a man
with bar sinister across his escutcheon.
Sharkey told Smith on another occasion
that he (Sharkey), Lynch, Gibbs and
Groom composed the National Club, and
that he (Sharkey) was to get 20 per cent of
the proceeds OF the fight after the $40, 600
purse had been taken out.
Sbarkey said also that Gibbs, Groom
and Fitzsimmons had no money, and that
be (Sharkey) was the only man who had
sny capital, and that he had to deposit
$2500 for F,tzsimmons and $500 for him
self TO guarantee their appearance in the
ring, and that that had tied up so much of
his money that he was nearly "broke."
About ten days before the fight the mat
ter ofthe selection of a referee was brought
up again, when Sharkey informed Smith
that a ''racenorse man" named Wyatt
carp would make very good referee, and
that he would be ''al right Sharkev
added that there would be good money in
it for the referee-that it would be worth
$500 to the referee. He said further that
he and his friends intended to object 10
every referee proposed by the other side,
and if they didn't agree upon referee by
u o'clock noon of the day of the fight the
club would choose the referee that Sharkey
and Lynch wanted.
At about 10 o'clock in the forenoon of
the day of the fight Sharkey told Smith
that they had the referee they wanted and
that Fiizsimmons would lose on a foul in
the first round-that it had been agreed
that carp was to give him the fight on
foul. The first blow that Fitz would de-
liver on Sharkey's body would be the
signal for Danny Needham to jump into
the ring and claim a foul.
When Sharkey and Fitzslmmons ap-
peared in the ring on the evening of the
fight Sharkey's hands were bandaged in
order to strengthen them and save them
from accident. Fiizsimmons objected to
the bandages and Sharkey refused to take