The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-02-27
HE KNOCKS OUT MAHER In THE
FIRST ROUND.
A Syvfpe on the jaw Before the
Fight Progresses Two Minutes
Makes Fitzsimmons the Cham
piOn Middieweight and Heavy
weight Fighter of the world
COrbe Will Vow Challenge
Fitzsim mons.

across the river on Mexican SOIL ny
his defeat Of Peter Maher- The vie
tory Of the AmericaniZed Australian
stamps FirHsimmOns as h greatest
Of the iatter-day prize fighters. His
superiority in agility and ring general
ship was fully demonstrated. These
qualities won him the fight. h
friends all along claimed he would
show a great improvement over the
form he displayed when he met tltZ-
simmons before. and the result was a
great disappointment to them. FltZ-
simmons defeat of Maher simply
demonstrates that the lanEy pngiiiSt
is in a class peculiarly his OWN. There
are any number who think FftZ would
make shorter work OF Jim COrbett
now than he did Of Peter MaheT in
their first contest. Rather than being
stale and old. ne was never better
than at present.
1t took a little more than n minute
of fighting yesterday 70 knock out
Maher. The fight was sharp while IT
lasted. Both were confident, Fitz-
simmons 80 much so that he seemed a
little careless. Peter seemed a tritle
EervOus FitZsimmOns took the ag-
gressiye from the call of time, and
forced Mahcr toward his (Maher's)
corner. There Maher made Il stand.
led, fell short and clinched. Maher
led twice after he had BEEN broken
away by the referee. landing lightly
on the chest. Fitz led with his left.
landing lightly. quickly followed with
a short half-arm swing with his right.
landing squarely upon Makers left
l., 4,- ,,,fnt rho pisl,pNDn foil pInn
his back. his head hitting the ground
with a thud, thump, his eyes rolled
classify ana the fight was over There
were four clinChes and no more than
a half-dOZen exchanges.
1t was not until nearly : o'clock
that time was called. Both mel came
to the scratch in splendid shape, and
almost before anybody knew what
had happened, FitZ swung out witt,
his right and caught Maher square on
the jaw with a tremendous blow.
They had not been sparring more
than a minute when this occurred.
Maher was Knocked out completely
and the fight was awarded TO FltZ-
simmons. There is Il general feeling
that this result vas ineyitable, and
yet there is no little complaint among
the sports who have come IA long
| way, that the affair was so tame and
one-sided. The kinetoscope project
proved a total failure.
First and Only Round.
Fitz led with his left. Maher backed
toward his corner. Fitz led with his
right and a clinch followed. Maher
struck Fitz with his right hand while
they We're clinched. and Referee Siler
warned him that if he did so again
he would give the fight to Fitzsim-
mons After a brrakaway Peter land
cd his left on Fits neck. Close in
fighting followed and Maher succeed
ed in landing his left on Fitz's lip,
drawing blood. FitZ landed with left
and right. Clinch followed. Maher
tented and FitZsimmOns led with his
right, but fell short. A miX-up fol-
lowed in which Maher landed both
right and left on either side OF Fits
head. Mailer led with his left and
another clinch followed. FitZ seemed
a bit bothered and broke ground on
Mahcr's leads. Mahcr followed him
up and led with his left when Fitz
side-stepped, and, swinging his right,
landed full on the point Of Makers
chin. Maher measured his length on
the floor. his head striking the can
a with great force. he yainly at
tempted to arise. bat could not do
more than raise his hand. The sec
ondS called on him to get up. but he
failed TO respond and sank back on
the canvas. Maher vainly tried TO
arise. The fatal tenth second was
counted. Maher was declared ont. and
FitzSimmonS announced the victor af-
ter one minute and thirty seconds OF
rather lively fighting. FitzsimmOnS'
admirers ChceTCd him to the echo
and Mah"r's seconds carried the de-
feated Irishman to his corner. Bar
ring the slight bleeding at the nOStrils
occasiored by the lett-hand jab OF
Maher, the Australian showed no
marks Of injury and appeared as
fresh as ut the opening Of hostilitieS.
Maher showed no signs of punish
ment except Il slight break in skin
just above the point of the left chin.
where FiIESimmons' master stroke
was landed.
Shakes Hands with Maher.
FitZ sat for Il few moments in his
corner looking across at Maher, and
then jumping briskly to his feet. he
walked GaDluiy across tue fllE ana
offered his hand to Maher. Mahcr
reached for the extended hand and
shook il heartily without rising from
his seat. Julian declared FitZsim-
mons champion of the world. Maher
was unconscious fifteen seconds. He
got me good and hard, II that was
all there was to it," Maher said.
Corbett After Fftz.
Chicago, Feb. 23.-J. J. Corbett was
out riding when the news of Maher's
defeat was received in Chicago, but
an associated press man met him i'm
mediately on his return and notified
him of the event.