The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-30
JOE WOLCOTT WHIPPED
THOROUGHLY PUMMELED Ely GEO.
LAVIGNE LAST MIGHT.
The COIored PugiIist's Seconds Forced
to Throw Up the Sponge in
the Twelfth Round.


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29.-George
Lavigne whipped Joe Walcott tonight and
whipped him thoroughly. Ten thousand
people saw the fight under the auspices of
the Occidental Club While the ending was
abrupt and unexpected at the moment not
one of the great crowd believed the event
full ending would prove unfavorable to tia
Saginaw kid. He set a terrific pace from
the sound of the gong in the first round
until to the end of the twelfth and had a
good margin to the good in every round.
While Walcott stalled off the sturdy Michi-
gan mans rushes, he could not stop La
vgne. AT the close of the ninth round Joe
was seen to limp in going to his corner
and his seconds have their attention to
his legs. Walcott is subject to muscular
cramps in his lower limbs and it was this
ailment which unfortunately attacked the
colored man tonight. However, this at
tack did not affect his fighting in the early
rounds of the fighting and only served to
end the fight in Lavine's favor at an earlier
stage than was looked for as it was APP
parent from the beginning of the fifth round
that Lavigne's lead could not be overcome.
Lavigne fought for the body and it was
these blows that took the life out of the
colored man.
The arrangements made by the club for
the comfort of the public were most elab-
crate. A squad of fifty policemen guarded
crowd which thronged the streets in the vi
entity of the pavilion. The ushers were at
tired in Turkish costume of the most fam
tastic colors, in order that they might be
easily distinguished A large force of Pink
erton men supervised the seating of the
spectators and all who held the proper Gre
dentials were placed in their seats without
confusion. While the evenings programme
was late in opening, the prelimlnaries be-
hnXhTC and
$50 Joe Walcott stepped into the ring
wrapped in long gray bath robe. He was
followed by Tom O'Rourke, George Dixon
and Joe Colon. Walcott was warmly APP
plauded but it was discounted by the roar
of applause which greeted George Lavigne
as he followed the colored man into the
ring. Lavigne's seconds We're his brother,
Billy Lavigne. Tom McGrarh and Billy
When Lavigne and Walcott dropped their
robes, their splendid condition was appar-
ent. The gong sounded at 900. The pace
during the first four rounds WIS terrific. In
the third round Lavigne missed u right ana
left for the face and clinched. A moment
later he put in two on the faee ana haro o
hard rights on the body in succession and
got hard left on the face. Lavlgne rushed
but Joe ducked and George went over MS
head Lavigne forced Walcott about the
ring but the latter did some fast work to
keep out of harms way:
In the fourth round 1aylgne opened up
hostiities with a right hook, but was neat
ly stopped by a straight left. The I&iu put
straight LETT on WalCOll UOSS. WdtCOlN
smiled and then forced the pace and landed
a left on the head, but Lavigne rushed MIN
to the ring post and Walcott tipped To tho
floor. Walcott ducked two left swings cleY-
ery and stopped hot lett with both hands
on Lavigne'S neck. Walcott made better
showing in this round
matters pretty much in his own hands. In
the former he put hard left on the Jaw
and rushed Joe 70 5hg Sd9y and another her
on the Jaw. Joe stopped his man with
left on the face. Layigne fighting for the
body, drove his right over the heart and
took a left OH the head. They backed away
and came together like two bulls IN the cen
ter Of the ring.
which Walcott stopped with his left. Lee
vigne rushed and they c1nched, when tne
Kid played tattoo on Joes rlps: w az a..
colt stopped another rush with his left, but
I.avigne put a terrific right on Joe's head
and a moment later put trio Of hot ones
over Walcott's heart. Walcott seemed
unable to avoid them. Lavigne staggered
Joe with a right swing on the jaw Wal
colt landed a left on the head. After
clinch they exchanged lefts on the head,
and Lavigne planted his right over JoeS
heart just as the gong rang;
The lighting in the seventh was the tast-
est seen here for many day; Lavgne
rushed Walcott to the ropes and uppercut
him with his left in the face. Lavlgne
hooked his right on Joe "a JAM alnoS ana me
vigne went after his man and hammered
him with right and left on the jaw and
mead. Inc COlOT6u lSllOW was soy
tressed. giving ground and clinching to
avoid the rushes. Lavigne sent Joe to his
launches against the ropes; Joe was very
tired and clinched repeatedly.
Before the seconds were out Of the ring
in the eighth Lavigne planted straight
left on Joe,s mouth ana t0iloWeq II up WI" 1oa
clinched at every opportunity. LaVigne
rushed Walcott to his corner, and after
a corner. Joe wrestled desperately to save
himself and despite Referee Graney's eff
forts to separate them, the gong sounded
with the men still clinched.
Lavigne rushed Walcott to the ropes in
the ninth, and repeatedly put his right over
the heart The blood streamed down over
Walcott's face from a cut on the forehead
received in a hot rally. Walcott seemed
tired and clinched in every exchange. In
walk.
Walcott came up limping for the tenth
round. but his gait was received with a
yell of derison. Lavigne landed right and
left on the jaw and on the heart several
times without return. Walcott landed his
left on the kids sore head, but was holly
In a cinch Lavigne landed his right on
Walcotts jaw. Joe led with his left and
was staggered shortly afterward by a hot
right on the jaw. Walcott limped badly on
going to his corner and his seconds rubbed
his legs with liniment.
After slow beginning in the eleventh
round. Lavigne forced Walcott and landed
with left and right without return:
Walcott was not anxious to leave his cor
ner for the twelfth and asked for a draw,
but the kid" rushed at him like a tiger.
Upon finding that he had to fight, Joe did
it with will but Lavigne landed hot one
right under the heart which sobered
Walcott Walcott chung to the kid" at
every opportunity until parted by the ref
cree Walcott led with his right, but
seemed to lack steam; Lavigne rushed him
to the ropes and led frequently without re-
turns, Joe being apparently unable to either
ward off the blows or return them. He
again limped to his corner and a few sec
ends later O. Rourke called Referee Graney
over and said that his man could go no fur
ther.
The crowd was unable to realize that
Walcott had given the fight up for some
seconds but a scene of indescribable con-
fusion ensued upon its realization that the
fight was over Walcott's hackers gave
vent to their feelings in hooting and ,groans;
by the yels Of those who had pinned their
faith to the Saginaw Kid. a crowd surged
into tie ring. but Walcott was speedily
slried out by Joe Cotton. After receiving
the congra tulations of host of friends,
Lavigne Jumped through the ropes and fol-
lowed his seconds to the dressing ROOM
Cuuno4 T3aHaa.,n IInusaH Gfon,ns