The record-union., 1897-01-16
TOM SHARKEY'S EXHIBITION.
Il Was Fairly Well Patronzed Last
Evening.
Several Good Sparring Bouts-William
Johnson's Cleverness With
the Gloves.

About 400 persons attended the Shark
ey sparring exhibition at the Old Pa
vilion last night. Three Of the events
announced to take place-bouts be-
tween leading members Of the Athletic
Club-did not take place, and no ex-
PLANTATION of the failure was offered.
In their stead was substituted four
handed burlesque between colored men
whose gloves were covered with flour.
Big Jesse Slaughter was the target,
and the three little fellows kept him
hustling for four so-called rounds.
Professor Hanstead was master of
ceremonies. The entertainment opened
with a very good bag g-punching exhi-
bition by Henry Peppers, the clever
middleweight, and then Sharkey took
shy at the bag He showed UP in
great form and was roundly applauded
at the close of his contest with the pig
skin, which he handled in very good
shape. His quickness surprised his
auditors, who had been led to believe
that he was very slow on his feet.
Billy Lewis and Tim Flynn gave
very good four-round exhibition OF
boxing, and then Sharkey and William
Johnson of this city were introduced
They We're both heartily cheered as
they stepped into the ring. Their bout
was good one. While no hard blows
were struck, both men were very active
and kept up a lively pace. Johnson
had no difficulty in demonstrating his
superior cleverness, but Sharkey made
creditable showing. 1t was never
claimed for him that he was an expert
boxer, though he is really better than
the public generally had supposed.
1t is in a "sure enough fight that
the sailor can show at his best, when
he is free to use his enormous strength
without fear of the result Clever men
can punch him until their arms grow
weary and their hands give way, and
yet Sharkey keeps a-coming," and his
wonderful endurance carries him
| through.
After the Johnson -Sharkey bout Pep
| pers and Cooper, the little bootblack,
spared a few rounds, and the enter
tainment closed with a bout between
Sharkey and Jack McAuliffe, the world s
| champion lightweight. McAuliffe was
| high in flesh and was putting like
porpoise in about a half-minute, but
| it was readily seen that he is a clever
boxer and good ring general. He kept
| the big champion hustling while they
were at it.
Altogether it was a very good spar
| ring entertainment Every one of the
performers was on his good behavior,
and while some Of the bouts were very
| spirited there was no slugging, no i'll
| feeling displayed, and not even
| bloody nose in evidence. AS a general
proposition, however, those who attend
| sparring exhibitions like to see genuine
contests, and were it not for a desire
| to gaze upon Sharkey's wonderful
| physical development and the general
belief that there was to be at least one
| bout with some ginger in it, even. that
of last night would not have been as
we'll patronized as it was.
The next event Of this kind On the
| programme is the Van Buskirk-StenZler
Lten-round contest that is scheduled to
| come off next week. It is under the
| auspices of the Sacramento Athletic
| Club, which is a guarantee that it will
be we'll managed The club always de-
mands square dealing on the part of
| those who appear under it's manage
ment, or the men get nothing. Van
| Buskirk and Stenzler are believed to be
an evenly matched pair, and they are
certainly capable Of putting up a good
| as.f