The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-01
FOUGHT TWENTY FIERCE ROUNDS
Duke Met More Than His Match in
Tommy CorcOran.

Tommy CorcOran.
Billy Duke ran up against snag last
night when he tackled Tommy Corcoran.
| He had his hands full and more and the
bout at the rooms of the Pastime Athletic
Club was decided in Corcoran's favor at
the end of the twentieth round.
The fight was undoubtedly one of the
| hardest and fiercest that has ever been
| seen in Savannah and everyone in the
large crowd of spectators seemd to be
thoroughly satisfied with the article of
backed Duke.
Scotty Garfield, a big stoker on one of
the Baltimore steamers and a weli-known
boxer, and Jack Bolan of Cincinnati, went
on for four exhibition rounds before the
big event. Scotty was much heavier than
| Bolan, but the latter showed himself to
| be very clever boxer and hard hitter.
| The bout was a good one and very inter-
esting. At its conclusion Bolan announc-
ed that he would like to make a match
| with Lawson, the terrible Swede" The
Swede stepped in the ring and said he
would accept the challenge and would meet
| Corcoran in two or three weeks
Duke and Corcoran entered the ring and
both men were cheered when they were
| introduced by the referee, Joe Morris.
Jack Cusick, Scotty Garfield and Jack Bo-
Ian were in Dukes corner. and Billy We
ronee and the Terrible Swede acted as
| Corcoran's seconds.
| The contest was announced to be for
| twenty rounds at catch weight for a de-
| cision. Both men looked fit and their
| weights could not have been much apart.
| The fighting began fast and furious and
] lasted through the full number of rounds
| Corcoran Immediately became the aggres-
scr and his stock went up after the first
| round, for it was seen that Duke had at
| last struck a man worthy of his dukes
| Duke saw this and watched himself care
| fully.
For the first five rounds it was give and
take, with the advantage with Corcoran.
| He landed oftener on Duke than Duke
did on him, but the Baltimore man was
the harder puncher and got in some stiff
blows. Corcoran brought blood from
| Dukes nose early in the game, and by
| tapping UP that member every now and
then kept it continually flowing.
The sixth round was full of vicious fight
| ing and it looked as If Cocoran had his
man gone. He punched Billy all around
| the ring, and received some punishment
| in return, but did not seem to mind it.
| Duke clinched to save himself, and had
| it not been for this he would more than
likely have been put out.
| Some of the spectators looked to see
| Corcoran finish Duke in the seventh
round, but Billy came up fresh and de-
termned, and broke even on this round.
| Duke had decidedly the better of the
ninth round, and had it lasted longer may
! have put Corcoran out He started to
play on Corcoran's wind, and had him al
most gone when the gong sounded.
| CorcOran regained his wind during the
| rest, and from then until the seventeenth
round it looked like there might be a
| knockout a any time Duke was putting
up the gamest kind of a fight, and was
getting in some stiff punches, but his up
| per-cuts and terrible swings were very
cleverly lodged.
| Duke was pretty tired in the last three
| rounds, and, while he fought like tiger,
! they were decidedly Corcorans. Every
body looked for a knockout, but Corcoran
seemed not to see his advantage, for he
| certainly did not follow it up.
| When the gong rang at the end of the
Twentieth round, Referee Morris called
for order and announced that the decision
! was given to Corcoran. The decision was
| entirely satisfactory, and was loudly
cheered. Mr.. Morris showed himself to
be thoroughly capable, and proved to be
one of the best referees that the club has
| ever had.
Corcoran. the winner, is a comparatively
newcomer in the pugilistic world, at least,
so he claims. He says last nights fight
was the first big match he has ever been
in, though he has spared some through
out the country. He is undoubtedly a
| clever boxer and able to stand a great
deal of punishment. though he is not as
hard hitter as Duke.
| The defeat of Duke was a surprise and
disappointment to his friends. He has
| fought a number of times in Savannah.
having been up against some good men.
and he has always been a winner.