The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-18
LOCAL INTEREST INTENSE.
Great Crowds at the Theaters Greet
the Bulletins.

Local interest in the fight was almost as
great as was manifested in he great Cor
bett-Fitzsimmons fight, which occurred
just nine months ago. 1t was the only sub
Ject discussed yesterday about barrooms
and places where men congregated There
was ample provision for giving the news
to the sports last night. The Park and
Empire Theaters had special wires and read
the account of the mil by rounds from
the stage. Arthur Thomas and Andrew
Fleming had a similar report in the pool
room III the rear of irons saloon and fixed
the price of admission at 50 cents They
were out about $25 on the venture. and the
sports who gathered were not inclined to
give up for their relief. But the crowd
became so large that Iron threw the thing
open, accepting the expense as ''standoff''
for the large trade the crowd brought him.
This was a Mccoy crowd, strictly, though
a considerable amount of money changed
hands. Many good friends of Mccoy
thought the odds against him made a bet
on Creedon a good Investment and bet
against their favorite. The odds were 10 10
up until the hour OF the battle. and were
then IL to 10. The betting was not what
could be called lively. but one man was
kept busy recording the bets and issuing
At the Park Theater there was not an
inch of standing room. Every seat in the
house from pit to dome was taken, and
A Western Union operator was in the west
box and about him sat the newspaper re-
rorters, MeSSrs. Dickson and Talbot. John
II. Brush and a few others invited by
Messrs. Dickson and Talbot. Between
the acts Charles Layman. the personal
representative of the theater management,
read the returns. They were nearly al
ways favorable to Mccoy, and were loudly
applauded. Occasionally a Creedon SEN
tence would be read, and there was faint
demonstration I'm one corner of the balcony
The crowd in the gallery and the lower
moor soon came to the conclusion that this
Creedon crowd was made up of losers and
We're not slow to make their conclusions
known. After that the Creedon demonstra-
ton was feeble When Mccoy knocked
his opponent down the second time. In the
fifteenth round. the house stood up and
cbeered. and when the announcement came
that Creedon's second had thrown up the
sponge IL was five minutes before anything
Ike order could be restored. II was in the
middle of the burlesque. and the actors
and actresses were compelled TO stand like
dummies while the spectators took their
minds from the play and turned TO the big
audience was considerably smaller. for the
sports had made for the door where they
might have a larger breathing space and
more room to give vent to their feelings
AT the Empire the returns We're handled
about the same at the rark The theater
was packed. There few Creedon
sympathizers there. but there were many
who had money on the Australian and
wanted to see the indianapolis boy lose
Iaey were disappointed, ard showed IL in
the way they received the first rounds of
he fight, but like CreedOn. they shook
hands with their opponents. The cheer that
went up when IL was announced that Nc
Coy had won had never been equaled In the
C0rbett out on st. Patricks day.