The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-03
Whipped in a Punch by
Billy Gallagher at
Vallejo.
Sailor Sharkey Referees the
Brief Contest for the
Mastery.
Chosen After a Long D clay Caused
by the Los Angeles
RruiSer.
Special Dispatch to THE CALI.

VALLEJO. Dec. 2.-The Needham- Gal
lagher contest drew large crowd to the
Farragut Theater tonight. 1t ended in a
victory Tor Gallagher in the first round.
The fight took place under the manage
ment of Burns Brothers. In the pools
Gallagher sold favori;e. Very little Need
ham money was TO be had.
PreIiminaries between Billy Clifford OF
Sacramento and Billy Lewis of Vallejo,
Jimmy Sullivan of San Francisco and
Yank Savage of Vallejo, and Jimmy An
thony of Australia and Thomas Burns of
Vallejo amused the audience for several
hours and kept it in good humor.
Needham sIeppei into the ring at 1915
o clock, followed by his seconds. wait
OF ffteen minutes followed, during which
the spectators became impatient for Gal
lagheI'S arrival Announcer John Swee-
ney stated that Gallagher was not IL the
hall. and that his preventative, Bill
Mcdonald, would not agree upon a Val
LEGO referee in the absence OF James Nc
Donald, who was scheduled to act, but
missed train. After another wat OF ten
minutes Billy Mcdonald announced that
jim Gallagher, brother of Billy Gal agher,
would meet Ncedham in Billy's stead
This was received with hovIs and h sses
and cries OF Money back!' in suul vol
ume as TO cause the management TO allow
the delinquent fifteen minutes more in
which to appear.
AT l0:4O o clock the announcer, accom-
panied by Sharkey, stepped into the ring.
and the latter was announced as referee
ShaTkey said: Gentlemen, these two
men are good friends oil mine, and l would
prefer any other man as referee. They
insist on having me. l will give the fight
10 the man who has one punch The best of
the fight at the end Of twenty rounds
Gallagher then came into the ring ready
for business. An agreement to strike with
one arm free and to refrain from clinching
was made.
At the stroke OF the bell the men came
to the center, shook hands and entered
into their work with spirit. Both ap-
peared in good tim, but a certain glare
in Gallagher's eye indicaieu over-indul-
gence In intoxicants. Things looked we'll
for Needham. After some hot IN lighting,
In which Needham landed on Gala hers
Jaw TWO or three times ana took fed
BODY ows in return, the men olinched.
Needham made swing at his oUpAnent
with his left. Gallagher replied with q
right on the base of the neck ana the con-
test was over. Needham fell on his face
and lay fiat without move. His seconds
waited until the ten seconds were nearly
up and then yelled for him to get up, bat
he was down to stay. The blow was a
hard one and Needham was out as fairly
as ever man vent out.
On the tenth stroke Needham's seconds
grabbed their man and his limp form was
borne to MS corner.
When order was restored Sharkey led
Gallagher 10 the ropes and declared him
the winner. The crowd was satisfied and
left the hall shortly after the decision.
After Gallagher was announced the vic.
tor he went 10 Needham's corner and said !:
Danny, that settles it. L was a long
time deciding it, but it's finished"
Needham assented.