The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-07
HOT WHILE IT LASTED
A Prize Fight Held in Front of
the City Hall.
1T STARTED AS A FAKE
Jack Mclaughlin and Barney shanahan
in . Warm Set-To-A Novel Way
to Decide a Bet-Stopped by
Constable Harrington.

There was a prize fight yesterday af-
ternoon in front of the city hall. II
only lasted a few minutes, but 1t was
a mighty good one while II lasted. The
fight might not be worthy of much at
tention but for the fact that the prin-
cipal parties to the ARRAY were such
leading citizens as Jack Mclaughlin,
president of the Butte J~effersonian
club and chairman of the democratic city
central committee last spring. and Bar
ney ~Shanahan. one OF Butte's most
prominent hackmen. Strenuous efforts
have been made to ascertain the occa-
sion for the fight, and while nothing is
known officially. it is given out on the
side that the gentlemen were disputing
in regard to the vigilance of city Off
cials with particular reference to prize
fighting. The prize fight on the fiat
was referred to and Mr.. Shanahan was
roasting the police force for not inter-
fering with the d~isgraceful affair. Mr..
Mclaughlin, however, stood up for the
administration, as usual, n asserted
that the fight took place outside the
city limits, n hat therefore 1T was
not within the jurisdiction of the po-
lice force.
That cuts no ice," said Barney. ut
could have happened right in the CEN
trail part of town just as easy as it
could out on the fiat"
I'm the center Of town." exclaimed
Mclaughlin in Mortified accents. In
deed ii could not"
Indeed it could" said Barney. 1T
could happen right in front of the city
hall and not a policeman show up
NJ - 49, a 1T on ~ h.
proposition, and Barney took the bet.
They could lot agree on a stakeholder,
and so ii was agreed that each man
should be his own stakeholder and trust
each other. The next thing was to get
the ~combatants, but nobody was in
sight who wanted to fight just then.
IL was agreed between Shanahan and
Mclaughlin that they would them
selves go in front of the city hall and
maxi a fake fight. They would ex-
change a few easy ones just to see if
a policeman would come around, and
they agreed to go at ii in earnest. Now
everything woul doubtless have been
all right but for the fac that the first
blow Jack Mclaughlin struck was
harder than he intended it should be.
He intended to send in a sort of a
teaser, but Shanahan happened to be
coming up at the time and the blow
iiioN IN > SHA NgNs
Shanahan looked dazed for an instant.
Then he keyed up and went to dancing.
It's all off" he cried, and he went at
Mclaughlin hammer and tongs. 1t
was 2. goodly a scrap as one would
wish 20 see. ifiit could only have been
fought to a finish.
%Shanahan brought Mclaughlin down
at the close of the first round, and the
second round was fought on the
ground. Just then Constable Tim Har-
rington came along and separated the
combatants, much to the evident dis
appointment Of the spectators. Both
parties to the scrap claim the prize
money. Mclaughlin claims it on the
ground hat the fight was interfered
with by an officer of the peace. Shan
ahan, however, claims the money on
the ground that a constable is not a
policeman, that no policeman appeared
In sight and that no arrests were made.
Barney has a mighty bad eye.
But you ought to see the other fell
low" he say