Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-23

as a fighter while serving the U. 5. as
a blue jacket in the navy, drew an
enormous crowd of sportsman to the
Lenox Athletic house tonight IN
fact, such a representative gathering
of the sporting element from all over
the country was never within the city
limits at one time before. The TACT
that the contest would certainly take
, place without any legal interference
induced many hundreds OF followers
and admirers of the art of self-deIense
to make long journeys in order to be
at the ringside when the fight took
place. Nearly every city of promi-
nence in the United States was repre-
sented by parties of at least dozen
and in many instances delegations
numbering a hundred each, came IN
charge of well known men from tie
different sporting centers.
Weeks ago, when tie tickets FOR
seats were first put on sale, the shreWd
people who lived quite distance from
this city either wrote or wired for seats
to be reserved and by doing so they
saved themselves lot of trouble upon
their arrival here Those who saw far
enough ahead to do this were only
comparative few, however, and the
past few days there was lively scram-
( BILE
TO SECURE GOOD SEATS.
To-day not a seat was to be had at
the club house after l o'clock and
those who had not made early provls-
ion had to pay eXorbitant prices to the
wide-awake spectators. Tickets for
seats in the Immediate vicinity OF the
ring brought fabulous prices tonight.
The original cost Of these paste
boards were 500 each, but tonight
twice that sum could not purchase one
of them and in two instances they
brought 500 apiece The other tickets
costing from s. to SIS, brought prices
increased two and three-fold and the
club management did not put any Of
the SO admission tickets on sale. The
anxious sports who clamored at the
entrance gladly paid s. and in many
! cases S. for the privilege OF standing
up at the extreme ends of the build
ing.
The club house is not very we'll
adapted for pugilistic encounter as II
is long and narrow, having been bullt
for an ice skating rink.
The ring is pitched in the center or
the house and the boxes are built
around it. On each end of the box en-
closure tier upon tier of chairs are
ranged on a gradually inclined struct-
ure, which very nearly touched the roof
OF the building at both ends. Along
each side Of the house and these ele-
waited places were partitioned into
small boxes which were considered the
best possible places of vantage.
The doors of the big building were
thrown open shortly after O'Clock.
At that early hour
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
were waiting patiently in front OF the
club house on Lexington avenue. AS
soon as the first corners passed through
the turnstiles, others took their places
on the outside, and this continued for
over three hours. --lEAe-- crowds were
kept in check by large force OF ponce.
While the crowd was large one, it
was never beyond the control OF the
police ant, in fact, was not as dense as
the authorities expected.
Inside the building all was hustle
and excitement. but at 8 O'Clock the
house was scarcely half filled. This
was easily accounted for by the fact
that as the big event was not sched-
uled to take place until about ~
o'clock, the holders of reserved seats
were in no hurry to get up town TO
be cooped for any unnecessary length
of time. The gambling instinct which
is a necessary adjunct to all manner OF
fstic contests, was in evidence as soon
as the sports began to gather in the
boxes.
Corhett's stock was always in pref
erence and the odds on the Californian
opened at 100 to so The betting did
not take on as lively a turn as on
former occasions when fighters of less
note have met in this arena. So much
betting had been done during the last
4S hours. however, in the sporting re-
sorts throughout the city that the
slackncss of the wagering on the spot
did not indicate any loss of interest in
THE HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT.
Rv half-past 8 o'clock nearly every
seat in the house was occupied. Bank
ers and brokers of prominence, lawyers
of note and business men, representing
nearly every phase of trade mingled
with we'll known politicians and held
animated conversations in close prox-
unity 10 the ringside. One well known
member of the produce exchange took
the Sharkey end of one of the largest
wagers of the night, which was $1,000
to 81 800 on Corbett. Joe Vendig laid
the odds on the Californian.
The first of the two preliminary
bouts was begun at S:45 o'clock. The
principals were two local boxers, Jack
Sullivan and Charley Schultz. who
were announced to go ten rounds at
135 pounds.
This proved TO be smuggling match,
totally devoid of science 1t was full
of ginger, however, and amused the
spectators.
The men had hardly shaped them
selves for the seventh round when
Schultz put over straight right hand
smash full on Sullivan's jaw which put
him down and practically out The
referee. Charley White then humanely
stopped the bout and declared Schultz
the winner.
During the progress of this bout
there was a commotion in a box at the
ringside. Kid Mccoy. the pugilist. who
is to meet Peter Maher at Coney Island
next month. had gained admission to
the arena disguised with false black
whiskers and mustache
Some days ago Tom O'Rourke, man
ager OF the club, forbade Mccoy the
privilege of entering the club house.
although the Kid had been engaged
by morning newspaper to write the