The evening times., 1898-11-23
MONARC 4 FAKE
OF FAKE FIGHTS
Unanimous Opinion of the
COrbett-Sharkey Bout.
APPLAUD KELLY'S DECISION
yorbett's Admirers Saved From
Being Robbed.
Impressions That Everything Had
Been PrcarranEed for Sharkey
10 Win.
APPLAUD KELLY'S DECISION

New York, NOV. 2S.-'Fake" was the
word on the lips of every man that lett
.he Lenox Club last night after Tom
sharkey had been declared the winner of
The bout with Jim Corbett because Jim
McVey, one of the latter's seconds, had
;umped in,o The ring while The principals
were hghting fast and furious
McVeys action astounded the specta-
tors, and their cry of foul was quickly
changed 10 one of fake" as they realized
that they had probably been duped.
Honest" John Kelly was prompt In
taking action, and mis- decision saved the
admirers Of COrbett At least $51,0p the
amount bet on the eX-champion.
''Sharkey wins. he declared. but he
followed this with a popular ruling when
he declared all bets of.
Though McNey's action is condemned
on all sides, opinion differs as 10 what
prompted il. McVey's explanation that
Sharkey was fouling Corbed and that he
entered the ring to protest Is laughed at.
McNey is an old hand in The corner. and
would never lose his head ANA ID such a
:hing. old sports say, because he knew
such action would lose the light FOR his
principal.
Betting interests are believed to be at
nized this 10y his ruling all bets off. Ii is
recalled in this connection that dispatches
OF this association last week, originating
in Cleveland, gave an interview with
New York sport, in which he said the
fight was All fixed and that Sharkey
would win on a foul. That man was a
true prophet or knew what he was talk
ing about.
Here is referee KeIly's explanation Cf
Sc he N nien
shows plainly that he thought the fight
was fixed:
There was no other course left open to
me. McNey has been sec0nding men long
enough to know the rules, and his man
had To suffer. While ! know Of no prece-
dent for declaring all bets of, it was COM
pulsory on my part. as il looked precon-
certed. and my decision concerning bets
went as il did because ! could see no
reason why the many should suffer for
rEe seeming intentional offense of one of
the seconds.
An old sport this morning sadly sized
up the pugilisJic game with the following
remarks:
This game has got TO be as bad as foot
racing. and II John Kelly had not been
honest many a man would have been
robbed last night
Up 10 the time the fight was interrupt
=
with Sharkey the stronger and Corbett
the cleverer.
COrbett. however. disappointed the
crowd by his punching. He had no pow
er in his blows. He gave a superb eXhi-
bition Of scientific boxing, his leg work
lodging, ducking, blocking and side
stepping being simply marvellous.
Sharkey was strong and aggressive all
through. He has improved wonderfully.
and fought cleanly and fairly. He stood
up like a man. and did his best to win.
II is a question who would have won
out The fight had reached an interest
ing stage. but with the final result in
doubt. The fight all through was fast
and furious. Sharkey rushed things from
the start, and in the first two rounds
matters looked blue for Corbett. Then
the ex-champion woke up and held his
own until the end.
The unfortunate ending of the fight dis
appointed one OF the greatest crowds
that ever saw a fight. Ten thousand
people were I'm the building when the men
got into the ring, and the receipts net
ted a fortune.
According to the articles OF agreement
Sharkey Will receive 000 Of the purse
and Corbett S. 600, although there are ru-
mors that the $4,000 purse will be split
in TWO.