Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-07
BATTLE WITH FISTS.
suAaKEy, THE sA'l""' H'"
,rrp,rs TRY CONCLUSIONS.
4 SERIES OF COLLAPSES OF SEATS.
,,mos, n Panic, Hut Nobody Serious
~ Hnr,-Jcnrics Gets the pec'S'o"
-, che End of the Twentieth
Round.
Round.

CAN FRANCISCO, May G.-Thomas j.
sharkev. the sailor puglist, and James j.
rocriee admittedly the leading heavy
weight pugilist actually In fighting mar
ness to-day. met before the National Atm
letic club tonight TO settle the question
of supremacy.
The betting on the result has remained
almost uniform, at 10 to $, with the pis
Californian favorite.
Mechanics Pavilion, which has been the
scene of many memorable pugilistic en-
counters. presented a lively appearance
shortly before the principals appeared III
the ring Every nook and corner In the
vast auditorium had its occupants. Al
this iuncture an accident happened which
for q time babe fair to assume serious
PROPORTIONS. The elevated seats of the
whole end of the west side OF the pawn
ion suddenly collapsed, and the oceu-
pants were piled in confused heap. for
a brief period, ii was believed that many
had been fatally injured. but IL was SUD
seouently ascertained that none OF the
bruises were serious. Then a second sec
ton of seats on the northeast size Vi
the building came down In a heap' anu
the audience was again thrown INTO
state Of uproar. A few moments iater an-
other section i'm the northwest corner
collapsed. and the great crowd was In a
state of panic. Then a whole side OF
the elevated seats came down in terrlhc
roar and the audience was almost ne
vond control. Almost every tier OF seats
in the house had now fallen. and the nVe
or six thousand people on the main moor
were packed in an excited crowd.
The police finally managed to allay the
excitement by assuring the crowd that
no one had been hurt by the collapse OF
gallery seats, and that there was no dan
ger.
THE FUN BEGINS.
The men began work in earnest IN the
| first round, but no damage was done. IN
| the second clinches were frequent
| Sharkey being Kissed for mttlng III
| clinches Sharkey was forced against the
ropes. In the succeeding Few rouhus
Sharkey got the worst Of It, Jeffries Keep
| ing him going at a lively pace anu se''ihs
in some telling blows.
| Sharkey gained more confidence I'm the
sixth. and did some rushing. but without
effect In the rounds up TO the eleventh
| there were some warm exchanges, WIN
| out decided advantage to either man.
Jeffries knocked the sailor down in the
| eleventh. Jeffries landed repeatedly ana
Sharkey seemed tired. -
Sharkey came up fresh I'm the twelfth
but kept away from his big adversary.
| Jeffries landed hard and often in the
| four succeeding rounds, and had the
sailor in distress part of the time. SharkeA
rallied in the seventeenth, but in the
| eighteenth Jeffries landed three hard
! ones on the jaw. In the twentieth both
men were tired. but fought viciously. JEFF
| fries landed several times on the body
! and face, but could not knock the sailor
out.
! The gong rang in the middle or not
mix. and the crowd went wild with en-
! thusasm.
Referee Cravings announced Jenries
the winner. amid the greatest enthusiasm