The times., 1898-11-24
LOCAL SPORTS INDIGNANT.
Opinion Prevails Generally That the
Alleged Fight Was n "Flnke."

aicGtu WIZ u "-F
The opinion prevails generally among
local sports that the alleged fight be-
tween Jim Corbett. formerly champion of
the world. and Tom Sharkey, the quon-
dam sailor, on Tuesday night, was a
fake OF the vilest sort. So wide
spread is this opinion, and so generally
is it expressed, that the few persons who
at first held that the fight was ION the
square have given over their efforts to
hold out against their opponents and have
practically joined in the hue and cry that
has as the burden of its song, Fake,
fake; rotten fake"
The Times last. Saturday pInted an
exclusive dispatch from correspondent
in Cleveland stating that the .snap"
had been given away and that the fight
was to be thrown after a pretense of
genuineness had been made for the sake
of appearances This statement was
among the first of the intimations that
had been made regarding what appears
to be the real state of affairs, and its
truth evidently was borne out in the re-
suit of Tuesday nights alleged battle. A
number of the members of the local sport
ing fraternity are in state of great in
dignation.
What are we coming around here this
time O. day fer? Why didn't ye come
last week? / could told yez all about
the blooming fake then"
Thus well-known local featherweisht
expressed himself yesterday.
You don't suppose that Corbett is go
ing up against anybody, do you? Not
unless he's got sure thing. l wasn't
just sure how the fake was going TO be
pulled off. But ! did think they'd have
more sawdust in their brains, den ter
try ter steal the money so openly. Why,
a two-year-old could see through that
game. don't t'ink that Sharkey was on.
but Corbett-well you don't want me to
tell what think of him, If you've is going
ter put it in der paper Either he'd given
McVey couple o dollars TO do somethin
foolish, ter save him from goin' ter sleep.
or that hair-brained idiot was turned into
society fer der prevention Of cruelty ter
dead ones all at once.
"McVey, you know, amt no chicken.
He's seen fights before. Kelly didn't have
no business calling de bets off. | stood to
win a couple of hundred on Sharkey, but
it's just another case of a dead sure thing
bein, buried"
What do I think of that fight, last
night?" said Al Smith yesterday after
noon, in reply TO The Times mans query
why, ] never saw such a bare-faced
robbery in my life. The whole affair was
prearranged steal, TO do the public out
! of a little dough. It's just those big
sluggers who ruin the profession for us
smaller fry. They get together and do
the people, when they can make big
haul in a bunch, and never mind the
Lublic. and then everybody gets on to
them and thinks that all the games are
run in the same manner. So nobody
comes TO see a square fight, and we get
40 gate receipts. j feel this morning as
though l could give Corbett a round or
two myself. and I'm not so sure that I'd
have the little end of it either No, no;
| it was a cinch. The Corbeu people
thought they could not lose If they bet on
Sharkey. They knew that he would get
the fight all right; but say. didn't Kelly
fool EN-? No, / did not lose a dollar
You see, old man, I'm in the business"
II. a. Pike expressed his opinion in
characteristic verse, as follows:
The conclusion we've reached-and maybe We are
right
Is thai sharkey- at least has no reason TO howl.
For II he hadn't won ont foul in the fight
lie now. like as not, would have no Thankssiy-
ing fowl
But. then, Mr.. Pike is probably preju-
diced.