The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-31
Williams-Bean Contest at Provo a
Grand FiZzle.
NEITHER MAN FOUGHT
WILLIAMS TOO FAT AND BEAN
DIDN'T KNOW HOW.
Back-number Slade AS a Referee
The Mayors Speech the Feature
of the Evening-How the Sports
Were F1im-hammed-Mor Than
Two Hundred Sports Went Down.

Fifteen hundred disgusted sports
after having witnessed twenty-five
rounds of horse-play in which not
drop of blood was shed; not a point
scored worth taking notice of and
which was, according to the decision
of the slowgoing referee, a draw.
The decision ought to have been no.
contest, and all bets should have been
declared off, for it was as near a fiZzle
as anything of the sort could be. The
only event of the evening which
sayored of pleasure was the speech of
Mayor Jones to the audience, before the
thing began.
Williams was in no condition to
make a fight, being hog-fat. He needed
six weeks training to get into condi-
ton, for the rolls of grease showed all
over him. He made as poor a showing
as he ever made in his life.
So far as Bean is concerned, he isn't
fighter at all; simply a dancing
master, who has mistaken his vocation.
He is muscular enough quick on his
feet, but he lacks all the essentials of
a fighter and ought to go at something
else.
And slade! slade, the man selected
for referee! Why, the fellow isn't
quick enough in action to count logs
him over two or three times as he
lumberingly tried to keep out of the
way
The preliminary events We're made
UP by Harding and Rupper. two sawed
off young fellows who made a better
showing than the principal actors;
Gene Roberts and Frank Gardner, two
slim chaps who sawed more air than
would fill a barn, had it been corded,
and never struck an honest blow dur
ing the four rounds they were at it.
John Thomas, the club SWinger from
this city, shOne out during the evening
as the single star. John made an excel
lent showing and pleased every one.
The mayors speech was a gem. EX-
pressed in terse terms it would read
about as follows:
witness a glove contest between Will
lard Bean of Provo and jim Williams
of Salt Lake. a great many have Cb-
Jected TO such a performance, but from
the appearance of the crowd it would
seem there are several who have no OBJ
jections. We have examined the ordi-
nances- of Provo and had there been
anything against this event it would
not have taken place.
I'VE depend upon your sense Of honor
to maintain order We have our officers
here to keep order, but if any young
ster gets noisy, we trust some man will
stop his eXuberance. At any rate, keep
your seats. Also understand that it is
contrary to the rules to have any
gambling in the house We expect no
brutality and that this event will be
fair and square, and no hitting below
the belt and if the men themselves
can't be aisy,' then, in the language of
Mrs. Maloney, they will be as aisy as
they can
There was the usual fuss over the
referee. The principals did not want
this man and that one EverybodyR5aid
something, including Bean, who made
one of his usual speeches. Finally it
was agreed that Slade should officiate,
although a man named Potts, who fire.
quently appeared inside the ropes, pro-
tested. But Slade came rolling on. He
looked as ponderous as a prize OK and
was about as graceful in his move
ments.
1t is the usual thing to write up a
fight by rounds, but the rule will be
departed from in this case Suffice it to
say that although out of condition Will
liams always tried to get Bean to fight,
but the latter circled around the "a
foot ring at least 2S1 times during the
twenty-five rounds. He evidently
thought he was a foot racer, or was
working the old squirrel trick. Once
in a While he would rush on and land,
and that was all. He hasn't driving
power in his blows. Not that he might
not acquire the talent, but he fights
like a woodchopper. The Provoites
cheered him every time he hit Williams,
but that was the damage which was
done, for when thcalecision was finally
announced neither man had been hit
hard enough to jam fly.
The people who protested against
this event have no kick coming. 1t
wasn't a fight and there was nothing
brutal in it. Except. perhaps, it may
be brutal to harrow up the feelings of
a crowd such as was gathered.
Tom Osborn and j. T. Clark took care
of Bean and Kelly Golden and Jack
Haynes attended to Williams. They all
worked hard.
Two hundred and seventy-fve people
from this city went down to see the
mill.