The San Francisco call., 1898-02-15
IOHN SULLIVAN
 KNOCKED STIFF A Short but Lively Battle at the Excelsior Athletic Club
 Entertainment. i'm Riley Wins the Clubs Cham pionship in One and a Half
 Rounds.

There was a full house at the enter tainment given by the Excelsior Ath- letic Club last evening on Folsom and Eighth streets.
 The sport opened with three-round bouts between the following boxers: Jimmy Lawlor and Billy Lawlor, Pat Lynch and Tom Devine, McGinnis and Young Savage, Joe Kane and Joe Ma her, Billy Haskins and Billy Ott, F. Lynch and Dan Kemp.
 After the three-rounders had retired to their dressing compartments, the president of the club announced that the event of the evening would be next on the f1stic bill of fare.
 "Gentlemen," shouted the announcer, this next contest will be eight rounds, and it must be fer decision as I will not stand for any more draws. An other thing 1 want to say, and it Is this: The hall is small and we have not any too much air, therefore 1 wish you would quit smoking and shouting while the contest is going on; let every man be a committee of one himself to keep order and decorum. Otherwise the hand of Sergeant Michael Joseph Conboy may be seen signaling tor something, and I guess you all know what that something means"
 Jimmy Riley, 127 pounds, seconded by Jimmy Lawlor, Martin Murphy and Harry Baker. entered the ring. The pugilist was followed soon afterward by Jack Sullivan, his opponent, whose wants were attended to by Charles Conway, George Fletcher and John Mccormick. Frank Skuse was se- lected as referee and John Harrington timekeeper
 To- q Hooking for openings" but went right at the game like good little game chickens the moment time was called.
 The first round was give-and- take and some hard punches were eX- changed. Riley's left swing bothered Sullivan who caught each blow on the neck or jaw. He did not attempt to duck or side step, but was seeming ly willing to give and take, and at that style of fisticuffs he certainly had the worst of the battle, although occasion ally he surprised Riley, whose nose stopped some hot shots. Near the fin- ish of the round Sullivan hit Riley a beauty on the left eye which must have caused the receiver to imagine that the hall was chock full of electricity.
 In the second round it was expected easy after the sharp rally in the first, but such was not the case. They seemed to put even more ginger into their punches than before, and the spectators, especially ''the guns" the "McGills" and the "colonels," waxed warm because of the excitement which aroused them to cries of give 1t to him. Riley" Wax him, Sullivan," etc.
 The exchanges were many. and both fighters were striving for knockout when Riley caught Sullivan a heavy rlght-hand swing on the jaw. The re- cIpient of the smash staggered back partly dazed, and attempted to fight back, but the jig was up with him. He was not given time sufficient to recover hls equilibrium. Riley, after a few wild misses, put the right on the jaw again, ana Sullivan went sprawling on the boards. He was up, though. before the tenth second was called, only to be knocked down again and counted out The contest, although short, was a go from start to finish.
 Mrs. Jack Dempsey, wife of the pu- gilist who died of consumption. is seri ously Ill in Portland, as will be seen from the following item which ap- peareo ln the Oregonian of February 10: Mrs. Jack Dempsey, formerly Miss Maggie Brady. daughter of James Brady, continues very seriously i'll. and 1t is thought that she cannot recover. MT. Brady, her father, at whose home she Is, said yesterday that his daughter was very low, although there had been no material change in her condition for the past few days. She has been grow ing weaker constantly She has been in poor health for a long time. and went to San Francisco for treatment but received no benefit. She returned home. where she has been ever since.