Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-04


TIES EVER FOUGHT BY
HEAvYWEIGHTS- WAS NIP
AND TUCK UNTIL NEAR THE
FINISH SCENES AT THE RING
SIDE THE BETTING = FIGHT
BY ROUNDS BOTH MEN BADLY
PUNISHED.
RINGSIDE COMFY ISLAND SPORT
ING CLUB, NEW YORK, November g.
james Jeffries retains the champion
ship of the world, Referee George Siler
giving him the decision at the end of
the twenty-fith round over Sailor Tom
Sharkey, at the Coney Island Sporting
Club tonight. 1t was one of the most
marvellous battles that has taken place
and the greatest crowd that ever gath
cred in the Coney Island club house
witnessed the desperate struggle for
supremacy.
In FIVE rounds Jeffries had the better
OF the fight, in the first two and in the
last three. During the other twenty
Sharkey forced the issue, and like a
bull terrier was at his man with both
hands unceasingly. In those twenty
rounds Jeffries's great weight and
Drawn helped him to hold off the sailor
and in the twenty-second round he
swung in a couple of vicious uppercuts
that made Sharkey groggy. Tom came
back again in the twenty-fourth and
twenty-ffth, but he was weakened
greatly by Jeffries's vicious blows. One
minute before the gong sounded to end
the fight Jeffries's left glove came off,
and practically the contest was over.
The referee motioned to Jeffries cor
ner; an American flag was flung
around the champions shoulders and
the crowd, on that side and end of the
arena cheered wildly. The crowd on
the opposite side and end in Sharkey's
corner yelled for Sharkey, and the men
were led back to their dressing room.
Sharkey's left arm was broken in the
twenty-frst and he has two ribs
broken.
The thousands of spectators were
banked forty feet high in the building,
the space being packed from ringside
to rafters and the asiles around the
ring were lined. The tremendous
crowd sweated under the glare of four
1.l~oa go I;ol,tc 6f+aay faa+ az 1acc
from the canvas Of the squared circle.
The heat was intense. The fighters
were almost exhausted and the specta-
tors shrieked themselves hoarse.
1t seemed at first as though it would
be a short fight, for in the second
round Jeffries put the sailor to the
ropes with a left on the jaw and the
referee began to call off the seconds
as Sharkey kneeled on the floor.
But from the third round on, Shar-
key, with his vicious swings to the ribs
and the jaw, kept the crowd on its feet
waiting for knockout Jeffries stood
the terrific punishment and with his
eye, nose and ear split came back just
as viciously in the last three rounds
and almost retrieved himself. Then
came the unfortunate and unsatisfac-
tory ending, Jeffries' glove flying off,
bringing the fight to an end, although
the crowd urged Sharkey to rush in
and end it. This he tried to do but
Jeffries fought him back and Referee
Siler rushed to the rescue. 1t was no
ticeable that Jeffries used his weight
to its best advantage throwing himself
all over the sailor but the latter did
his share of the hugging, too, and both
were warned repeatedly. Ten thous-
and spectators gathered around the
ringside Though Coney Island was
swept by a gale the cars came down
crowded to the guards in a swiftly
moving line and the sports waded to
the narrow entrances leading to the
arena
At $3.50 there were five thousand in
the building and later the boxes filled
to overlooking.
All manner of men were there and
among those we'll known we're James
j. Corbett and John L. Sullivan, for
mer champions; Kid Mccoy, Peter
Maher, D. M. Kearns, George Dixon,
Senator Tim Sullivan and Assembly
man Timothy P. Sullivan, Jacob
Schaeffer and George Slosson. Frank
Hutchinson and Parson Davies, Of Chi
cago; Gus Rubin, Dave Gideon, Mike
Donovan, Chief of Police O'Mara. of
Pittsburg; Police Commissioner Sexton,
Ed Delany, of Salt Lake City, Assem-
blyman Hamburger, Register from
Maine; Michael Dwyer and Benny ia
cobs, Of Detroit.
A preliminary event of ten rounds at
128 pounds preceded the big event and
Kid Goulette, of Rochester, who looked
a great deal like Jeffries on small
scale, was beaten by Tommy Moran, of
Brooklyn.
Then, after half an hours delay,
Tom Sharkey could be seen making his
way through the crowds He was we'll
received, but Jeffries was cheered to the
Cborl~ox- ho5