The San Francisco call., 1899-06-18
AGREE ON TERMS
FOR THE FIGHT
Sharkey Matched With
JeffrieS.
WILL MEET IN OCTOBER
BRADY AND o'RoURKE SETTLE
PRELIMINA ARIES.
Contest to Take Place in a Twenty
Four Foot Ring Before the
Club Offering the Largest
Purse.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK, June 17.-Preliminary
arrangements for a fight between
James J. Jeffries and Thomas Sharkey
for the heavyweight championship of
the world were made this afternoon
during a conference between William
y. Brady and Tom O'Rourke, mana
gers of the two pugilists. The confer
ence was held at the Vanderbilt Hotel.
Under the arrangements the contest
will take place on or about October 23,
before the club Offering the largest
purse.
The meeting between Brady and
O'Rourke was free from exchanges of
questionable humor that usually mark
meetings of this character. Each man
desired to make the match, and each
man quickly got down to business. AS
soon as the meeting began Brady said
that in view of the fact that Sharkey
objected to a side bet, Jeffrles would
waive a side wager.
That feature settled, Brady suggested
George Siler of Chicago as the referee.
O'Rourke said he conSiderd Siler COM
petent man and we'll qualified to fill the
position, but that he understood Shar
key had personal reasons for not wish
ing to have the Chicago man officiate
He asked Brady to allow the naming
of the referee to go over until Monday.
O'Rourke suggested that the fighters
be permitted to wear bandageS on the
hands, but BILLY" Delaney, Jeffries
trainer. objected. Brady also protested
Delaney said that Sharkey's hands
were as good as Jeffries' and he should
ask for no favors. 1t was decided to
postpone further discussion on that
point until Monday. Both points prob
ably will be satisfactorily settled
1t was agreed that the contest should
be held before the club offering the
highest purse, the winner of the con-
test to take the entire amount In or
der to give all clubs a fair chance to
bid for the match, it was decided not
to make a choice before September /.
Bids are to be sent to Matte" Clune.
Each principal will post a forfeit of
$500 to guarantee his appearance at
the ring, and the club obtaining the
match will have to post $4,000 to stand
as forfeit money. The entire purse
money will have to be posted by the
club ten days prior to the battle.
Straight Marquis of Queensberry
rules will govern the bOut-that is, the
men will be allowed to hit while one
arm is free and Will have to protect
themselves on breakaways. The ring
will be a twenty -fourfoOt affair.
Brady, on behalf OF JenrleS, held out
for an eighteen-fOot ring, but O'Rourke
said that the regulation twenty four
foot ring was good enough for Sharkey.
1t was decided to leave the size of the
ring to the club controlling the match.
The bout will be restricted to twenty
five rounds.
After the conditions of the match had
been agreed upon Brady, on behalf of
the COney Island Sporting Club, in
whose arena Jeffries won the cham
pionship Of the world from Fttz-
simmons, offered purse Of $4,000 for
the match. Brady asked O'Rourke,
who is manager of the LenOx Athletic
Club, how large a purse his organiza-
ton would give for the contest.
O'Rourke replied that it would be as
large if not larger than that of any
rival club.
In the meantime Jeffries will not be
idle. He will leave for Europe next
month. On his arrival in England he
Will issue a challenge to fight any
pugilist in Great Britain, the match to
take place before the National Sporting
Club or any other reputable organiza-
ton. He will meet any English fighter
for ten rounds or to a finish.