The record-union., 1899-11-04
|JEFFRIES STILL
The CHAMPION.
Gets the Decision in His Battle
With Tom Sharkey
After the Heavy-Welghts Had Fought the
Limit, Twenty-Five Rounds.

Limit, Twenty-Five Rounds.
The Champion Had the Better Of
It in Five Rounds Only, the
First Two and Last Three, the
Sailor Forcing the Issue in the
Other Twenty-But It Was a
Great and Desperate Struggle
FOR Supremacy Throughout.
NEW YORK, Nov. 3.-James J. JEFF
fries retains the championship Of the
world, Referee George Siler giving him
the decision at the end of the twenty
fifth round over sailor Tom Sharkey at
the Coney Island Sporting Club to,
night.
1t was one of the most marvellous
battles that has taken place, and the
greatest crowd that ever gathered in
the Coney Island Club house witnessed
the desperate struggle for supremacy.
In five rounds Jeffries had the bet
ter of the fight-in the first two and last
three. During the other twenty Shar-
key forced the issue, and like a. bull
terrier, was at his man with both hands
INCREASINGLY. In those twenty rounds
Jeffries' great weight and Drawn help
ed him to hold off the sailor, and in
the twenty-second round he swung in
a of yiaio
made Sharkey groggy. Tom came back
again in the ty-fourth and twenty
fifth, but he was weakened greatly by
Jeffries' vicious blows
One minute before the gong sounded
to end the fight Jeffries' left glove
came off, and practically the contest
was over. The referee motioned to JEFF
fries corner. an American flag was
! flung over the champions shoulders,
and the men We're led back to their
dressing rooms.
The thousands of spectators were
banked forty feet high in the building,
the place being packed from ringside to
rafters, and the aises aroud the ring
sweated under the glare of 400 arc
lights. Fifteen feet or less from the
canvas of the squared circle the heat
was intense. The fighters were almost
exhausted, and the spectators shrieked
themselves hoarse.
1t seemed at first as though it would
be short fight, for in the second round
Jeffries put the sailor to the ropes with
left on the jaw, and the referee pe-
gan to call off the seconds as Sharkey
kneeled on the floor. But from the
third round on Sharkey, with his vi
cious swings to the ribs and the jaw.
kept the crowd on it's feet waiting for
! a 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 an unfortunate and
unsatisfactory 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 noticeable that Jeffries used
his weight to it's best advantage,
throwing himself all over the sailor,
but the latter did his share of the hug
ging too. and both We're warned re-
Deatedly.
7 Ten thousand spectators gathered
around the ringside. Though Coney
Island was swept by a gale, the cars
came down crowded to the guards in
swiftly moving line, and the sports
waded to the narrow entrances leading
I to the arena.
! AT $50 there We're 5000 in the build
ing, and the boxes filled to overflow
ing All manner of men were there,
and among those well known were
James J. Corbett and John L. Sullivan,
former champions; Kid Mccoy, Peter
Maher, Tim Kearns, George Dixon,
Senator Sullivan and Jacob Schaefer
i and George Slosson, Frank Hutchinson
and Parson Davies of Chicago Gus
Rubin, Dave Gideon, Mike Donovan.
Chief of Police O'Meara of Pittsburg;
/ Police Commissioner Sexton, Ed Della
ney of Salt Lake, Michael Dwyer and
Benny Jacobs of eDtroit.
| A preliminary event of ten rounds at
/ 12S pounds preceded the big event, and
Kid Goulette of Rochester who look
ed deal like Jeffries on a small scale,
was beaten by Tommy Moran of Brook
| lyn.
l T,
Sharkey could be seen making his way
through the crowds. He was well re-
ceived, but Jeffries was cheered to the
echo Sharkey had on green trunks,
with an American flag for a belt, and
| the champion wore black
| Jeffries had behind him Billy Delaney.
Ernest Roeber, Tommy Ryan and his
brother Jack Jeffries.
| Sharkey was led to the southwest
corner by Tom O'Rourke, and was at
tended by George Dixon, Morris Kelly
and Tim McGrath, O'Rourke superin-
tending the entire proceedings
George Siler refereed.
Jeffries weighed 212 pounds and
Sharkey 25 pounds less, but the latter
looked in better condition. the Califor-
nian being callow and having staring
eyes, and giving other evidences Of not
the best condition. The betting at the
start was 100 to 20 on Jeffries.
They shook hands and shaped up
well. Jeffries led, and then landed sew
eral times, but was generally over or
under. On the other hand, the sailor
was wild, going into the fight with both
hands and swinging wildly, but he did
not land the first blow
Again in the second round Sharkey
was Topping around, and he came in
for a nasty left that rolled him over.
1t looked then as though Sharkey was
clearly outclassed. O'Rourke, however,
gave the sailor a talking to. and to the