The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-10
HEARD The NEWS,
But nePlacei in Town
Where 1t Came Right
From the Ring.
THE SPYS MEGAPHONE.
Thousands Listen to the
Story of the Downfall
of Fitz.
THE SPY'S MEGAPHONE.

Fitz was knocked out in the 18th
round, and the people at the ringside
in the Coney Island Athletic Club had
hardly realized that the big boiler
maker had landed a knockout blow on
Fits jaw before The Spy's silver
tongued announcer had informed sew
eral thousand people who stood in
front of The Spy office, on Main street.
of the result, at just 11.O5 p. m.
The Spy was the first paper to tell
the result of the fight to the people of
Worcester, and did the trick fully
three minutes ahead of any other paper
in the city.
1t was the greatest crowd that ever
turned out to hear the result of a box
ing bout, and there was no let up
from o'clock, when the people began
to collect, until they departed after
listening to the story round by round
from the mOnstrous megaphone pro-
cured by The Spy for the sole purpose
of letting the people know about the
two heaVyweights.
There was no convex, duplex, bulle-
tin boards" there was no diamond
tipped wire" but there was a first
class service as the cheering after each
announcement plainly showed
One end of a wire was attached to a
desk in the office of The Spy, and the
other was fastened to a table at the
ringside, and an expert on the manly
art dictated the rounds to an operator
second only to the one employed by
The Spy, and in the twinkling of an
eye it was given to the crowd by The
Spy's megaphone expert.
Yesterday morning, by special ar
rangement with the Worcester Electric
Light Company, an electric light was
rugged up on The Spys bulletin board,
The people We're informed that they
could get the correct result of the
contest round by round and at o'clock
last night 300 people were in front of
The Spy office so as to get places. In an
hour the crowd had increased to 1000
and Officer Ramsdell who travels the
beat in front of the office teleplfOned to
station l for an extra force to open a
passaseway through the street.
The crowd increased every minute
and were packed in so closely between
the plaza in front of the city hall across
the street to The Spy office that it was
next to impossible for a person to pass.
Conductors thought of telephoning to
John N. Akarman, manager of the Con-
solidated street railway, about the
crush, as it was impossible for them to
get through with their cars. but with
the aid of officers Ramsdell, Barker,
Fyrberg, Laviolette and Gleason, in
charge of Sergt. Hickey, passage way
was opened up occasionally and an cleo
trio car allowed to go through.
One car bound for New Worcester
started to pass through the crowd and
70 Il no on hand
as they heard the announcements of
the fight, all deserted the car with the
exception of the motorman, conductor
and two ladies. The conductor said
things about being obliged to work and
the motorman would never be arrested
for driving his car at a rate of speed in
excess of the law, so interested was h.
in the results of the fight.
At 1922 o'clock, when Referee Siler
called the principals to the center of
the ring to shake hands, there were
office, and as the news was dealt out
round by round the crowd constantly
increased.
better natured gathering of people
it would be hard to find even at pro-
hibition convention. Every one knew his
place and a number of ladies who
thought that Mr.. Fitzsimmons
would certainly be able to give
Mr.. Jeffries one or two
slaps that would make him
stop fighting were on the outside OF
the crowd, and said things about the
lovely voice of the announcer that
would have made him blush had he
been there.
The first announcement made, that
the New York police would allow a
knockout, brought a volley Of cheers
from the crowd that made people Iiv-
ing out near Franklin square stick
their heads out of the windows and
wonder what the matter was. From
that hour until Hos o'clock, when the
result was made known, people came