The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-05
fries the decision over Sharkey in Fri
day nights battle.
SOME RANK DECISIONS.

When Steve O'Donnell decided, in Madi-
son Square garden, that Billy Plimmer
had "oupointed" George Dixon there
was a howl that Steve never forgot
There was no one with the hardihood to
even intimate that 1t was possible that
Plimmer was the better man, yet he got
the decision and the glory and money.
Dixon could have beaten him in a finish
fight, and that is the true test of pugil-
iSt1c ability. Again was Dixon the suf-
ferer by one Of those unexpected wise
rulings of referee. 1t was decided that
Solly Smith had bested him in a limited
round CO. and even Smith did not claim
that he was Dixon's master. But he got
the decision and the money and the hon
or Regulations of numerous fighters
have been injured by decisions In limited
round contests. Dozens of such can be
cited. The lesson of 1t, all is that there
should be no decision where both men
are upon their feet, unless one is so pal
pably bested that there can be no ques-
ton of the superiority of his adversary.
JEFFRIES-S HARKEY FIGHT.
With all due respect to the superior wis
dom Of the referee and the wise men who
coached Jeffries through the fire of dan
gerous battle to a safe harbor, Jeffries
was not, on the battle by rounds, entitled
to the decision. He was the worst
thrashed champion who has ever come
out Of a battle victorious That he is
game cannot longer be questioned.
Sharkey hit him so hard that he rocked
like ship in storm, but, with his re-
markable vitality and tremendous
strength, he was enabled to keep going
until the finish and win a battle that he
had virtually lost up to the twenty-sec-
ond round of a twenty-five-round fight.
Sharkey was strong as lion at the fin
ish and willing to go on. Jeffries was
ready to quit, for the evening and for
year, as he announced after the battle.
The fact that Jeffries stated in his dress
ing room that he would not fight again
for a year, or at best for nine months,
was sufficient evidence that he had con-
cluded that he had had enough fight to
last him for a time.
SHARKEY STILL DEFIANT.
On the other hand, Sharkey says he is
willing to go right along and settle which
is really the better man. He will fight
Jeffries at any old time, any old place,
for anything, and the winner will be the
real champion. VIII Jeffries fight? Not
he. He has had enough. He will take to
the stage, and, like Billy Brady's former
breadwinner, James J. Corbett will fight
no more so long as the public will permit
him to pose as champion on a doubtful
decision. But will the public stand for
that? Not this time. There were reasons
why Corbett was permitted to pose for
years as a fighter who would not fight,
but Jeffries must clinch his title or get
out of the way. He has promised to meet
Fitzsimmons. Well, he will think twice
before he deos that. He defeated the
freak fighter, but he isn't so sure of him
self now as he was prior to having the
conceit beaten out of him by Sailorman
Sharkey.
JEFFRIES NOT A BOXER.
There is one thing certain, as shown by
the fight between Jeffries and Sharkey,
and that is that Jeffries is not so scientific
as was pronounced after his victory over
FitZsimmons. Sharkey went right to him
and hit him when and where he pleased.
And Jeffries "crouched And he did
everything else he could think of and that
Tommy Ryan told him, in order to dodge
some of the sailors sledgehammer blows
but all to no avail, for the man-of-
war's-man pummeled him SO often and so
hard that he concluded he needed a rest
Of about a year in which to figure out
how it all happened and he yet alive and
champion. 1t won't do, Mr.. Jeffries You
must whip Mr.. Sharkey, or the American
public will believe that he can whip you
Willie Green.