The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-06
SPORTING NEWS.
Referee George Siler's State
ment of the Fight.
Makes an Answer to Some
Severe Criticisms.
HE SCORES SHARKEY.
Says the Sailor Had No Claim
to the Championship.
And Declares Jeffries Was
Easily the Victor.

New York, Nov. George Siler. who
referred the Jeffries-S harkey fight, has
been severely criticised and defends
himself in the following language:
Yesterday was a gentleman and an
honest man; today am a loafer and
thief
THAT is, according to the sayings of
Tom Sharkey, O'Rourke and other ad-
mirers of Sharkey. Fortunately. am
considered a fair and honest man by
everybody in the Jeffries camp, and also
by those who backed the boilermaker,
and, to make it stronger, by great
many who had bets on the sailor. That
gives me a shade the better of the ar
gumenJ-and, perhaps the decision.
''Sharkey came out with a statement
today that 1 was a robber and that ne
always knew I was wrong that he
objected to me as referee, knowing that
I would rob him, etc.
Il presume I'm a fool to mix up in an
argument regarding honesty. and
straightforward dealings with man
like Sharkey. I've been mixed up in the
boxing game for 80 years, beginning
before Sharkey was born, and in all
those years have followed the narrow
path.
''Sharkey has been known in the
fighting world only for short time,
but during that time has been a much
talked of man with reference to fights
he has INDUCED in. Everybody in the
sporting game remembers his fight with
F'itzsimmons in San Francisco. in
which the latter was jobbed and robbed
by the referee.
II am not, understand, attempting to
square myself or anything l ever did
at the expense of Sharkey or anybody
else, so Wen pass his record up.
"Sharkey says I robbed him The is en-
titled to his opinion. 1 declared Jeffries
the winner, and if he did not win he
would not have gained the decision, so
there you are. A victory meant a great
deal to Sharkey. He fought hard to
get it and, in my honest opinion, failed.
1.-Two New York papers thought he
should have gained the decision, while
the others were equally divided regard
ing a draw and a verdict in favor of
Jeffries. One of the two publications
said [ was no doubt honest, but that
that he is an enemy of Jefries and eV-
erybody connected with him and that
ever since the match was made has
been roasting JemrleS. He also tOrgetS
that only few weeks ago he stated
through the columns of his paper that
I was the coolest and best referee that
ever stepped into a ring. 1 presume
touched his pOcketbOOk.
1.-The other publication states that Shar-
key hit Jeffries three to one oftener than
strong man and is noted for his terrific
hitting powers, STILL with all that, jeff
nose and his forehead cut, from the re-
suit Of Sharkey's hitting abilities On
the other hand, Sharkey quit the ring
with several ribs broken, his shoulder
dislOcated, his left ear split and three
times its natural size, his left eye cut
and closed, his nose cut and swollen. and
his face terribly battered, and, further
more, had to be taken away in a, carriage.
Still he scored three blows to JeffrieS' one
and should have been declared the win
ner.
''F'unny. isn't it? I'll admit am not
infallible and as apt 10 make a mistake
as anybody, but I can't figure wherein
made a mistake that night.
I looked over an afternoon, paper to-
day in which appeared about thirty opin-
ions of well known sporting men, all Wen
posted on .pugtlism, and find that the
only men that thought Sharkey should
have had the decision were O'Rourke,
Armstrong and Dixon, while the others
either said the decision was correct or
a draw would not have been bad
"And still I'm a robber. Now candidly.
why should I rob Sharkey or anybody
else out of a decision? Surely there would
be nothing in it for me. I am paid for
refereeing, and that is all there is to it.
But you know there are some people
who travel through life with the idea
that every man is a thief