Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-12-13
sEFFRIEs-sHARkEy.
Latest Gossip About the Two Heavy
Weiuhts.

WetuuvS.
Jim Jeffries can have another fight
with Tom Sharkey IL he wants IL
Tom O'Rourke, Sharkey's manager
and trainer, has issued q challenge TO
Jeffries to fight his man for $4,000
a side and the championship, the bat
tie to be decided within four months.
In addition to issuing the challenge.
O'Rourke posted SIS 700 with John Con-
sidine as an earnest OF his intentions
and to bind the match in case the
champion should see his way clear to
make another engagement with the
Sailor. O'Rourke thinks that because
of the dissatisfaction with which the
decision was received, Sharkey is en-
titled to another fight with Jeffries.
O'Rourke's challenge and his action
may tempt the champion to enter the
ring soon but he now looks to a long
period of rest from ring troubles. JET
fries says he is willing to fight, but
that he will not do so until his man
ager, Billy Brady, again advises him to
enter the ring.
Brady has set all doubts at rest by
declaring that Jeffries will not fight
before August of next year, anyway,
and that then probably he will be seen
In a mill to be decided in or near
Paris. Brady has his eye on the
Worlds Exposition in Paris In 1900,
and thinks a mill there would swell
his own bank account and the bank ac-
count of Jeffries as well. And when
Jeffries enters the ring 1t Is not likely
that Sharkey will be the man in the
other corner.
4 don't see why Jeffries should fight
Sharkey again." Manager Brady says.
"Jeffries has defeated him twice" he
continued, "and l should think that
would be enough for any man JEFF
fries has earned right to a good long
rest, and | intend that he shall have
1t He has many engagements ahead,
and | think he will leave the fighters
to themselves for awhile. Let the 9TH
err fellows thresh it out among them
selves. When one of them proves
himself good enough for trial against
the champion-well, it will be time
enough to talk business then. Within
six months of the time he won the
championship he defended it, and de-
Tended it successfully. Now he's going
to have holiday. Sharkey had his
chance. Now he can challenge all he
wants to, but that won't affect u.s."
81 thought So" was Tom O'Rourke's
comment when he learned that the
champion proposed to take long hol-
iday. He needs a long holiday, he
continued. HE doesn't want any more
of Sharkey's game. He'll dodge Tom
as long as he can, but he'll land him
yet, and this time therell be no
chance for an unfair decision-all the
referee will have to do is to count JEFF.
fries out and prevent him from resort
ing to foul tactics.
IF | was the only man who was dis
satisfied with Siler's decision l would
not expect Jeffries to give us another
fight But at least one-half of the men
who witnessed the contest were dis
satisfied with the decision. and I
thought Jeffries would fight rather
than go around wearing half of the
championship feathers while Sharkey
wore the other half. But | guess he'll
count himself lucky, and there's no
doubt that he is lucky. Sharkey beat
him out of the championship, but Siler
handed it back to him on silver tray.
Maybe that amt luck. All I've got to
say is that any time Jeffries thinks he
Is a better man than Sharkey we're
ready to make match. Jeffries's
statements of few weeks ago don't
seem to go. Then he was going to
fight everybody right off the reel. Now
he wants long holiday. Well, he's
wise. Sharkey pInctured another of
Jeffries's bluffs when he met him in
the ring. Jeffries wanted small ring,
so that Sharkey couldn't run away
from him. Who did the running? Ask
anybody who was at the fight. Why,
If the ring had been ten-acre lot it
wouldn't have been big enough for
Jeffries."
The story that Jeffries and Billy De-
laney, who trained him for his fights
with Fitzsimmons and Sharkey, had
parted, caused no surprise in sporting
circles. 1t was no secret that Delaney
was jealous of Tommy Ryan, who was
-Jeffries' boxing instructor in both
mills. On the day of the Sharkey fight
at the ELEVENTH hour-Delaney made
a statement that Jeffries did not fol-
low instructions, and that because of
his failure to do so he was not in first
class condition.
The publication of this statement at
the last minute astounded sporting
men, many of whom were surprised
that Jeffries should have had Delaney
In his corner on the night of the fight.
Delaney is a good, careful man, but
after this statement Jeffries had no
recourse but to allow him to go.