The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-27
WOMAN WHO SAW THE FIGHT.
Mrs. Molly i. ReardOn Relates Her Ex-
periences at the Ringside.

From The New York Journal
Probably the only woman, except Mrs
EitzsimmOns, who ever witnessed a cham
pionshp battle between heavy-weights-
IN the East at least-is Mrs. NJ. f. Rear
don. She sat at the ringside Friday night
and saw James Juggernaut Jeffries change
the spots on the red-headed champion of
the world.
MIS- Reardon is we'll known in New
YORK. She is the proprietress of the Gar
TICK, chop house in FDrty-second street.
Just west of Seventh avenue To those
VINO know her-dnd there are few in the
colony that stays up late at night who
do nOt-she is Molly Rearion. She
started IN the catering business in a. small
way SIX years ago, and now her place is
known all over the country.
IN the crowd that frequents her nlace
theFe are many men of sporting tenden-
cles. For weeks they talked fight. and
the prepOnderance of opinion was in IA
NOF Of tltZsimmons. She became a Fftz-
summons adheTent and bet $50 on the
chances OF the red Australian The men
She bet Wlth-dmOng them one of the
most prominent lawyers in the city-al-
IONtd neT even money because she is a
woman. The rest of the story she reIIs
herself in the following statement.
Il had bet 500 on the fight and Uae
much interested in it. 1t came to pass
that l dreamed fight, and although | had
never seen FitZslmmons. | felt that he
could rot lose. / liked him because / had
hcdrd mat ne was good man TO his chil-
dren and that he was honest and fair
About a week ago | said that | would
IKE to go TO the fight. l wanted to see
my money lost or won. A couple of
friends, one of whom is a bookmaj,er
promised to aid me. When l make up nv
mind to do thing / generally do il and
l made up my mind that / was going 10
see the battle. While the impulse was
fresh ! went out and bought a suit of
mems clothes. Then j had Mr. Heuner
make me a wig and fix me out with a
nice black false musta che. l bought A
Whlte Fedora hat and a pair Of regulation
tan shoes.
After the excitement of the preliminary
arrangements was over, | felt like back
ing out but word had gone around that |
was going 10 the fight. and l felt that
had 10 make good my promise What
worried me WAS the chance that il would
be bloody contest. l though that fight
erS just hammered the life out of each
other when they got in the ring Il can't
see why they call il a ring. because il is
square,, and so | feared that / would have
10 witness regular slaughter.
For three or four days previous to the
fight Eddie Foy coached me on how 20
cct- He taught me how TO walk like a
man and how TO twirl my mustache
Everybody around here thought | Was
crazy when they saw me swinging around
the house like longshoreman. but my
practice in walking helped me along when
II came 10 the final moment.
Il left home about o'clock in the even
ing in a cab. accompanied by two men
friends. | had on my Disguise and Ii VAS
good one. When We got TO Coney Island
! had no trouble in getting in. nor did
have trouble in reaching my seat. II was
not until | had sat down and gaZed about
me that | fully realized where l was, and
then l thought l should faint All that
kept me from screaming right out was
counting the trips that the baske. made
between me reporters table and the place
where the telegraph operators were. /
counted about four hundred trips
only one man recognized me outside of
those who were in the secret. He walked
by where | Was sitting and | laughed. He
turned Ike a shot.
Keep your mouth shut, Molly said
he, or you II give yourself away
The smoke and noise had almost driven
me crazy when the men came in IeTrisE
Is a wonderful looking man / should ike
70 hlre him Tor bouncer at my front door
l thouEht FItZslmmOns looked weak along
side or him. When they started in | hid
my eyes. expecting them 10 begin TO ham
mer each other, but il was all so nice and
easy and graceful that / was soon inter
ested in spite Of myself
The first time FitZsimmons Was knock
ed down ! felt so indignant that | scream
I'd right out. There was so uuch noise
that only q few people heard me- and
they We're 50 excited that | guess tl-v
forgot H. During the rest Of the fight I
Kept quiet. ! did not think II Was brutal
Both men seemed 10 be imperyious n
pain FttZsimmCns seemed 10 take his
nosebleed as joke Along toward the
last, when / saw that my $50 vas going
where the Woocbine tWineth 1 became "a
excited as anybody. but | did not scream
After the tight / waited until Iba r7Isb
was over and then walked OUT win nv
friends. When | came 10 the door where
there was big crowd I reached IN Ia
tWlTl my mustache Sne il wasn't there /
had lost u ssme tine during the fight II
was 80 funny that ! almost forgot fLe
rZgedy sf it, But nobody appeared 10 nav
any attention 10 NE and I succeeded in
getting home without being detected
i dent know that / would sdvis. yxo
men % go 70 prize fights / shall Eey-r GO
10 another: But | was sgreeably sur
prised at what ! saw, Just the same aud
90 not regret my experience BESIDES I
Vas sure that / had lost my none
fairly"