Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-19


The curtain raiser was to have been
ten round bout for decision between
Eddie Gardner and Ed Henderson, the
latter from Steubenville. Jack Nc
Clelland offlciated as referee. Eddie
was accorded a reception which gave
evidence of the fact that he shares in
the general popularity of his brother.
Henderson was not in good condition.
He showed up fairly we'll in the first
round, but with the disadvantages OF
being in bad shape and being clearly
outclassed the result was inevitable
from the moment the men stepped into
the ring. In the third round Gardner
had his man all but out and McClel-
land very properly stopped the contest
and awarded the decision to Gardner.
There was no waste Of time in ar
ranging for the bout Of the evening
Within five minutes the Omaha Kid
stepped into the ring, accompanied by
George Nau, Eddie Gardner and Hugh
Arnold. Hopkins followed with Pritch-
ard, Hobson and Fox as his attendants.
The crowd cheered when Col John
Murphy introduced the principals. He
also introduced Matty Matthews, OF
Brooklyn, announcing that he was
ready to meet any man in America,
regardless of country or color, at 1873
pounds.
When Gardner ald Hopkins advanc-
ed to the centre Of the ring to shake
hands, the superiority of the latter in
point of physical development was ap-
parent to all. He is about Gardeners
|; height, but heavier, and simple mass
of muscles. 1t is said that his physical
development is better proportionate-
ly than Shadows, and his appearance
left no room to doubt this assertion
Gardeners left eye was patched with
sticking plaster and he wore an elastic
band around his forehead to protect the
member.
When the gong sounded for the first
round the men stepped forward in a
sprightly way and fiddled for an open
Ing. Gardner assumed the aggressive
but no harm was done in the first light
exchange. A little later Gardner raised
cheer by placing left Jab on the
wind. He followed it with another in
the same place and rushed, the colored
fellow hugging and striking wildly
with both hands. Hopkins fell short
several times in countering. The pace
cut out by the kid" was fast, but the
round closed tame.
The second opened with more eau
tious sparring. Gardner resorted to
his usual tactics of trying to draw
lead, but his opponent was too foxy.
Gardner put left on wind and right on
head. The bandage fell from Oscars
forehead and it was picked up by Nc
Clelland. Gardner asked him to also
take the cotton from his eye. This
round was tame.
In the third Hopkins missed vic
ious lead, and blow from Oscars
right brought first blood from the
mouth. Gardner ducked into swing
ing left on the breast. The kid"
jabbed both hands on the face. Tie
Dandage bothered Gardner again and
was removed. Both miss leads for the
head. Oscar put left jab in the stom-
ach, and took the colored fellow off his
feet with a left book on the face as
the round closed. Gardeners round.
Oscar again threw off his bandage
and cotton as he advanced for the
fourth round. They exchanged chops
on the neck. Gardner put left on the
jaw and uppercut with his right. Hop
kins countered with right hook on
jaw. Gardner put another hook on the
jaw and left jab in the ribs and chop
ped with his right as the round closed
amid cheering.
Cautious sparring opened the fifth.
Gardner went after the face twice but
fell short, then found the wind with his
left. Oscar put vicious left hook OF
the jaw, then stopped rush with &
left swing in the same place.
In the sixth there was some clever
feinting and fiddling. Oscar put right
and left on neck. Gardner swung a
terrific right on jaw. Hopkins put
light right on back. Gardner chopped
on face and neck and put left on stom-
ach. Hopkins opened aggressively in
the seventh, but his leads failed TO
reach Gardner put left and right on
body and fell to his knees. Gardner
chopped the neck. Hopkins put light
left on the jaw. Gardner found the
wind twice and the colored fellow rush
ed him to the ropes.
Hopkins chopped the neck several
times in the eighth and Gardner jab-
bed in the face. Gardner fed several
stiff rights into the stomach. Oscar
put two hard left swings on the jaw
and found the body again. In the
ninth Gardner found the wind with his
right and back-hander on the jaw
With his left. Oscar stopped rush
with two left swings on the neck. They
exchanged jabs in the face The tenth
was livelier. Oscar opened UP with
some jabs on the face, and put several
jabs in the wind and two swinging
rights on the neck. As the bell sound
ed he handed out straight left on the
wind.
In the eleventh Gardner Wa the az