The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-01
PRIZE FIGHT AND ROW
OIL OF MUSTARD RUBBED ON THE
GLOVES WORN By JACK Bonner.
Tommy West Almost Blinded by the
ter-Interference by the Police.

NEW YORK. Feb. 2s.-The contest be-
tween Tommy West, of this city, and Jack
Bonner. of Summit Hill, Pa, pulled Off,
at the Lenox Athletic Club tonight. was
brought to a sudden termination at the be-
ginning Of the eighth round. Bonner's Sec
onds had rubbed oil of mustard over the
Summit mans gloves and the fumes of it al
most blinded West and Referee White. The
latter ordered the men TO their corners and
declared West the winner. Just what
prompted the handlers to use the stuff was
not made clear. but ii was evidently done to
place West at a disadvantage, as. up to the
close OF the preceding round. the New York
er had more than held his own. Bonner's
seconds were Johnny German. Billy Need
ham,, Charley O'Brien and Jack KeviIle.
Bonner was the favorite in the betting, two
to one being freely laid on him.
Bonner's height and reach were Offset i'm
the first round by Vests cleverness, and
neither scored any advantage. \ straight
left from West made the blood squirt from
Bonners nose I'm the second round and al
though the big fellow had a little the better
OF the exchanges West put up a game fight.
In the third round Bonner kept playing for
the wind and landed a couple of hard lefts
on the stomach. West retaliated on the head
and face. Early In the following round Bon
ner staggered West with a straight left on
the mouth. but Tommy got back with his
left on the body and right on the face. West
did a lot of work I'm this round. and the men
were even upon points at the bell. In the
fifth West had the better of the mitigating
and more than held his own. In the sixth
the men fought pretty evenly. In the sew
cnth West sent a splendid straight left flush
on Bonner's face. He fought back gamely
against Bonner's leads and had a shade the
better OF the argument when the bell rang.
During the intermission between the
seventh and eighth round Bonner's seconds
used a reviving fluid known as oil of mus
tard. the fumes of which are binding. The
oil was rubbed On BOnner's gloves and the
fumes of 1t blinded those who were sitting
close by the ringside. As soon as the men
shaped for the eight round West got a
Whit of the stuff and when Bonner landed
on Tommy's face the latter shouted hes
got some stuff On his gloves tina is binding
me- By this time Referee Charley White
was similarly affected and he began rub
bling his eyes. at the same time shouting to
the men to go 10 their corners.
Meanwhile West was jumping frantically
III his corner with pain ana his seconds
got through the ropes to help him. Bonner's
seconds also clambered through the ropes
and began taking the gloves of the big
AtAhtNs Nv UOAA(t liz lOOh ~ ldflI III the
game at this moment. Captain Brown. with
a couple of sergeants and "a dozen patrol
men. got over the ropes and when the spec
tators saw this move they could not under
stand the cause OF all the trouble. Referee
White called Oh the police to- arrest Bon
ners seconds, but Jacks handlers protested
aud said that BOnner's manager Fred
Miller. had handed the bottle of oil to them
after the seventh round and said II was a
good thing to use. When White heard this
be made a dash for the principal second. but
the police prevented him from striking.
White then declared West the winner and
there was a howl from Bonner's hackers,
but the bets went with the referees de-
cision and those who laid 2 To I on the big
fellow felt that they had been wronged.
During all this time the spectators were
standing on the chairs and benches clamor-
ing to know what il was all about. The
master of ceremonies. as soon as he could
make himself heard. explained the matter
fully. and when he announced the decision
of the referee there was loud and prolonged
cheers.
one man who had a box seat at the ring
side had an alteration with Manager Tom
O'Rourke and some blows were struck. but
the men were separated Immediately and the
building was soon vacated. No arrests were
made.
Before the principal event Ed Kennedy,
OF Pittsburg. defeated Tom Smith, of this
city I'm two rounds