Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-11

MATTERS.
There was a very unsatisfactory en-
tertainment at the Metropolitan Club
house in Fulton last night. The pro-
gramme was diversified. 1t included
vocal selections, buck and wing dane
ing, feats of strength and a grand pugil-
istic farce. The attendance was light
very light. The crowd came expect
ing to see something else, and was
therefore disappointed even to sore
ness.
A big bunch of backing opened the
entertainment with rag time songs in
which he made a painful effort to Is
play the inner workings of his vocal or
ganism to the crowd. His companion
punished a guitar meanwhile. He
brought down the house, likewise Z
shower of silver, when he invited half
a dozen men to cling to his hair, and
in that fashion Sustained their COM
pined weight and carried them about
the ring.
Then a white quartette from Martins
Ferry or Aetnaville sang several selec-
tons. There was no silver this time,
and after a short pause, Announcer
Bennett stated that singing has the
peculiar effect of making a man thirsty
and he dropped a suggestion that the
quartette be given a donation to re-
move that dry feeling. Then there was
more singing, the hat was passed and
the collection netted enough to kill the
dark brown taste.
There was no preliminary. The main
bout was to be so plumb good that it
would be unnecessary for a pair OF
lesser lights to whet the appetite for
the big show. In the language of the
orchard, it was to be a pippin. Half
the crowd loosened their belts and set
tied back in comfortable positions to
see a bang-up contest. What they saw
was a deliberate and premeditated fake
"a pugilistic farce that would have
been very funny if it wasn't so expen-
sive. There wasn't any money IN
sight, and according to the peculiar
code of laws by which most pugilists
are governed, Moore and Fischer were
justified in their yellow exhibition.
Moore came in weighing about 1876 or
100, and Fischer 100 or 165. Bunches
of fat hung over the formers trunks,
and it is doubtful whether he could
have gone twenty rounds Of the friend
lest kind of boxing. Fischer was the
more clever fakir of the two. The
show might have been greatly improv-
ed by two or three preliminary rehear-
sails. AS it was, it was a palpable eff
fort to sand-bag the audience. Served
them right, at that. What if a man did
give up his dollar at the door? He
should have brought a half dozen of his
friends with him. Served him right.
Tboco ION notohorc oon't no ovno0tod IN
go after each other in earnest unless
the price is there. It's much easier and
more comfortable to "lay down." and
that is what Dick Moore did.
There was one we'll known local sport
who "smelled a mice" when the pair
entered the ring, and he had the cour-
age of his convictions. He urged the
pair not to hurt each other, and when
a hard swing missed he would remark
-'easy, now, easy, that one would have
stung." Several persons in the crowd
wanted the management to throw him
out, but before the show was over, all
were of the same opinion. There was
jeering in every round, and it was very
pronounced when Moore went down
and out from the terrific 60 swing on
the jaw, while everybody connected
with the fake locked sheepish.
Considered from a purely scientific
stand<-ct, it was interesting enough.
The boxing was clever. Moore gave an
exhibition of blocking somewhat SINH
lar to that of Stanton Abbott in his
bout with Leslie Pearce. There were
some beautiful love taps exchanged in
the first four rounds, and it was a re-
fined exhibition well suited to an audi
ence of ladies. All the swings which
had steam behind them were poorly
aimed, and fell short.
The knockout was a beauty. Moore
came UP putting in the fifth. They
handed out a few affectionate taps, and
then Fischer suddenly clouted his OPP
ponent in the Jaw with his right hand
nit. 1t was a "whack' which resound-
ed through the clubhouse. Moore
paused momentarily,-just about long
enough to decide that it was a good
place for the grand finale, and then he
went out. 1t was a very graceful, grad
ual fall, care being exercised to pre-
vent any pain, and while the house
jeered Dick Moore was counted out.
The funniest thing in the whole show
was the dragging of the knocked-out
pugilist to his corner.
There will be no mere bouts in the
Fulton arena until September.