The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-04
Californian Awarded Decision Over
Tom Sharkey, the Sailor.
WAS FIGHT BETWEEN GIANTS
The Most Vicious Pugsc Encounter Since Days OF Sullivan
and NIrain-crowdS at Coney Island RingSide Wildly
Excited and Yelled Like Fiends-Bettng
Favored the Sturdy Bo|ermaker.

! as though Sharkey was clearly outclassed
O'Rourke, however, gave the sailor a talk
ing, and to the amazement of all Shar-
key swung on Jeffries ribs and jaw almost
at will, and there was a wild audience
JefIr4es To,k Punishment Well
AS the fight went along round by round
the sailor fought his way into the hearts
of those vino marveled at Jeffries capacity
Hor t5uniSnment The Californian crouched
down low, and though his eyes blazed, ne
smiled and generally over at ORourke,
who was coaching his man over the ropes.
Shsrkey's vicious punones began to tell,
and at the close of the seventh round 1T
seemed as though Jeffries could hardly
wall to his corner and it seemed certain
that there would be new champion. Shar-
keys ear was split in the top and it made
MIN look like q bull He rushed, swinging
'lefts and rights, and landed nearly all of
them, with Jeffries throwing himself over
the sailor The Californian pushed his man
over the ropes at every opportunity, and
in some of the rounds rested his great
head on Sharkey's shoulder SO much that
The was missed and jeered.
Jeffries landed a terrific upper cut in the
tenth round and Sharkey's eyelid was split,
but in the twelfth Sharkey got back with
a half dozen left swings and a straight
rIgst, and it is wonderful that they did not,
end the fight. Jeffries Rugged the sailor
hard and shook his head as he wentsto his
corner. Every round carried SAarkey
across dle ring at the start and he was
fighting line champion all over the cam
vas. In the fifteenth round Jeffries made
a duff at forcing, but Sharkey was at him
again like a bull deg and swung high and
low and landed almost every time he
swung.
The Californian made little effort to lead
He preferred the defensive, and he was
winded. Shsrkey, too, Was firing fast, and
they punched and swung and clinchea and
staggered all around the ring for the next
few rounds. The crowd shrieked from the
sound OF the gong to the close of each
round. Both men were covered with blood
and Jeffries was bleeding badly from his
hose which Slharkey's savage right had
spft . ~~.-s.s'-ssse'-.
Suddenly, in the twenty-second round,
Jerrie5 seemed to take on new life. Just
at the close of this round the champion
swung right and left on Sharkeys jaw and
almost took nim-off his feet. He reeled
and dhe gong saved him. He came back
hard, however, in the next; but Jeffries had
the better of 1T, putting in two right upper
cuts. Jeffries friends howled themselves
hoarse, while Sharkey urged linn with loud
cries to go in hard and rough it. He threw
down his terrier-like head, and though his
strength was fast leaving him, he had JEFF
fries guessing until the gong sounded.
Sharkey Desperate
No one could say who would get in the
Knockout blow, and neither seemed able
to put enough force in his blow to drop his
man. In the midst of the twenty7fifth
round, nearly one minute before the close
Jeffries' glove flew across the ring, and
Siler ran to help him on with It, Sharkey
held back until his friends yelled at MIN
not to stop, and 1t was a three-c -cornered
fight for few minutes. The referee got
Jeffries glove and tried to draw 1t on. This
was difficult to do, and then Sharkey rush
eds Jeffries threw up his gloved and un-
gloved hand, and with the former upper
cut Sharkey. Siler rain between them and
made second attempt to assist Jeffries.
The sailor waited a moment but wildly
excited by the shriel5s of the spectators,
he rushed again. Siler dragged Jeffries
away, and the gong rang. The referee
pointed to Jeffries' corner, and his seconds
and friends cheered wildly.
The majority of those at the ring side
hardly thought that Sharkey would get
worse than a draw, for the sailor fought
viciously, always after his man with good
judgment and out-pointed the champion.
On the other hand, Jeffries, while he had
the better by long odds of the last three
rounds, did very little leading in the other
twenty-five, and when he led he was either
too high or too low getting in but few good
punches.
The decision was not announced from the
ring, or, If it was, few heard it; and a
great mob surged around the ground for
several minutes yelling and shouting for
victor and vanquished.