The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-11-06
JEFFRIES.SHARkEY FIGHT.

JEFFRIES.SHARKEY FIGHT.
One of the Most Re bile Fistio En-.
counters Of Modern Times.
New YORK, Nov. 6.-James j. JEFF.
ries retains the championship Of the
world, Referee George Siler giving him
the decision at the end Of the 25th
round over Sailor Tom Sharkey at the
Coney Island Sporting club. It va.
one of the most marvellous battles that
has taken place and the greatest crowd
that ever gathered in the Coney Island
clubhouse witnessed the desperate
struggle for supremacy. In FIVE rounds
Jeffries had the better Of the fight. in
the FIRST two and in the last three. Dur
ing the other 20 Sharkey forced the
issue and like a bull terrier was at HE
man with both hands increasingly. In
those 20 rounds
Je1ries' Great Weight aud Rrawu
helped him to hold of the sailor and in
the 22d round he swung q couple Of
vicious upper cuts that made Sharkey
groggy. Tom came back again in the
Gath and 25th, but he was weakened
greatly by Jehries' vicious blows. One
minute before the gong sounded to end
the fight Jeffries' left glove came OF
and practically the contest was over.
The referee motioned Jeffries to his
corner. an American flag was swung
around the champions shoulders and
the crowd on that side and end of the
arena cheered wildly. The crowd on
the opposite side and in Sharkey's cor.
ner yelled for Sharkey as the men were
led back to their dressing rooms.
1t seemed at first as though it would
be a short fight, for in the second round
Jeffries put the sailor to the ropes with
a left to the jaw and the referee began
to call off the seconds as Sharkey kEel,
on the floor. 1t looked then as if shar-
key was clearly outclassed. O'Rourke.
however, gave the sailor a talking &c
and then to the amazement of all Shar.
key swung on Jeffries' ribs and Jaw
almost at will and there was a wild
audience. AS the fight went along,
round by round, the sailor fought his
way into the hearts Of those who mar
yelled at Jeffries' capacity for punish.
ment. The Californian crouched down
low and though his eyes blazed he
smiled at ORourke, who was coaching
his man over the ropes. Sharkey's
vicious punches began to tell and at the
close Of the seventh it seemed as if
Jetfries could hardly walk to his corner.
Sharkey's ear was split in the eighth
and it made him like a bull. He
rushed, swinging lefts and rights, and
lo,la1 raorl,, oil 1S %lo,, ,.<L ri:
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 Shar.
keys shoulder SO much that he was
Kissed and jeered. Jeffries landed a
terrific upper cut in the 10th and Shar.
keys eyelid vas split, but in the 18th
Sharkey got back with half a dozen left
swings and a straight right and it was
wonderful that they did not end the
fight. Jetfries Rugged the sailor harder
and shook his head as he went to his
corner. Every round carried Sharkey
across the ring at the start and he was
fighting the champion all over the
canvas.
In the 18th Jeffries made a bluff at
forcing, but Sharkey was at him again
like a bull dog and swung high and low
and landed almost every time he
swung. The Californian made little
effort to lead. He preferred the de-
fensive and he was winded. Sharkey,
too, was tagging fast and they punched
and swung and clinched and staggered
all around the ring for the next few
rounds. The crowd shrieked from the
sound Of the gong to the close of the
round. Both men
We're Covered with Blood
and Jeffries was bleeding freely from
his rose, which Sharkey's savage right
had split. Suddenly in the 22d round
Jeffries seemed to take on new life. In
that round the champion swung left
and right on Sharkey's jaw and almost
took him off his feet and the gong saved
him. He came back hard, however.
in the next round, but Jeffries had the
better of it, putting in two hard lefts.
In the midst of the 25th round, nearly
one minute before the close, J~effries'
glove flew across the ring and Siler ran
to help him on with it. Sharkey held
back, while his friends shouted to him
not to stop and it was a three-cornered
fight until the gong sounded. The ref
cree pointed to Jeffries' corner and his
friends and seconds cheered wildly. |
The majority Of those at the ringside
thought Sharkey would get no worse
than a draw, for the sailor fought
viciously and outpointed the champion.
On the other hand Jeffries, while he
had the better by long odds of the last