The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-04

| Idhssiue, Coney Island Sporting Club
New York, November 3.-James ]. Jeffnes
retains the championship of the world
Referee George Siler giving him the de-
cision at the end of the twenty-fifth round
over Sailor Tom Sharkey at the Coney
Island Sporting club tonight. 1t was one Of
the most marvellous battles that has taken
place, and the greatest crowd that ever
gathered in the Coney Island club Witness
ed the desperate struggle for supremacy
In five rounds JeffTfes had the better of
| the fight; in the first two and the last
! three. During the other twenty rounds
Sharkey forced the issue, and like bull
terrier was at his man with both hands un-
ceasingly. In these twenty rounds Jeffries'
great weight and Drawn helped him to hold
off the sailor, and in the twenty-second
round ne swung in couple of vicious up
percuts that made Sharkey groggy. Tom
came back in the twenty-fourth and twen-
| ty-fifth, but was weakened greatly by jeff
ries' vicious blows. One minute before The
gong sounded to end the fight Jeffries left
| glove came off and practically the contest
was over.
| Fighters Almost Exhausted
| Inc re1eree mOtloneQ TO JeHfleS corner,
an American flag was flung around the
champions shoulders and the crowd on that
| side and end of the arena cheered wildly.
The crowd on the opposite side and end in
/ Sharkey's corner yelled for Sharkey, and
the men were led back to their dressing
rooms. The thousands of spectators were
| banked forty feet high In the building, the
place being packed from ring side to rafters,
| and the aisles around the ring were lined.
The tremendous crowd sweated under the
| glare of 400 arc lights fifteen feet or less
from the canvass of the squared circle. The
/ heat was intense. The fighters were almost
| exhausted and the spectators shrieked
| themselves hoarse.
1t seemed at first as though it would be
| a short fight, for in the second round JEFF
! fries put the sailor to the ropes with a left
| on the jaw, and the referee began to call
| off the seconds as Sharkey kneeled on the
J floor. But from the third round on Shar-
| key, with his vicious swings to the ribs and
the jaw, kept the crowd on It's feet, wait
| ing for Knockout.
| Jeffries stood the terrific punishment, and
| with his eye, nose and ear split came back
| just as viciously in the last three rounds
| and almost retrieved himself Then came
! the unfortunate and unsa atisfactory ending,
| Jeffries glove flying Off bringing the fight
| to an end, although the crowd urged Shar-
| key to rush in and end Ut. This he tried to
| do, but Jeffries fought him back and Ref
| cree Siler rushed to the rescue. 1t was
| noticeab bic that Jeffries used his weight to
| the best advantage, throwing himself all
| over the sailor, but the latter did his share
| of the hugging, too, and both were warned
repeatedly.
| Ten thousand spectators gathered around
the ring side. Though Coney Island was
| swept by a gale, the cars came down crowd
| ed to the guards in swiftly moving line,
and the sports waded to the narrow en-
| frances leading to the arena.
Audience of 5000
| AT $50 there were 5000 in the building
and the boxes were filled to overf1owing
All manner of men were there, and among
| those we'll known were James J. Corbett
and John L. Sullivan, former champions;
Kid Mccoy, Peter MaJher, Tim Kearns,
| Senator Tim Sullivan and Assenblyman
| Thomas P. Sullivan, Jacob Shaefer and
| George Slosson, Frank Hutchinson and
Parson Davies, of Chicago; Gus Rubin,
+, Dave Gideon, Mike Donovan, Chief of Po-
lice O'Mara, of Pittsburg; Police Commits
! sioner Sexton, Ed Delaney, OF Salt Lake
| City; Assemblyman Harburger, register,
! from Maine; Michael Dwyer and Benny
Jacobs from Detroit.
| A preliminary event of ten rounds at 1928
| pounds preceded the big event, and Kid
| Goulette, of Rochester who looked a great
deal like Jefhries on smaller scale, was
| beaten by Tommy Moran, of Brooklyn.
| Then, after half an hours delay, Tom
| Sharkey could be seen making his way
| through the crowd. He was we'll received,
| but Jeffries was c1reered to the echo. Shar-
| key had on green trunks with an American
! flag for belt, and the champion wore
! black
Jeffries had behind him Billy Delaney,
Ernest Roeber, Tommy Ryan and his
| brother, Jack Jeffries Sharkey was led to
| the southwest corner by Tom O'Rourke,
and was attended by George Dixon, Morris
Kelly and Tim McGrath, ORourke super
intending the entire proceedings. George
Siler refereed. Jeffries weighed 212 pounds,
and Sharkey twenty-five pounds less, but
the latter looked to be in better condition,
the Californian being sa1low and having
staring eyes. and giving other evidence of
not being in the best condition. The bet
ting at tine start was 100 to 70 on Jeffries.
They shook hands and shaped up well.
Jeffriss led and then landed several times,
but was generally over or under. On the
other hand the sailor was wild. going into
the fight with both hands and swinging
| wildly, but he did not Hand the first blow.
| Again in the second round Sharkey was
| Topping around, and he came In for nasty
left that rolled him over. It looked then