Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-25
PALAvER OF THE PUGILISTS
champion Jenrics il to Give an
Exhibition In Omaha Next
Tuesday.

Tuesday.
The next contest Of importance in the
pusiistlc world will be the fight between
George CkidJ Lavigne. champion light
weight Of the world, and Frank Erne. Both
men are now in training and the battle
will take place at the Hawthorne Athletic
clubs arena at Cheektowasa, just outside
the city limits This Is the place where
James j. Corbett and Kid Mccoy were to
have fought last September. 1t is NAM
moth affair seating nearly $1,000 persons
and is likely to be filled when the two best
men in the lightweight division get together
next month
Reports from Lavigne's quarters at
Oceanic y. j.. are TO the effect that the
champion is already 10 weight and that
he is in good fighting trim now. He is
being handled by Dan Creedon Erne is
doing his work at his own private gymna-
stun, and he has introduced new system
OF training. He does his work between the
hours of and in the morning and : and
in the evening During the heated part of
the day he lounges about in the gymnasium
or in the orchard in the rear.
The Hawthorne Athletic club is giving a
guarantee purse Of $500 for this battle.
Fitzsimmons is still the midlleweight
champion of the world although this may
be slight consolation for the man who so
recently lost the heavyweight laurels.
Should Fitz adhere TO his determination to
retire from the puglistic arena the middle
weight title would be claimed by Mccoy,
who has time and again asserted his willing
ness TO defend the title against all comers.
This OF course brings Tommy Ryan to
the front again, with a challenge to again
meet the Kid to battle for the honors.
Ia at in the hest
OF condition, as he has been training right
along with Jeffries for several weeks. The
Syracuse boxer was very seriously d'sap-
pointed over the falling through of his
match with Mysterious Billy Smith, which
was to have taken place June II. Smith
was overcome with the heat while training
on the highway, and he had to declare the
| match off and pay forfeit to Ryan. O'Rourke,
| with his usual keenness for an opening,
| jumped into the breach and offered TO fur
| nish Walcott as a substitute. Ryan re-
| spectfully, but firmly, declined, alleging that
| the dusky hue OF Mr. Walcott's complexion
effectually prevented him from meeting the
Barbados gentleman on equal terms, either
| in the social or hstic world. The color
| line is a handy argument to keep in store
| nowadays, and perfectly legitimate, II lived
| UP to by the boxer who does not wish to
| compete with his dark-skinned brethren. 1t
| is also convenient to be able to pass up a
| hard proposition sometimes, as often occurs
when hard hitting negro looms into view
The next big mill for the heavyweight
championship will be the Jeffries-Sharkey
| go which w. A. Brady and Tom o Rourke,
representing James Jeffries and Tom sharkey
! respectively, have arranged for October 90.
| The fighters agree for a contest for the
| lp1a rNtppc in Of hn n
| lowing conditions:
Contest shall be twenty-five rounds for a
! decision and shall take place on October 90,
1899 The principals agree to accept the
best inducements offered before midnight
September l. 1899, and il held in New York
the contest is to be strictly under the in
terpvetation of the Horton law. The contest
shall be governed by the marquis of Queens
berry rules and the men shall be permitted
to fight with one hand free, each protecting
himself in the breakaway. They are to part
at the command of the referee. Soft band
ages are to be allowed. but they must be
satisfactory to the referee and the opposing
principal.
The gloves shall not weigh less than five
ounces and each principal shall be per-
mitted to furnish his own gloves. which are
/ to be submitted to the referee for his ap-
proval at 3 o'clock on the day OF the contest
and to remain in his custody until the men
enter the ring.
The official timekeeDer OF the club must
be satisfactory to both principals and each
contestant will be allowed one tmekeeper.
George Sler was agreed upon referee.
The winner shall take the entire purse
The agreement provides that II either man
shall suffer defeat between now and the
time OF the acceptance OF the purse the
match will be declared off After the club
articles are signed neither man shall engage
in any contest except with his sparring
partner or shall forfeit the amount he has
deposited.
On the signing OF these articles each man
shall post 81. 500 with Al Smith who shall
be final stakeholder, said forfeit to stand as
a guarantee OF good faith and to be paid
to the contestant who has lived up to this
agreement. The club securing the contest
shall post s5 900 to be divided between the
two men in case the club fails to fulfill the
contract. Each party agrees to post So 900
in all which is to be forfeited in case of the
failure to live up to these and the clubs
articles. This forfeit OF s. 900 will be di-
vided between the club and the principal who
has lived up to the agreement Bids for
this contest are to be made to Matt Clune
and they must be accompanied by cash de-
post or a certified check for $500. The
club will be required to post 50 500 additional
when the contestants sign their club articles
The parties mutually agree to contest at
catch weights The referee shall have the
power to decide any and all points which
may arise that are not covered by these
articles OF agreement
II Is agreed that II the contest takes place