Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-13
FIGHTS IND FIGHTERS
Shapkey Was Forced to Declare
 Himself By a Clerk.

He Astonished the Bank Clerk by
 Flashing Bank Books on Him-Mc-
 Govern and Broad To-night-Jack
 O'Brien Whips Handler-Fitzsim-
 mons and Jeffries May Meet-Palm-
 CT Beaten by Ware-Other Notes on
 the Game
 One postal clerk, who never saw a prize fight, held up Thomas Sharkey, got his bank books, and made the pugilist tell more of his financial af- fairs than he would care to have made public.
 The scene was in the general post office. Sharkey had orders for S2, 2,5O0. He presented them to be cashed
 Are you MT Sharkey?" asked the clerk, peering through the railing.
 Sharkey struck characteristic pose and insisted that he was the only orig 1nal sailor, but the clerk didn't think the man in front of him had height enough for a man of Sharkey's reputa- tion.
 I'm Sharkey, and I can prove it." declared the sailor, who was beginning to grow angry.
 That's just what l want you to do,'' answered the clerk, who moved back out of the reach of the fighters arms just on chance that the man in front of him might be the real fighting thing. But Sharkey's offensive move ment were only his way of side-steD- ping and feinting when he wanted to draw out one of his visiting cards
 ''There!' he cried, contemptuously; that's my card"
 Any one could hand me one of those.'
 Again Sharkey searched himself for evidence that would bring the money, and he produced another card bearing the inscriptions: "Thomas Sharkey, challenger of the heavyweight cham pion of the world.'
 This had no effect on the clerk.
 But this money is from my ranch in California;" said Sharkey. T am not trying to bunco anybody. If you l don't believe me. look at these bank books. There's $500OO left in one bank and $125,000 in another I have | just drawn out &5O,O0O and put it in trust fund for my father and mother | in Ireland. They are to have the in- terest while they live''
 But the clerk had heard so many l confidence talks before that he thought this must be a real bunco man and at | once D9caule tue cnaInplOD or poor MT Sharkey/
 q don't know whether these books | belong to you," he said and I'll just keep them until you bring some one here to prove that you are really the prize fighter
 Sharkey was just in the humor to make that postoftice look like the rib bon counter of a department store after bargain sale. but he checked himself and started out on a search for any one who knew him. While he was gone the clerks exam ined MT Sharkey's bank accounts Both books had just been balanced and everything the sailor had said was true. One deposit of $50,00O interest ed them much, because 1t was made | just two days after he lost his fight with Fitzsimmons. His share of the money did not amount to that much and they were wondering if the sailol had backed the Australian in the fight against himself.
 Sharkey returned with man to iden tify him and got the money and his | books. That postal clerk is scared tC death for fear Sharlley will recognize him on the street and take his revenge He has, however, made a study of Nil Sharkey's wealth, and estimates it. ac cording to Sharkey's figures, as: Casl in banks. S175OO0; trust fund for par ents. S5O,O00; ranch, $5OOO0; Four teerth street saloon, $36,OOO; total $311 00O.