Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-20
M'GOvERN- CANS FIGHT A FAKE.

Chicago ILL.,, Dec. lathe Times
Herald, in its account Of the McGovern-
Cans fight, says: I'm bout heavily
scented with crookednsss, Terry Mo-
Govern became the lightweight cham
pion of the world at Tattersals last
night, by putting Joe Cans into q
state of apparent helplessneas in two
minutes and five seconds after the
opening of the second round. Singu-
larly enough, the result of the contest
oonformed In every respect to the
auspioious betting offered Wednesday.
and repeated last night at the ringside.
by men who passed through the crowd
with handeful of bills offering the
would be knocked out by the Brooklyn
terror, Referee Siler admitted that
the fight had a bad look. He did not
see any blow that should have put
Cans into state Of grogginess in the
first round. If Cans actually made his
best showing last night, he is SO far
outolsssed by McGoyern that no other
| lightweight on earth need ever expect
to equal Terry in a fistio encounter"
In signed statement to the Times
Herald, Terry McGoyern says: II did
not fake, that is a certainty. | tried
to finish the fight as soon as ! possibly
could, but I mustconfess the result
was somewhat Of surprise to me. =
Joe Cans, in q signed statement to
the same paper, says: 'tThe better man
won. That is all l can give in ex-
| PLANTATION of the result. did not lay
down. 1 was hit hard early In the
tight, and that seemed to take the
wind out Of me. / don't think there
is anyone who can stand up before Nc
| sx.he .s.xh@ lty,,st -
The Tribune, in its account OF the
fight, which was written by George
Siler, the referee of the contest, says:
"rhe fight, if such it can be termed,
lasted FIVE minutes and five seconds,
and was the poorest and weakest from
the Cans end, that ever WAS Witnessed
in Chicago. / 90 not wish to accuse
any fighter of taking; but IL Cans were
trying last night l do not know much
about the game. Cans, of course, is
entitled to the benefit Of the doubt as
to whether or not the numerous body
blows which Terry pumped into him
in close quarters during the early part
of the fight weakened him, but the
fact remains that the few blows he
delivered were the weakest ever seen
from man Of his known hitting
ability" -,
| The Tribune IN It's accoung VI tne
betting, says: Not only did the bet-
ting shift remarkably in McGovern's
favor yesterday in Chicago, but it was
reported that thousands of dollars were
sent to other cities to be placed on Nc
Govern. It was also reported that
Cans was up nearly all night Wednes-
day, and that colored sports all over
the city were betting On McGovern
yesterday, they having received tip
as to the outcome.
The Record says: "Terry McGoyern
knocked out Joe Cans at Tattersals
last night IN what appeared to be a fake
contest. The end came after two
minutes and five seconds of fighting in
the second round, Cans failing to arise
at the count of 10 in his sixth knock
down from blows which seemed hardly
/ strong enough to Jar him. Perhaps the
most suspicious feature was the bet
ting. Until within few days, the bet.
ting had been one to two that Mo
, Govern would win by knockout.
4 Then, report gained ground that Cans
/ was TO go out, and there was hurried
i effort to hedge. by oolored porters and
others who had wagered on Cans. Last
night, at the ringside, the betting had
shifted to even money that McGovern
would win by knockout. and this in
!, the face Of the fact that Cans had &c
: stop McGovern to gain the decision. :
The Chronicle says: "Gans made
= miserable showing for a man with
! championship aspirations. In fact, SC
. had was the work done by the colored
man that many Of the big crowd de-
). oided that the contest was not honestl,
fought. 1t might not have been, q:
:, the betting just before the fight,as vel
. as for two days previous, showed thai
y somebody might have given out tir
! that Cans was not going to do his best
On the other hand, it can scarcely b.
said that McGovern could be part!
to such an affair, for he fought thu
colored man with all the ferocity of
i tiper -