The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-25
ERIE IS NOW CHAMPION
CLLNCHES HIS CLAIM TO THE
TITLE FORMERLY HELD By
JACK WAULIFFE
O'ROURKE ABUSES sHARKEY
Says the Sailor Is IL Moral Coward,
and Afraid of Fit1simmOns-
JefYries branded "a Cheap
Champion.


claim to the title of lightweight cham
pion boxer He decisively defeated Joe
Cans in twelve rounds of rapid work Fri
day night, the negro being scarcely in
the running at any stage of the battle
Prior to this victory, Erne had not been
regarded as a real champion despite his
defeat of George Lavigne. Now, how
ever, il seems conceded that Erne is bet
ter than had been believed, and he may
yet wear the toga once sported by the
only Jack McAuliffe. There was a great
crowd out to witness the battle between
Erne and Cans, and much money changed
hands. 1t was Ernes fight all the way.
A peculiar and distressing accident sud
denly caused a termination of hostilities.
Erne landed heavily on Cans eye, forcing
1t from the socket and rendering the col
ored man blind. The damage was not as
great as seemed apparent, for a physician
jumped into the ring and quickly replaced
the optic where il belonged. 1t is due to
just such unfortunate happenings that
boxing is so abhorred by many people
And yet in the day of the cestus TWO men
entered the arena with a full realization
that but one of the contestants might
leave it alive.
SENSATION OF WEEK.
The sensation of the week in pugilistic
circles was the declaration by Tom
ORourke that Sailor Sharkey is moral
coward. ORourke asserted that Sharkey
talked fight until he realized that Fitz-
simmons meant business and then backed
down. The manager of the sailor added
that he would terminate his business deal
with Sharkey on Sept. l, before which
time he would force the sailor to meet
at least one good man. ORourke says
that he will give Gus Rubin the chance
desired to meet Sharkey. Despite
ORourke's assertion, there are many
who will believe that the eX-Boston car
penter Is not taking the initiative in sew
ering his connection with Sharkey.
ORourke is not noted for letting go a
good thing when he has it we'll In hand
Sharkey has long been dissatisfied with
o Rourke's management OF his affairs,
and 1t is just possible, If not probable
that the sailor has notified Tom that the
end Of their business dealings would be
reached on the date mentioned by
O'Rourke. It is more than likely that It
is case of sour grapes with O'Rourke.
JEFFRIES TALKS FIGHT.
Big Jim Jeftries, who Is out on the
meet three men unless quickly notified
differently by his manager, Billy Brady.
Jetfr1os adds that he and Brady are on
the best of terms, and that all the talk
about differences Is bosh. Jeffries takes
occasion to say that he is anxious to again
meet SharkCy, adding that he feels GER
tain 9f his ability to easily defeat the
sailor. Jeffries should have reached that
conclusion earlier in the game. He had
an opportunity TO get on a return match
with the man-of-wars man Immediately
following their little engagement, in
which Il is a question which man got The
better of the argument. 1t is I'm decidedly
bad taste for Jeffries to indulge in such
talk ar this stage of the proceedings. By
the way, my old friend, who makes many
mistakes when he attempts TO deScant
upon battles in the ring long ago, Macon
Mccormick is eminently correct when he
says that Jeffries Is the cheapest cham
piCn America ever boosted. The big boi-
fermakcr may be a good fellow, but he
has yet to show that he is more than a
mediocre champion.
FITZ AND MCCOY.
When Bob Fitzsimmons and Kid Mccoy
face each other in the ring there will be-
gin the most equal contest Fitz has en-
gagged in in recent years. 1t must not be
forgotten that the Cornishman is little
above the midGleweight and that it is
an easy task for him to scale the stlpu-
lated lbs pounds. In fact, II is practically
admitted that FitZ can reach 1873 more
readily than could his present prospective
opponent. The battle should be an eX-
citing exhibition of scientific boxing. Fitz
wifi likely be picked to win, but Mccoy
will have q chance, and the interest will
consequently not lag. The match should
prove far more exciting than the contest
In which Corbett and Jefrries Will appear
In the leading roles. The date of the bat
tie viii settle the question as to whether
pugilists are determined to defy public
opinion and make matches in the winter
10 occur the following summer, and vice
versa,
CORBETT AND JEFFRIES.
Little is heard of the approaching bat
tie between jim Corbett and Jim Jeftries
The men are far apart, and Jeffries IS
taking on three men in Chicago That is
an old fake of Billy Brady's. What a
splendid mermaid man Brady would have
made! A stuffed fish, with a monkeys
head sewed on, would have made a for
tune for Brady in the days before the
mermaid racket was exposed. While Cor
bett was earning livelihood for Brady
the now manager of Jeffries saw money
in a meet three-mcn" snap in Madison
Square Garden. He acted at once and
engaged two unknown nobOdies, but failed
10 find third who was willing to go on
and pose as a chopping block for Cor
bett Billy appealed to Joe Lannon, of
Boston. Now Joe was a sturdy boxer,
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