The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-07
SAYS 1T Is FALSE.
Manager of AastraI Club DenOunces
Charge of Fake Fight.

Charge of Fake Fight.
The publication in the Morning News
yesterday of story to the effect that the
Kelly-Moran bout, which was pulled off
at the theater last April, was intended to
be a fake, fell like a bombsheil between
the two contending camps of local sport
ing men in Savannah.
During the morning there was an ami
mated conversation, with some show Of
violence. between Owen Zeigler, upon
whose authority the story was published,
and II. a. Goette, manager of the Austral
Athletic Club. During the evening the
latter said to the Morning News that the
charges that the fight was crooked, or
was to have been crooked, were malicious
ly false from beginning to end, and that
they were made by their author for the
purpose of hurting the attendance at the
next fight put on in Savannah under the
auspices of the Austral Athletic Club.
There is nothing we do" said MIR.
Goette, but there is an incentive which
impels our actions. We'll, If such be the
case. what in Heavens name could have
been the object of having Kelly throw the
fight to Moran? There was no money
bet on the result, to my knowledge; the
article on the face of il shows very lucidly
that it's inspiration was malicious.
The portion of the letter referred to
was in reference to the disposition Of
Kelly's end of the receipts. Ke.lys man.
ager had instructed me to deduct so per
cent. of Kellys end and forward it to
him, as was customary. l showed Kelly
the letter from his manager the day be-
fore the bout, and Kelly seemed satisfied;
but on the night of settlement he stalled
and refused to have me deduct the so
per cent. to be sent to his manager. The
portion of the letter referring to Zeigler
interfering was relative to the settle
ment and was purposey made to bear
different meaning.
Now, as to Mr.. Zeglers record in the
boxing business, we shall hear more in a
few days, as 1 have sent for clippings
from the leading Northern sporting pa
pers, commenting on a boxing match
which took place in Brooklyn between
Zeigler and one Charley Burnes. of Gin
cinnati the circumstances of which are
still fresh in my memory.
AS for the referee and his fee-the
story would not make edifying reading,
hence l will dispense with an explanation
unless solicited to do So
THE Austral Athletic Club is composed
despite the opposition Moran and Kelly
will meet on Wednesday, next. Suffice it
to say that the referee is indebted to me
TO the tune CT SIS, borrowed money.
Zeigler said yesterday that he had fur
nished the letetr from Roche and Bar
nett to Shorty Jenkins, the referee at the
Kelly Moran bout, al Jenkins instance,
and that he had no personal grievance in
the matter and cared nothing about it..
However, he reiterated his charge that
the bout was to have been given to Mo-
ran, when Kelly performed his part of
the agreement and lay down.
The referee complains that he has not
been treated fairly and insists, on the
contrary, that he was treated Sery shah
billy. He says the club employed him to
referee the match, agreeing to pay him
a. stated sum for his services. He COM
piled with his part of the contract, but
the club management did not approve of
his decision and therefore refused to pay
him one penny for his services.
jenkins says he gave his decision with
out prejudice or favor to Kelly, who in
his judgment won the fight on his merits.