The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-06
THE FIGHT TO BE A FAKE.
Jimmy Kelly Saved Through rnfiu
ence of owen ZeigIer.

ence of Owen ZeigIer.
The sporting fraternity in Savannah
has been considerably exercised of late
over story, that has been in free circu-
lation, to the effect that the bout between
Jimmy Kelly and Tony Moran, which was
pulled off at the theater about the middle
of April, was intended to be pure fake
and missed it only through the interview
ton of a man who was not expected to
have anything to do with the matter.
That man is owen Zeigler, fighter and
instructor OF physical culture and boxing,
who achieved considerable local notoriety
by his victory over Tom Corcorsn. Kelly
was training in Zeigler's gymnasium just
before the bout with Moran and it had
been framed up that Zeigler was TO be in
his corner when the bell rang for the
opening round of the scrap. In some way
Zeig.er had il tipped off to him that MS
man was 10 lie down somewhere between
the first and the twenty-fifth round and
that Moran was to walk off with the de-
cision and those wise and favored ones
who had been put next to this little game
with the wads of their friends.
Zeigler says he told Kelly he wouldnt
stand for it. Kelly is a feather weight,
and Zeigler good man of about twice
his weight and inches. The little fellow
was told that if he wanted Zeigler in his
corner he'd have to go in to win, and
that if any such graft game was to be
operated as Zeigler had been told had
been planned, he was to be counted out
of the running; not out of the talking,
however, for he informed Kelly that II
he tried to work the game and throw up
the fight the people of the city would be
l. Il frRsa
had started
Kelly promised to do his best, and he
did. When he got into the ring he started
out with his head and both hands and
plnched and pounded Moran all over the
mat. He outpointed his antagonist at
every stage of the game, and when the
enc of the twenty-fifth round found both
fighters on their feet, Referee Jenkins
awarded him the decision There was a
howl that shook the roof. Those who had
expected to win found themselves holding
the either end of the string and receiving,
where they mad expected to bcstow, the
merry ha-ha.
The fight came off six weeks ago. but
jenkins says he has not received yet the
money promised him for his services as
referee. He told Morning News reporter
last night this was because the fight had
not gone as it had been intended to go.
Zeigler got letetr from the men who
sent Kelly to Savannah that is an inter-
esting document. 1t is postmarked New
York, April 30, and is as follows:
Mr.. Owen Zeigler: 1 wish to state
that you had no authority to interfere in
the Kelly match with Moran. I sent that
boy down there. Harvey and 1, and you
had no business to interfere and do as
you did. ] always had a friendly feeling
towards you, but you are overstepping
yourself and advising Kelly wrong in this
business. Now for your own good, you
will be making enemies of Harvey, Roche
and 1, as they are Mr.. Goette's friends.
So hereafter kindly look after your own
affairs and keep out of other folks bus
mess. Florrie Barnett. Billy Roche"
Zegler makes the direct charge that
the fight was to be a fake; that Kelly
was to lie down and that the decision
was to go to Moran when this took place.
He says he played the part he did in the
matter because he expects to live and
make a living in Savannah. and wants
to make it on the square. Another bout
between Kelly and Moran is scheduled
to take place on next Wednesday, but
unless the charges as to the fairness of
the last one are cleared up between now
and then, the public, which does not en-
joy an exhibition of horse-play, will
scarcely flock to see it.