The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-07
INDIANA-AVENUE BOXING
FRED BLACKBURN AND "SHINE"
RUSSELL co TEN ROUNDS.
Both Men Being Worn Out at the End,
the Referee Calls 1t n Draw
Other Bouts.

About two hundred followers of the hstic
arena crowded into the cOlored Odd Eel
lows Hall. on Indiana avenue, last night
to witness a boxing carnival. The main
bout of the evening" which was for ten
rounds, was between Fred Blackburn. of
this city and Shine Russell, of Alex
andria. Preceding this bout were several
others
Blackburn and Russell appeared in the
ring a few minutes after midnight. Rus
sell was much the larger man. He evident
~ weighed about fifteen pounds more than
Blackburn. who was also small in stature.
Through the contest it looked like either
man might have the fatal ten seconds
counted on him. 1t was by arrangement
prior to the commencement of the contest,
however, that if either man was standing
on his feet at the end of the tenth round
the bout to be called draw. Charles
Sieger Young Corbett's'' trainer, was
chosen as referee.
The contest opened with both men fight
ing shy of one another. Blackburn the
first to break ground, and landed a light
right jab on Russell's neck. This brought
the fight from Russell, who tried two left
jabs on Blackburn, but the latter cleverly
ducI1ed. Blackburn then sent a hot right
to RusselPs face, later reaching the head
In the second round Russell became the
aggressor and tried several times to land
heavily on Blackburn, but the latter again
ducked. Russell kept following Blackburn
around the ring and the latter stopped his
progress by sending a stiff right to Rus
sells head, following it up with a left to
the jaw Russell opened the third round by
jabbing hard right to Blackburn's face.
they clinched and in the breakaway Rus
sell again tried to reach Blackburn, but the
latter evaded him. The fourth round found
both men in an apparently weakened con-
dltlon. Both tried for head jabS, but their
blows lacked power. Russell forced Black
burn to the ropes and there both men
jabbed each other lightly.
In the fifth round Blackburn recuperated
and by several stiff uppercuts forced Rus
sell from his crOuching position. The force
OF Blackburn'S blows had a telling effect,
and for the remainder Of the round Russell
kept out of Blackburn way. Blackburn in
the sixth sent Russells head back with a
stiff right blow. They clinched and in the
breakaway Russell sent a hot left to Black
burns head. The latter retaliated by send
ing his left to Russell's face. In the next
round Russell opened up on Blackburn and
beat him all around the ring and kept rain
ing blows on his face and head. The gong
saved Blackburn. In the eighth and ninth
rounds Blackburn recovered his wind and
by series of right and left jabs on Rus
sells body and face had him almost out.
Russell hung on Blackburn to keep from
falling The tenth round was rather tame.
as both men were very tired. A number of
lght blows were struck, but at the end
Referee Sieger called the contest draw.
THE PRELIMINARIES.
Of the preliminary bouts the second, be-
tween Jess Clark and Bybee, was the
warmest The boys went in for four
rounds, and during that time they fought
with great amount of skin and power.
They were evenly matched Bybee had
the better of the bout, yet Clark gave
him such close call for the honors that
it hard to decide the winner. Referee
Jack Cullen gave the bout to Bybee be-
cause the latter was the aggressor during
| the fight.
Kid Blackburn fought three fast rounds
with Kid Stevens, of Casey, HI The lat
| ter was "A white man, and proved a novice
! at fighting. Blackburn's long reach en-
abled him to jab Stevens in the face at
| will, and when the three rounds were up
! he was red. 1t was a relief to the crowd
when the bout was over.
Another funny bout was one for six
/ rounds between Isaac UpShaw and Billie
Smith, surnamed the Columbia Club Pet -
! UpshaW was the larger and proved such
a hard proposition for Smith that the lat
| ter, several times during the contest had
! TO run and clinch to save himself from
/ being knocked out. Upshaw displayed lit
! tie science, but his great reach and hitting
! power overbalanced the science of Smith.
| Other bouts were by the Kentucky Kid and
| Roy Adams for four rounds.
Prior to the first contest and between the
| different bouts colored man named Toll
| liver played a piano and sang several
| songs in rag time, which he made UP
/ about the different fighters. He also re-
membered Superintendent of Police Taffe,