Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-16
FIGHTS AND FIGHTERS.
Sports are Crowding Into the
 City for To- Morrow Night

Austin Rice Arrived Yesterday. Look
 ing Slick as a Whistle-Dave Sulli-
 van and Tom Sharkey Arrived This
 Afternoon-Ring Will Be Pitched
 and Seats Erected To-Night-Son-
 testants in the Preliminarles VIII
 Arrive To-Morrow-otbe Fighting
 News
 The trains are bringing in the sports every hour now for the big atnietlc tournament which takes place at Poil theater to-morFow evening. EVery7 thing is in readiness for the contests to eommence for the ring will be pitched the first thing tonight after tne show now playing there is over. All night long carpenters will be employed in erecting the tiers of seats that ale to surround the ring on the stage ana by tomorrow morning there Will pc nothing left undone. The demand TOT seats increased still more to-day, pe- ' cause now that McGovern and Young Corbett have signed to fight under bll Crowley's management the people around the country believe that WhilI he is interested in must be all rlght. They realize, too, that the winner or the Sullivan and Rice fight tomorrow night will meet the winner Of the COT bett and McGovern battle, and every body knows that the contest VIII pe worth coming miles to see. And they will make no mistake, for no better card of boxing has ever been offered to the sport loving people of thls couh- try. The English promoters who nave been in this country looking for talent offered Sullivan and Rice q big purse to 90 across. but they had signed to box under Bill Crowley and they would not desert him.
 Austin Rice and his retinue of train CTS arrived here last night and the New London lad is looking as hard as nails Austin is a mild sort of chap outside She ring and does not do much talking, but he did say last night that he is bet ter in every way for this contest than he has ever been in his life and he feels that he will win. He is more than anxious to get this decision. for it will be the height of his ambition to face the winner of the McGoyern and Cor bett bout. and after that he can afford to retire after a record unequaled by
 
 make big effort then tomorrow night not to disappoint his friends in this state and outside it.
 Dave Sullivan, Tom Sharkey and bunch of other New York sports are due to arrive here this afternoon, and when they arrive they expect to set the pace on betting on the principal re- suit. They will find that the little Connecticut boy had a host of friends who will see them at every corner and for all the coin they can produce. Sul- livan sends word that he is fit as fiddle and ready to take Rice's measure and he promises to do so in short order. Sharkey says that Sullivan is a sure winner and that it is all over but the shouting.
 The chaps who will contest in the preliminaries will also be here this af- ternoon and each one is ready for the fray. Poli's theater should be packed to the doors and there is no doubt but what it will. Everybody, however, should secure seats. for there will be 1o standing allowed in the theater, and If all the seats are sold you cannot get Into the theater.
 Cincinnati, April 16.-John R. Consi- dine, acting for the Nutmeg club of Hartford. Conn, was the successful bid der for the Corbett-McGovern fight, here yesterday. His offer of a S14.000 purse, or 60 per cent of the gross re- ceipts. captured the prize. There were five other bidders. The Southern Ath- letic club of Louisville bid SIP 500. of 60 per cent. The Stag club of Coving- ton, Ky, bid $12.05O, or 60 per cent. The Yosemite club of San Francisco bid 60 per cent and no purse The Eu- reka Athletic club of Baltimore bid S6,- GOO, or 621a per cent. The Fort Erie bid S5000, or 60 per cent The bids were opened at o'clock. and for the next two hours and a half sam Harris and Johnny Corbett indulged in argu- ments. Corbett was unwilling to post a forfeit guaranteeing the club that his man would not be beaten before the time of the fight. which will probably be October 15. Harris and Corbett called each other names and cast refec- tions on each others honesty. but there were no blows struck and the pair had supper tOgether.- After supper slie Nutmeg clubs bid was accepted with out a waste of time. The fighters posted $2. 300 as a forfeit to guarantee appearance and weight, but there is no stipulation as to defeat in the mean- time Young Cnrbett is slated to fight Dave Sullivan. Kid Broad. Abe Attell, Martin Flaherty and Kid Lavigne be- fore he fights McGovern.
 Sam Fitzpatrick, the veteran mana ger of pugilists, will sail next Wednes- day on the St Paul for England He goes there as the representative of Johnny German, Tom Sharkey and Bob Armstrong German will accompany Fitzpatrick. Upon arrival Tn England Fitzpatrick will arrange an exhibition tour for Sharkey and Armstrong; They will give boxing bouts and the sailor will appear i'll statuary poses, in which he was so successful in this country.
 Billy Madden, on behalf of Gus Ruh- lin, yesterday called on Al Smith and posted S10,00O in cash to bind match with Tom Sharket. Madden is ready to have the encounter held anywhere Sharkey deems it. Madden says that the deposit is to go as suggested by Sharkey as a side bet, the battle to be