St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-11-08
KNOCKED HIMSELF OUT.
Negro Prize Fighter Had His Oppon.
emit Whipped, But Got to Feel
ing Too Good. ...

ct is often the unexpected hap
pens in prize fight" said veteran
sporting man the other day, relates
the New Orleans Times-Democrat
''The chance blow and the hit me
now proposition are of frequent oc-
currence, but the most ridiculous
termination of a prize fight 1 ever
saw, or even heard of, was right here
in New Orleans. 1t was a fight be-
tween Il pair of light weight negroes,
and each had considerable follow
ing. Brown, city fighter, was al
ways favorite over jenkins, with
whom he was matched. l will never
forget the meeting. 1t was in a
weird, tumbledown old place with
rough wooden benches, built in shaky
tiers about a 2O-foot ring. The posts
of the ring were heavy cedar affairs,
not even stripped of their bark, and
with several ugly-looking, stubby
knots adjoining every surface. The
place was lighted up with smoky
kerosene lamps, and was reeking
with tobacco smoke and perspiring
admirers of the 'pugs.' From the
first round it was all Brown. He
fairly smothered jenkins in every
clash, and at the end of the first
round his hackers were shrieking
four to one on his chances, with few
takers. jenkins, however, managed
to stay on his feet for three rounds.
In the third he was on the ground
when the gong announced the end OF
the round. He was carried to his
corner by his dusky seconds and
propped up in his chair. His eyes
were closed and both arms and legs
were limp and useless.
'By dint of heroic treatment and
copious doses of whisky that would
eat paint off an iron fence, he was
restored to shape that permitted his
standing up when the gong sounded
a resumption of hostilities. In the
meantime Brown had disdained any
of the attentions of his seconds, and
had even lighted cigar during the
two-minute rest. As the gong sound
ed he sauntered to the middle of the
ring and gave q very praiseworthy
exhibition of buck and wing dancing.
Poor Jenkins was swaying about
with his arms to his sides and his
eyes closed. He was out except for
the fact that he was still upright.
Brown wound up his introduced
vaudeville speciality with cake walk,
and then settled down to the serious
business of the evening. Winking
wickedly to his shouting followers,
he took a position about three PAGES
from jenkins. He bounded into the
air like wild beast and with ter
rife rush he swung his right for his
helpless victims jaw. Unfortunate
" for Brown he also ducked his head
as he delivered what was to be THE
last blow in the fight. The fates
were kind to Jenkins. just as Brown
hurled himself through the air the
groggy, beaten fighter unconsciously
staggered out of harms way. Brown
plunged across the ring, past Jen-
kins and his woolly pate hit full on
one of the cedar posts with force
that well-nigh wrecked the ring. He
rolled ever on his back and long aft
err the count of ten he was still
stretched out unconscious. He had
knocked himself out, but jenkins was
the last one in the building to learn
that he had won. jenkins has never
since, as far as I know, had any
pugilistic aspirations, although in
this, mis- only fight, he was the victor.
The story of the trouble of stake
holders in this battle is another
chapter, and I have no doubt the po-
lice could tell an interesting sequel
Of how the place was raided and
Browns head was not the only one
broken"