The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-01-09
Game Little italian is Given the De-
cisiOn Over Henry Howard After
Two Furious Rounds.
LUCK AND PLUCK WIN BATTLE
Towards Arm Was Broken at the Open
ing of the Second Round and He Gave
UP the Flght-Preliminary Bouts

Joe Percente, the little Italian light
weight pugi1ist, got the decision over
Henry Howard at the Rhode opera
house Monday night after two rounds
of furious fighting. Percente was
game to the last, but his securing the
heavy gate receipts was victory OF
luck and pluck rather than victory Of
science and fistics. Howard can un-
doubted1y whip Percente and he ought
to, for there is no comparison to be
made between the two fighters. Ia
every way Howard is larger than the
Italian, but the game manner IN which
his opponent took the terrific punish
n1ent and sent blow for blow made
him something of a popular idol.
In the first round Percente was all
but out. Knocked down repeatedly by
the stiff punches from Howards right
and left, any ordinary fighter would
have hurled the sponge into the air
and given up the contest. It was not
so with Percente, for when the round
ended he was groggy and dreaming,
but he was unConquered, and when the
gong sounded he needed nothing that
his seconds said, but with a declara-
ton that he would fight he sprung to
the center of the ring and gave battle.
In the first exchange of blows in this
round Howard made a swing to catch
Percente on the neck, but he went wild
and his arm snapped like a pipe-stem,
breaking between the shoulder and
the elbow. Even in this condition
many people we're of the opinion that
Howard could have put his man out,
but Howard seemed to think other
wise and he at once announced that
his arm was broken.
Percente stood to discuss the matter
for minute and then sailed IN and
sent Howard flying through the ropes
with terrific upper cut on the short
ribs. It was all over from this on.
With broken arm there was no fight
in Howard, and although his hackers
urged him to continue he gave up the
fight and retired from the ring. The
referee, Joe Morritz, of Milwaukee, at
once awarded the fight to Percente,
and the decision was evidently a favor
ite one with the crowd, and pandemon-
ium reigned. People made break for
the stage and when Joe, weak and
bleeding, was brought out before the
foot1ights he received such an ovation
as was never before given a fighter in
KenOsha.
The crowd went wild and the
Italians rushed on the stage and
Rugged their idol, while the "cu1led"
population took their champion to his
dressing room and summoned two
surgeons who were in the house to look
after him.
The fight was witnessed by fully 500
people and the gate receipts, which
went largely to Percente, must have
amounted to over $500. The victory of
Percente was all the more pleasing to
the crowd on account of the fact that
it is alleged that the first round of the
contest was fully five minutes in
length
Hosea Sells, of Waukegan, was the
, timekeeper, and after the men had
fought nearly four minutes and the
gong had not sounded the crowd began
to get mad and while Percente was
taking the terrific punishment they re-
fused to see him robbed of his rest
There was all sorts of bowls of Time
but the watch licked away and
: Howard got his man nearer out. The
timekeeper was finally pursuaded tc
: pull the rope and this saved Percente
the battle and the money.
A great deal of money changed
hands on the result of the contest as
How ..rd was a prime favorite with the
sporting men.
The preliminary matches were good
The first was six-round go between
} the little Rice boys, and they certainly
t showed the people what fighting is
= They caused so much pleasure tor the
t crowd that they managed to have
purse of SIS thrown on the stage, there
being shower of silver most of thu
time the boys we're fighting.
The second match was a set-to be
tween Frank Chi1ds and his sparrine
i partner which resulted in no decision
j. after six rounds of clever boxing.
The semi-wind up was betweel
Young Christie and Jack McFadden
both of Chicago. This was one of tn
best fights ever seen in Kenosha. TIL
er men were we'll matched and bot
r, STAYED the limit. However, McFad
n; den had the better of his co1ored OF
d. ponent and got the money at the en-
III of the sixth round.
Id It is probable that the breaking {
es the arm of Howard will force him
lg retire from the ring for sever;
lg months, if not permanently. The ar1
is said to be in serious condition an
Ill there is a strong probability that tt
a career of the colored man as fghte
lg is ended.
as
MS Take advantage of our specially 10
IL rate of $50 for this paper and tt
70 Chihar o Weekly Inter Ocean for OF