Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-18
FIGHTS AND FIGHTERS.
Boxing Tournament Last Night
 Was Big Success.

Manager Crowley Receiving Congratu- lations on Ali Sides-Dave Sullivan
 and Austin Rice Went the Limit for a Draw-Lewis Won in the Fifth
 Round from Walcott- Harry Galway
 and Tommy Connolly Had a Ten
 Round Draw-Other Fight News.
 Waterbury has been treated to all kinds of athletic contests in the past few years: some of them have peen good. some of them have been Tar aiu some of them have been very pau oc if was left for William l.. Crowley oi Hartford manager and matchmaker or tbe Waterbury Athletic club, to give 10 the people of this city the pest poAs ing exhibition that has ever been nsid in the New England states " hen "e say the best we mean 1t most elnpn ically. for everything that was auNel- tised took place and at the appolnteu hour. It was the first time that sueh an exhibition has been held at FoA ; theater and never was more ofuefls crowd present than the 2,OUo tnat ds- sembled there last night 10 WllHess the three contests. As one gazed lroln 3 the stage at the sea ot races lhal looked down on the ring there was cause for surprise that amidst all that crowd there was not one chance scarce W fo find fault with the conduct of any narson. Before the contests began there were one or two who entered the theater with lighted cigars, but those I-1x fi1lO the order came from the stage and from the police officers scattered around the hall. It was the first time in many moons that sports have sat through t1Irty-fiye rounds of fighting without enjoying a few whiffs at fhe weed, but they forgot all about thelr cigars and cigarettes when the fighting began. for it was fast, clever and as good as any that has ever been seen in this country. This lack of smoking was I good thing for the contestants, too. and gave the spectators better view of the ring and the blows that were struck.
 Two of the bouts advertised went the limit. In the first one Harry Gal way of this city and Tommy Connolly of New Britain put up very clever exhibition for ten rounds, and each had the other looking for queer street in different parts of the go. Both were there at the finish and the decision of a draw by Tom Sharkey, who refereed the first preliminary, was correct one. The second preliminary started out at a hurricane pace and Willie Lewis bad Bellfeld Walcott, the brother of the black demon, going ip the very first round. The little negro came back, however, and in the second had the white lad hustling to keep from going out. This bout went to the middle Of the fifth round when the negro re- ceiyed a couple of hard thumps that put him to the floor, and when he arose and got his arms around Lewis it took all the strength that Referee Crowley possessed to pull the colored chap away. The streak of yellow had been found and the colored mans heart had gone out with that punch that sent him to the floor. He was sent to his cor ner and the fight given to Lewis. It was clear case of quitting on the part of Walcott.
 There have been very many opinions expressed pro and con about the main bout of the evening, but if a vote was taken in the theater last night the de
 
 held. Dave Sullivan and Austin Rice had battled twenty fast rounds and both were on their feet at the close Referee Crowley decided the bout a draw and then came the objections All through this contest Sullivan was the aggressor, but the cleyerness cf Rice saved him from punishment Sul. livan is considered the best tWo-handed boxer that ever stepped into the ring at his weight and he tried every tactic known to pugilists last night to get an eHectlYe punch in on the little fellow rom New London, but in only one round did he seem to have the best ot IT, That was in the nineteenth. II Tact, IL was said after the battle was over that it was that round that gave sullivan the draw, for in about all the others and even in the first one Rice chopped Sulliyan's face to pieces witt his left Jabs and pounded his kidneys with his right until the little IrisI fighter several times lost his head ans tried wild swings to land, if possible. : knockout punch. Not once during those twenty rounds did Rice lose Iii. head, and although Sullivan chased him around the ring many times it gen erally ended in Rice jabbing that Ief to the face and going into q clincl without a return. For the number O effective blows landed Rice should hay. received the decision. Sullivan puncnet at his man more often, but his blow went around Rice's head and landed o1 the back of the neck more often thal they did anywhere else. In the nine teenth round Sullivan did his greates and best work. and he had Rice c1inch ing to save himself from a knockout Sullivan fought like a demon in thi round to get in the finishing stroke. bu the little Connecticut boy still kept hi head and saved himself until the bel gave him respite. Tn that last roun, he more than evened matters for th round before and cut Sullivan's fac until it looked as if there was not spot he had not reached. It was sai, after the fight that it had been agreei by both boxers that if they were ol their feet at the last round it woul be called draw, no matter who ha the best of it. Rice denies this an said before the fight that if it wen