The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-29
Forbes and Tokell Can't Agree
on a Referee.
That Seems to Prevent Them
From a Ring Battle.
ARE FOR SILER.
st. Louis Promoters, However,
Insist on Their Official.
TOkeII Claims That He Is Too
Soft to Fight Now.

Chicago, Jan 29.-Only one question
blocks the meeting of Harry Forbes
and Andy Tokell for the bantam
weight championship of the world and
that is the selection of a referee that
will be suitable to both. Prof. Jimmy
Kelly. who is caring for the interests
of the English pugilist. has named three
men who are acceptable to hina-George
Sner, Eddie Mcbride and Charlie
White. Hertz, for Forbes, was agree
able to any of these and it was decid-
ed to take Siler providing he would act
When asked SiIer said he was willing
to Officiate in such a battle. as it is
for an International championship and
is outside of Chicago.
At this point came the hitch, how
ever Charlie Haughton, matchmaker
and manager of the West End club of
st. Louis who has made the highest
bid for the battle, refuses positively to
allow any but st. Louis referees to act
for his club. Hertz is willing to accept
Harry Sharp, the St. Louis man, as he
has refereed fights for him heretofore,
but Kelly is obdurate and demands
that an official of national reputation,
one with something at stake besides
the bare giving of a decision. act, and
named, Siler preferred.
"Tokel is in no shape to tight now
and it VIII take two or three weeks to
get in good condition" said Kelly
Forbes is ready to meet him in a day
or two if you want to fight that soon,
suggested Hertz.
mo. Tokell has been in this country
a month now and hasn't been able to do
any work and naturally is soft He'll
need lots of good hard work to get him
into shane such p hafTIp' THnl1RI
the English fighters manager. 1T won
do Forbes any harm to rest week or
two before beginning his training after
his experience in California and it viii
take us a week TO get down to hard
work after selecting our training quar-
tiers. / am satisfied with us pounds,
but want 115 because that has been the
recognized bantam-Weight limit and
thenanobody can criticise US for fighting
overweight. I won't take on Frankie
Neil if I can get a match with Forbes,
for ] know Forbes is the real cham
pion and if TokelI defeats him it will be
a greater honor than if he wins from
Neil
Regarding the referee question. I
don't want some man never heard Of
The St. Louis officials may be all right,
but / don't knOwss5tss George Siler is
the man I want bat / am willing to
take any otherreferee of a national repu-
tation. I won't give up everything to
make this match. I want one or two
things my way The club. too. must put
up a forfeit of $500. You see il has
cost US over $1,000 to come on here for
this battle and want some sort of
guaranty
Hertz believes everything viii be
amica bly, settled as soon as Haughton
arrives in the city
When Kelly and TokeH first determin-
4 ed upon u date for the West End club
they chose February o. Haughton
wanted the battle within two weeks.
/ but to this Kelly would not listen for
a minute Then Tokell looked up the
date and found that February q fell Oh
Friday and he instantly demanded that
it be changed to the 26th-
It's p Thursday I want to fight on,
4 not a Friday" ne lacOnically remarked.
SO the date was set for the 26th.