The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14
O'KEEFE AND BRITT DRAW
FOUGHT TWENTY FAST ROUNDS BE-
FORE 10000 SPECTATORS.
Battle Was for the White Lightweight
ChampiOnship-O'kee Was
Charged with FOuIing.

BUTTE, Mont, June 13.-Jack Okeefe,
OF Chicago and Jimmy Britt. of San Fran
cisco, fought twenty rounds to draw
here this afternoon. Fully 10000 people
saw the fight. 1t was a fast and furious
one Britt had a shade the best of it. but
OKeefe was the fayorite with the crowd,
as the California boy had been accused Of
fouling repeatedly. The sheriff of Butte
jumped into the ring in one round and
warned Britt that if he did not fight fair
the battle could not go on. Abe Cohen an
nounced four men who challenged the win
ner. They are Joe Cans, Willie Fitzgerald.
Buddy Ryan and Toby Irwin.
The arena was erected on the old ball
park. On an elevated platform and under
a canvas roof the men fought in a chilling
wind, while the rain poured at intervals
The crowd of spectators sat in the open
but were not daunted by the inclement
weather.
The fight was at 133 pounds. When the
men weighed in at 10 o'clock this morning
Britt was a trihe under weight while
O'Keefe made 1t exactly. Betting was
even all day up to the hour Of the fight.
Sigmund Hart, of Chicago, o'Keefe's
manager, put 5000 on his man in Jumps of
$500 and $500. Britt was literally backed,
especially by Frisco sports. Followers OF
the ring were here from San Francisco,
Chicago. Seattle. Portland and all over
the Northwest.
The preliminary between Mauro Herrera.
brother of Aurelio Herrera, and Howard
Opie, OF Butte, was started at 1:3O O'Clock.
Duncan Mcdonald, an old heavyweight
and former sparring partner of Jim Cor
bett, was referee. Herrera knocked out
Opie in the sixth round with straight
left to the jaw.
FIGHT BY ROUNDS.
Round 1.-The men came quickly to the
center of the ring and fiddled. OKeefe put
his left to the face. They clinched and then
O'Keefe put a hard right to the head. Britt
landed hard left on the wind. Rights were
exchanged the round closed.
Round Britt was cautious. Both fought
fast and then clinched. Britt landed hard
left to the stomach. The crowd howled foul,
but the fight continued. They exchanged
rights and lefts while the crowd called foul
again O'Keefe landed right and left
Round 3-Britt landed his left on the face
and his right on the body. They exchanged
| lefts and clinched After the referee had
| cautioned them O'Keefe landed left to the
| face. The sheriff jumped into the ring and
warned Britt to quit fouling The round
In the fourth. fifth and sixth the fighters
mixed matters with honors about even.
| In the seventh O'Keefe landed right on the
face at the ss opening per OF the c5 round dob oKesre
| riously but both broke at the call of the
referee. Britt landed on the face and
OKeefe on the head. Britt landed on the
body. O'Keefe put his right to the body as
| they come to a clinch. They were fighting
| hard as the gong sounded.
Round They came up quickly and
Il 1frn pnfh q nd fch nd lof RI
| face. They mixed 1t furiously with honors
even. They exchanged hard lefts. Britt put
his left to the neck. O'Keefe landed left to
| the neck and followed with right to the
| head Both men were bleeding badly.
BRITTS HEAD BLEEDING.
Round eLThey came up quickly and start
ed the fast gait again. O'Keefe had Britt's
| head bleeding. They exchanged rights and
| lefts to the face. O'Keefe missed a swing
| for the head. Britt landed terrific right to
| the ribs. They fought furiously as they
| came to a clinch. This was a shade Britt's
round
Both men showed fatigue in the. tenth
Britt with hard left. The crowd cheered
| for o Keefe before the gong sounded for the
| eleventh In this round OKeefe put a
| fierce right 10 Britt's head Britt put left
and right low TO body and O'Keefe went to
| the floor, claiming foul. The referee re-
| fused TO allow the claim The twelfth was
|
| teenth and got a shade the best of it,
In the fourteenth both men played for
the face and Britt again got shade the
| best of the mixes and exchanges.
O'Keefe forced the fighting in the next
| round and landed several hard blows on
| his opponents head.
BRITT TRIES TO FINISH FIGHT.
Round 16-Before the round began Britt S
seconds urged him to go in and finish the
| fight Britt put his left to face and right
TO the body O'Keefe put left to face and
| followed il by left hook to the face. Britt
went into the ropes and O'Keefe helped
| him up O'Keefe landed left to face.
O'Keefc went down and Britt helped him
up. They started furious fighting at once
Britt landed left on face and O'Keefe right
| on head Britt landed hard on the mouth
| This was shade in BIRTHS favor
| Round 1T-They went to the center quick
| ly and countered with lefts on the head.
O'Keefc landed light left on the body.
| swung heavily but missed. mitigating fol-
| lowed. Britt getting in the most blows with
| his right. but O'Keefe evened up matters
| with his left Ii was trifie Britt's round.
Round lS-They countered hard to the
| head. Britt landed left TO the face and mo-
| ment later stiff left to the body. O'Keefe
| put light right TO the head. They exchanged
| and came to clinch. Britt landed left to
! neck. O'Keefe landed right on the head
! Britt missed left swing and O'keefe landed
| leIt 10 the ntdQ. 1ney exchanged rights
| to the face. OKeefe hooked left to the face
| as the gong sounded. Honors even.
| Round 19-O'Keefe landed right on the
| head. Britt landed right to the neck and
| they cIinched. O'Keefe put a hard left to
the face O'Keefe blocked They exchanged
| rights. O'keefe leads for head but missed
| They mixed II and O'Keefe landed right
| and left 10 the head. They mixed il in the
clinches and exchanged hard lefts TO the
| face. Round closed with honors even.
| Round a-The crowd yelled for O'Keefe
| as they came up for the last round and
| shook hands. They exchanged let's for the
| face. OKeefe put his riSht to the head and
| Britt his right TO the neck and left to the
/ body. Britt landed left 10 the Jaw and
/ missed a left. O keefe put his right to the
| body and left TO the face and again the
| right to the body in a clinch. They ex-
/ changed let's TO the face. O'Keefe put
hard left to the face twice and Britt to the
| neck. OKeefe missed right swing Britt
/ tried for a Knockout but missed They
| clinched and EXCHANGED hard lefts TO the
1 face. O'Keefe tried for a knockout but
/ missed. A furious mix-up followed and both
/ exchanged rights 10 the face and body
| The round ended at AIS.
So furious were the cheers that the de-
cision could rot be heard for some time
/ Referee McDonald's decision of a draw