The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-30
BATTLE WITH DEATH
WAS LOST BY FEELEY, THE PRIZE
FIGHTER.
EARLY HOUR THIS MORNING
SAW THE END OF HIS CAREER AT
ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL.

Man From California Broken Up
over the Affair Released and
Then observation-disclosures Bail
in sum of $500 TO Answer Charge
of Assault and Battery-Death of
Feeley May Hurt the Game TO "A
Great Extent-SbOux City Fighter
Did Not Appear to Know Anything
About Boxing.
At an early hour this morning
George Feeley, the Sioux City fighter
who was knocked out Thursday night
by Jim Jeffords before the Savannah
Athletic Club. died.
Feeley never regained consciousness
for a moment after the terrific right
swing landed on his jaw and the ma
jority of those who saw him
did not expect for him to
recover. There was change
for the worse last night and his tenn
perature began rising. At st. Joseph's
Hospital at l o'clock this morning it
was stated that he would hardly live
the night out, and forty-five minutes
later he died.
The probable fatal ending that Fee
ley received at the hands of Jeffords
was talked of on all sides yesterday.
Discussion of the affair was not con-
fined to sporting circles, and it was
the general opinion that the result of
the fight, although unavoidable, will
do much to hurt the game in Savannah,
even if it doesn't kill it. Some went
so far as to say that it was a knock
out blow to the sport as we'll as to
Feeley.
Jeffords was released from custody
last night on bail, in the sum of $500,
Offered by Frank C. Foley, and accept
ed by the superintendent of police. The
bond is for Jeffords' appearance in Po-
lice Court to answer a charge of as
sault and battery. In the event of
Feeley's death Jeffords could not be
held for more than involuntary man
slaughter, and there are those who
have expressed an opinion that they do
not believe he would be convicted of any
offense. No one regrets the result of
the bout more than Jeffords, and the
big fellow from the Pacific was wor
ried a great deal during the day.
At an early hour yesterday morning
he was released, but when several
hours later there was not the slightest
change in Feeley's condition. he was
again made a prisoner. Jeffords spent
the entire day at police headquarters.
although he was permitted to go to
his meals in the custody of an officer.
When he was finally released last night
he declared that he had never before
spent such miserable day.
Jeffords expressed the opinion to a
friend that Feeley did not take the
proper care of himself while training
for the bout and that he had eaten
Jeffords attributed the Sioux City
fighters condition to this state of af-
fairs. Those who saw Feeley in the
ring, however, are of the opinion that
he was simply novice and at no time
in his career knew anything about the
game. He did not carry himself like
fighter and at no stage had the
slightest chance of winning the bout.
Although the fight was witnessed by
a large crowd there were not a great
many yesterday who were willing to
admit that they were on hand when
the blow was struck Not a few of
those who saw Jeffords send Feeley to
the mat were afraid they would be
subpoenaed as witnesses in the event
of the fighters death, and then their
wives would know that they had not
been ''at the office working hard"