The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-05
GARDNER WHIPS ROOT
CHICAGO MAN COUNTED OUT IN
 TWELFTH ROUND.
Crowd Was Not Large, the Exr rensive Seats Being Bare, and the Manager Comes Out With a Deficit.

Buffalo, N. Y.. July 4.-George Gardner, of Lowell, Mass. today defeated Jack Root of Chicago, in the arena of the In- ternational Athletic Club at Fort Erie. The bout. scheduled for 20 rounds. lasted twelve The men fought for the cham pionship of the light heavyweight class. purse of s7.00o and diamond medal. The crowd was not large. The expen- sive seats were bare. Manager Herman had banked on a s20,0o0 gate, bur he says he broke only a little to the bad. The men went into the ring for the main bout shortly after o'clock after a section of the roof had been taken off. hot sun beat down on the rosined cam vas. Referee Mcbride called the men to- gether and warned them about the Cana dian law and the necessity of avoiding hitting in clinches
 The gong then rang and the men were at 1t. From the tap of the bell Gardner showed his superiority over Root. He forced the fighting, Root leading only when he had to do so. Gardner opened with a wicked left to Roots face and followed it up with swings to the body Gardner had Root weary when the round ended The Lowell mans most effective blows were the left to the stomach and Root winced with pain every time they landed. From the first round to the ninth Gardner kept up the pounding on Roots stomach. The men fought fairly but the referee had his hands full sepa- rating them in the clinches. With the ninth round came the beginning of Roots undoing. Gardner ripped a smashing right to the body and Root came back with two rights to the jaw. but George rushed in and sent long right swing to Jacks jaw. Root was dazed. Two snashes in the stomach brought his guard down and a clip on the jaw sent him to the floor. Root took nine seconds on his knees and when he got up he ran into another smash in the wind and the gong saved him.
 Root was worried as Gardner came to him in the tenth round. Gardner was a bit. A left to the wind lifted Root off his feet and an uppercut shook him, but he fought back desperately. Gardner rushed Jack around, fighting wildly in Root much distressed.
 As the gong sounded for the eleventh Gssdner sent a left to the jaw and Root Gardner rushed Jack about the ring, beating a merry tattoo on his ribs. Root rallied and sent in right and left to the head hard and his crowd cheered. Gard ner seemed dazed but in the clinch he winked long-drawn wink to his seconds and as soon as the ciench was broken he sent three rights to Jacks head. Root toh away Dul a iOlS SWl0S back of the ear and he sprawled on the floor. almost rolling out of the ring He took the count. Two punches to the jaw staggered him again and a couple of up- percuts sent him fiat on his back as the gong sounded. His seconds dragged him to his corner
 As the twelfth round opened Root re- served his ebbing strength for an attempt at Gardner's jaw. Root was lifted off his feet by a wicked one in the wind. An other smash to the stock made Root goggy and swings on the jaw sent him down. He took the count, got up and was hoored again. He got up and Gardner stepped up to him carefully. aimed care weak guard toythe jaw. Root was on his knees when the referee counted. He was up second after and put up his guard, but the referee sent him to his corner. The twelfth round lasted two minutes and twenty seconds.