The San Francisco call., 1904-12-31
BERGER PROVES
A POOR FIGHTER
Is Practically Defeated
by Casey, a Boxer With
No Pretension to Class
FINNIGAN. BEATS KEHOE
Bantam Weight Shows More
Experience and Hitting
Powers Than Opponent

Big Jim Jeffries, the champion fight
er of the world. can rest easily on his
laurels for time, as one of the sup
posed obstacles In his path has been
! removed. The much touted Sam Ber-
ger blew up with a resounding crash
in Mechanics Pavilion last night when
he met Jim Casey, a boxer with no
pretensions whatever to class, in
! four-round bout.
! The two judges, Bob Macarthur Of
| the Olympic Club and Jimmy Lawler,
! disagreed at the end OF the four-round
bout and Referee Billy Roche declined
to cast his vote in favor Of either man,
although draws are not recognized in
4, amateur boxing. A draw was the de-
cision of the officials. The spectators
plainly showed what they thought the
decision should have been, standing
about the ring and cheering Casey
while they had only jeers for Berger.
The affair was a sorry exhibition OF
glove work from start to finish Ber-
gers blows lacked either direction or
! force, while Casey swung his arms
around after the fashion Of an old
Dutch windmill. To the surprise Of the
spectators, Casey was the aggressor
from the start. He went after Berger
at the tap of the gong and early in the
round staggered him with one OF his
wild left swings that landed on Ber-
gers head. Berger's seconds tried to
get him tosuse his left, but he seemed
to have no control over his blows.
HEAVY-WEIGHTS ARE SLOW.
Both men were slow on their feet and
devoted much of their time to wrest-
! ling about the ring. Berger's nose COM
menced to bleed in the first round and
throughout the fight he presented any
| thing but a prepOsseSsing appearance.
| Casey was after him again in the sec
ond round and had the best of a slug
ging match. Berger sent left to the
head, but Casey came back with two
hard rights to the body. Berger was
holding continually to avoid punish
ment. Berger missed one chance for a
right cross that was so palpable to the
| spectators that they jeered him for his
lack of ability to take advantage of
the opening. Near the end of the
| round Casey walked into a hard right
| to the head, but it did not seem to
| hurt him.
Casey had all the best of the third
round, Berger eontenting himself with
hanging on and wrestling, while the
crowd hooted him for his unfair tao
tics. When they came up for the fourth
and last round Berger offered to shake
! hands, but Casey was too much in the
| fighting mood for any such civility.
He struck Berger as he approached
him and then went after him at his
/ top speed. Casey missed a desperate
right swing to the head, but later on
made connections with a hard right
to the body. Berger continued his hold
| ing tactics. while Casey used all the
limited knowledge of fighting he pos
sesses to try to land an effective blow.
The men did not hear the gong which
signaled the end Of the bout, but kept
on fighting for several seconds.
BERGER SHOWS NO CLASS.
! If Berger is wise he will not hook M
with Kid Mccoy or any other profess
sional, as his showing last night does
not fill out the predictions of his
/ friends.
Young Corbett and Jimmy Britt
were introduced and each was given a
cordial reception.
| George Finnegan defeated Eddie Ke-
| hoe on points after four rounds full Of
clean hitting. Finnegan showed more
! experience than his young opponent
/ and also proved a harder hitter. Kehoe
was knocked down in the fourth round
with a snappy left to the head. He
was up in an instant and at it again.
For the greater part of the fight each
man seemed intent on landing a knock
out blow. The fight was by far the
best of the night
| The gallery was crowded almost to its
| capacity, the rows of spectators reach
| ing down to the Polk-street end of the
| Pavilion. The main floor was also we'll
/ filed, indicating that amateurism has
| its golden rewards as well as the pro-
/ fessional branch of the sport.
/ Harry Baker and Ralph Bullet. a
/ pair of sprightly bantams, were the
first to perform. Baker jabbed Bullet
on the nose until he was painted a rich
carmine down to his waist line. The
decision went to Baker on points.
/ Danny Cole might be a success as a
day laborer. but nature never intended
him for fighter. He lasted two rounds
with Alex Mcdonald and showed a bad
case of stage fright. After he had bean
knocked down twice his seconds threw
up the sponge. He did not know how
to hit and could not land blow on his
opponent.
SPECTATORS JEER AT JUDGES
Jack O'Brien did all the lighting in
his bout with Bob Ritchie. but the
sympathies of the spectators were with
the latter. They jeered the decision
J of the judges. The demonstration last
] ed several minutes.
| Mike Synfy failed to appear for bis
fight with Bob Cairns and John Nc
Ginty was substituted. The latter was
in no condition. In the third round
Cairns landed blow to the body. Nc
| Ginty went down and feigned that he
had been knocked out. He writhad
around on the mat while nine was he
! ing counted. After the fight was
/ awarded to Cairns McGinty pretended
he wanted to go on. but his looks were
not in keeping with his brave talk.
/ He was we'll pleased to get out of the