The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-28
HAD A BOXING MATCH.
Lively Contests Take Place &C the
Athletic Club

over 200 persons attended the athletic
benefit given by the T. A. A last night
at their club rooms.
The program consisted ola four round
60 between Bonnie Kerns. a brother Of
the local fighter now in the east and
Tom Mackey a catch-aS-catch-ca can
wrestler bout between two of the local
Turner athletes Koepke and McGiH,
and a six round go between Joe Curry
OF Topeka and Jack Johnson of Chicago
In the latter bout it was apparent az
ter the first round that Curry was no
match for his larger opponent, Johnson
having the advantage in youth, reach
and physique. Curry was buffetted
around the ring during the first round
but managed to keep himself out OF any
serious rnixups. The second round
nearly ended the contest, Curry running
into a left swing on the jaw which put
him into a groggy condition, while an
other short hook by johnson put him
down where he would have been count
ed out had not the bell saved him
Curry recuperated during the 1nternais-
sion sufficiently to enable him TO race
Johnson for the third round but noth-
ing Of consequence happened IN eitner
the third, fourth or fifth ROUNDS, CurIy
keepinsy out of naixups as much as pos
sibIe and clinching continually 10 re-
cover his wind.
The sixth round was cut two minutes
short to save Curry from knock olL-
Johnson could have easily put a quletus
on him then and there but refralned De-
cause the crowd yelled don't nit hirfa-
Curry was aimlessly wandering arounu
the ring trying to collect his thoughts
and so weak that he could nave peen
n1lsl,ed over. Seeing that he was all IN,
Timekeeper Abbott pulled the gong anu
ended the fight.
johnson was seconded by Page and
Harris, Curry's seconds We're Johnson
The four round go between Kerns
and Maclxev was farcical affair with
honors even Mackey was slightly
oiitweighed but held his own There
were no hard blows struck anu az; trhr
60 was little more than cIincnihg
The wrestling match between
Koepke and McGill was a most inter-
esting affair. Koepke was outwelgh-
ed Int was the more agile of the two
and was winner in two of the three
hard bouts The first fall was Won
by McGiH in 1:15, the second Dy
Koeplke in 2:40 and the third by
Koen5e after a severe struggle in .
n1inntes. The mat of the ring was
too small and it interfered with the
wrestlers continually, the bout being
stopped several times to allow the
men to get back to the center aIter a
rolling fall had carried poth iileh oAA
of the canvas.
A free-for-alI was the next thing on
the programme. Six small boys and a
large one were turned loose in the ring
at one time. AFTER ABOUT I'VE mn
1ltes it simmered down between two
of the largest boys. They put UP a
most interesting match for a short
time. mixing freely, but the pace be-
came too hot and they wore them
I selves out from their own exertlon
and stopped before any damage was
done.
The next thing was the main go be
tween Curry and Johnson and about
all that can be said is that Curry
should find some one his size before
he enters the ring again. His age
also handicaps him. but he is one of
the gamest old boys that ever entered
johnson is the former Washburn
baseball pitcher. He winters jim Chi
cago, appearing in the preliminaries
Of the boxing shows During the
summer he pitches for the Cuban
Giants, colored independent Organi-
zatfon which tours the east and south.
He has been in Topeka about a month.