Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-12-06
FIGHTS
HOURS.
One Ring Battle Ended Only After
276 Rounds Old Time
PugiIists Were Game.

corning prize fights under London
prize ring rules, or glove contests un-
der Queensberry rules. Under prize
ring rules, the men fight on the turf
land use spiked shoes, similar to those
worn by %sprinters, but with heavier
soles, and heels, and laced high over
the ankle, the uppers being made Of
the lightest and softest of calf skin
In case either principal is knocked
down or thrown to the ground both
retire to their respective corners to
await the call of time for the next
round. Hitting below the belt. OF
when a man is down, is considered a
foul, but wrestling and hitting in
clinches is allowed.
The winner of many a hard fought
battle was not by long odds the clev-
crest man, nor the least marked nor
bruised after his opponent was de-
Jared the loser. At times the better
man was overawed and abused
shamefully by the mob of thugs or
partisans of his opponent, and think
Ing that discretion was the better
part of valor, agreed to a draw" or
purposely feigned insensibility, al
lowing his seconds to throw up the
sponge,
The first ring fight under these
rules in America was between Jacob
Hyer and Thomas Beasley, in 1926.
The longest bare knuckle fight on
record in this country took place in
Berwick, Me-, on December 4, 1860,
between Jack Fitzpatrick and Jack
O'Neil. The longest fight on record
that took place in England under
London prize ring rules lasted six
hours and three minutes, and was
held at Edenbridge on July II, 1S49,
between Mike Madden and Bill
Hayes. The only other fight on record
under these rules of longer duration
took place in Melbourne, Australia,
in November, 1856, between James
Kelly and Jonathan Smith. The
greatest number of rounds ever
fought under any rules only lasted
four hours and thirty minutes, and
after the end of 276 rounds Jack
Jones was hailed the winner over
Patsy Tunney, in 1925, Cheshire, Eng
land.
Fought More Than Seven Hours.
The glove fight, under Queensberry
rules, which vas declared a draw be-
tween Andy Bowen, of New Orleans,
and Jack Burke, of Texas. lasted sew
en- hours and nineteen minutes, dur
ing which the men fought ITO rounds
tie rules allowing three minutes to a
round and one minute rest between
rounds.
The fight took place April 6, 1898,
in the Olympic Clubs arena, on Canal
street, New Orleans, where John l..
Sullivan was defeated by James ].
Corbett, On the night of September
Z, 1892. Bowen was afterward kill
ed in the same ring by kid" Lavig-
ne, the southerner's head striking the
hard wood floor, causing conclusion
of the brain. The previous contests
held there, including the fight be
tween Jack Skelly and George Dixon,
Jack McAuliffe and Billy Myers, were
fought on sand, which vas moisten-
ed and tightly packed, and was a
safeguard against a fatality. Lavig-
ne and his manager, however, in
sisted on having a wooden floor, as
the men were to fight with gloves I'M
der Queensberry rules, and their
claim was allowed.
The wet sand adhering to a mans
shoes necessitated their being scrap
ed after every round, and retarded
his movements. Lavigne knowing
this, and being a pugilist who relied
principally on his speed, unintention-
ally caused the change to be made
which terminated in Bowen's death.
Jack Burke is now touring the
country with his partner, McEvoy,
doing a burlesque boxing act, and
punching the bag( at which he is ex-
ceedingly clever. Burke afterward
fought Stanton Abbott in the same
ring, and Referee John Duffy declared
the contest a draw after ten rounds
of fighting. The men were matched
to fight a finish, but Attorney General
Cunningham, of Louisiana, notified
the club officials at the last moment
that he would call out the militia if
they fought over ten rounds. Bowen
then fought Jack Everhardt, of New
Orleans, eighty-seven rounds to a
draw, after which Everhardt was
matched to meet Stanton Abbott.
The fight was the most brutal and
foulest in modern ring history. Pro-
fessor Gerhardt. who was Everhardt's
chum. acted as referee, and allowed
him to do everything and anything
he cared to regardless of rules. AS
the ring proper was surrounded by a
barbed wire Enclosure, similar to a
cage, and guarded by a platoon of
police under Captain Barrett, Ever
hardt was saved from the mob, who
were game enough to be men and
sympathize with Abbott.
kid" MCFARLAND fairly defeated
Eyerhardt in New Orleans, at the st.
Rarnard a G. on the outskirts of the