The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-07-05
Shameful Riot Takes Place in
Connection With the Bennett
Cooley Prize Fight.
DEPUTIES INVADE THE RING
Most Disgraceful Exhibition of Bad
Sport Ever Seen in Rings
the Death Knell of the Boxing
Shows in This City

The finishing touches we're put on
the fighting game in Kenosha Tues
day night, when the battle between
Fred Cooley of Chicago and Jack Ben
nett Of Kenosha, who appeared in the
wind-up Of the Algonquin Clubs
show at the opera house, ended in a
riot.
The men had fought for less than
two minutes when bunch of deputy
sheriffs and spectators 1eaped into the
roped arena and tore the men apart
Bennett claimed that he had been
fouled, and Cooley entered thessame
protest, but Cooley was ready to go
on and fight. The house was in an
uproar in second, and people began
to rush into the ring. Eddie Cliffe,
of Waukegan, who had served with
eminent satisfaction as referee dur
ing the entire evening, was overlooked
entirely in the fight, and the men at
the ring-side attempted to take the
fight into their own hands and settle
it in favor of their favorite contestant.
It was the most disgraceful scene
ever witnessed at fight in Kenosha,
and it undoubtedly rung the death
knel1 Of the sport in this county for
many day
Bennett and Cooley were the last
men to enter the ring for the show,
and from the first it was evident that
there was bad blood between them.
Bennett refused to fight straight
Marquis Of Queensbury rules, and in
sisted on clean break. After a long
wrangle Cooley's manager consented
to this arrangement, and the two men
we're called to the center. Cooley
seemed to be the best Of the pair.
Bennett started with his rushing tao
tics, which were promptly met by
Cooley, and the Kenosha man was
Knocked down once in the first few
seconds IF fighting. In second the
men were mixing it up in great shape
and both were hitting in the c1inches.
1t was at this time that the trouble
began. The invasion of the ring
ended the fight, and Bennett finally
left his corner and went to the dress
ing-room. Later one of the members
6f 1.-THE club announced that Cooiey's
manager had offered Bennett 5000 to
lay down in the fifth round. The
manager declared the story was false,
and offered to put up $500 that Cooley
would put Bennett out in three
rounds. There was nothing doing in
The Bennett corner, and after the
wrang1e had continued for nearly
half an hour, and the police had been
called to the ringside to que1l the dis
order, the curtain was rnng down. A
committee of judges was selected and
they found the fight a draw, and all
bets were declared off.
The riot attending the fight was
disgrace 10 the good craftsmanship of
the men Of Kenosha, and if fights are
to be interfered with in this manner it
is high time that the district attorney
and the sheriff take the matter in
hand and put an end to them.
The preliminary bouts we're decid-
eddy good. Kid C1eary of Kenosha
got the decision over Young Murray
of Kenosha after six rounds of fight
ing.
Kid Hertz, the undefeated champion
of Kenosha, more than met his match
in Billy Evans Of Chicago, who got
the decision after six rounds. Hertz
took an awful beating from Evans
and the latter would have probably
knocked the Kenosha boy out had it
not been for the fact that he sprained
his left arm in the second round. AS
it was Hertz was staggering on the
ropes when the gong called the end
of the last round.
In the semi-windup Young Morris
of Green Bay knocked out Benny
Linstead Of Chicago, after thirty sec
onds Of lighting. Morris sent ter
rife left hook to the point of Lin
stead's jaw, and he went out to stay
out. It was five minutes before the
boy regained consciousness, and he
was dazed for an hour after the fight.
Nearly thousand people witnessed
the show.