The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-05
AS SILER saw IT.
Fight Referee Declares the Bat
tie Was Not Scientific.
vas Simply a Contest of Endur-
ance By the Two.
EACH FIGHTER FOULED
But Nelson Was the Worst
Offender Throughout.
Statements Of the Men After
They Left the Ring.

GoldfeId. New, Sept 5.-"Unfortu-
nately for followers of pugilism and
spectators at the Battling Nelson-Joe
Cans contest their finish fight for the
lightweight championship Of the world
ended with the disqualification of Nell
sen in the forty-second round on a
foul. writes George Siler.
Neither foul nor disqualification
met with the disapproval of the specta-
tors. but Nolan and those behind Nell
son kicked. The foul blow, left hand
punch far below the belt. was seen by
hundreds Of spectators and especially
by the newspape correspondents.
Not only that but they saw Nelson
hit low repeatedly during the last ten
rounds Of the contest and thought he
should have been disqualified earlier in
the fight for butting tactics. 1 stood
for a great deal of Bats foul head
work and pulled his head from under
Cans chin times without number The
articles Of agreement stated 1 would
not be permitted to lay hands on either
of the men. but Nelson's head work
was so raw I actually was compelled
to yank his head away from under
neath Joe's chin.
once caught him by the hair
playfully. to call his attention to the
foul tactics he was indulging in, but
he was persistent in, not butung eX-
actiy, but so close to it that the specta-
tors, judging from the manner in
which they shouted disapproval Of his
atctics, thought he was putting
Cans also INDUCED in a bit of rough
work. such as running his elbows I'M
der Bats chin to get an opening for
right hand wallop. And once, and
once only, did he try to even up with
Bat by using his head, and then only
connected with Nelson's shoulder. 1t
looked bad to me. but was overlooked
bv the spectators because of Nelson's
foul tactics.
Summed up, the fight was a poor
one-that is. from a scientific and clean
hitting standpoint. It was simply a
fight Of endurance. with Bat trying to
out endure the colored man. Fighting
in the open, as 1t is generally termed,
was a lopsided affair, as Cans out
classed Bat in that style Of fighting as
far as some of the mines are from the
camp of Gfoldfeld.
81 am not putting it strong when
say had Bat kept within three feet OF
the colored man for ten rounds the
fight would have ended with clean
knockout for Cans He hit Nelson at
Will at long range with left and right
and vice versa He drew blood from
Bats ear in the first round and had
him bleeding from nose and mouth
before the end of the third round.
I'm fact, he hit him at viii and just
when and where he pleased BEFORE
the end of the eighth round he had
Eats lGLl eye a ENLOL8 LllCLlDCA u TIC
Society for the Early Closing Move
ment and we'll draped in blue and other
colors.
Bats nose and mouth thus early
in the game were a sight. His nose
spread pretty we'll over his face, and
his mouth. or, rather, his lips, pro-
truded far enough to hang a hat on
Joe, during these sessions, did not
show sign of punishment and looked
an easy winner in any Of the next four
rounds.
BILLY Nolan, Bats manager and
chief adviser. seeing the battle was go
ing decidedly against his protege, ad-
vised Nelson to bore in and fight close.
That was what he advised, but Bat
did not follow instructions, as he did
not what I should term fight close, but
simply laid his head against Joe's
shoulders. breast, and under his chin
the latter being foul tactics-and
tried to maui away at Cans stomach
or head. as the openings presented
themselves.
zoe was clever enough to keep his
body we'll protected, so Bats blows
were not damaging. In fact none of
his blows was delivered in close quar-
tiers and few of the blows he landed at
long range had force enough behind
them to affect the colored man. He
probably figured that If Cans did not
stop inside of ten rounds-his condi-
ton being supposedly better than Joe's
he would wear down the colored
man, as he did numerous other fight
ers, and eventually win out"
Statements Of the Men.
The following are the statements of
when Referee siler gave that de-
cision to Joe Cans he did wrong. It
was not coming to him. said Nelson.
Il beat Cans and everybody who saw
the fight and saw that punch that put
him. AS for fouiing him. that is ridi-
culous. I sent in left hook to the
stomach and he doubled up under it
and went down. There was nothing
else for him to do. He was beaten
and 7 knew that in the last fifteen
ference what anyone says, 7 beat him
fairly and the decision went against
me. He was never fouled I can
beat him any time we step into the
ring. and II We ever meet again I will
demonstrate it. 1t was a hard, tough
fight and we both fought every inch
Of the road. 7 fought to win. and I
won. but Mr.. SiIer said that 7 was a
loser, and there Is no more argument.
The punch that sent Cans down was
q left to the stomach. I whipped it
over with every ounce of strength that
had and it did the work.
"Of course Cans landed often. as ev-
erycne expected he would. He IS a
clever Fellow, but landed too many
times and the effe6et of the punishment
I handed out began to tell on my op-
Donent before the fight went many
rounds. It was a tough fight and W.
both went at it as hard as we could
Some people claim that I used tactics
that we're not thought well OF at the
Tingside. They say that I butted
wonder If there was anyone there who
watched Cans closely. wonder il
there was anyone who saw that RICH.
wrist on my throat all the time I
have my own ideas about those foul
tactics. There is only one statement
that will express my sentiments-Ref-
cree Siler gave a decision he had no
right TO give"
Joe declared himself in regard to the
lght as follows: Il was feeling alright