Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-01
ATTELL GIVES NEIL
A HARD BEATING
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
SAN FRANCISCO, February Abe
Attell. featherweight champion of Ameri-
ca, administered a second beating to
frankie Neil just outside this city last
night, and in the thirteenth round Neirs
seconds tossed the sponge into the ring
tc save frankie from knockout. The
fight had been carded to go twenty rounds
and was brought about by Neil, who
wished to try to retrieve himself for his
previous defeat by Attell two years ago.
Attell, however, was far beyond Neifs
class. and only once, in the eighth round.
did frankie have even the slightest mar
gin on the champion although it was APP
parent early in the bout that Attell was
playing with his man in order to give
the spectators run for their money.
When he really began to fight after the
eighth round, he soon had Nell beaten,
groggy; and whee Referee Jack WEIGH
stopped the fight at the signal from Neil's
corner it was necessary for. Neil to be
carried to his dressing room.
In the first four rounds Attell played
with Neil. frankie tried his old rushing
tactics. but he did not seem able to land.
Attell blocked all his rushes. and then
standing at arms length he measured
Neil with his left, bringing right across
over on the jaw and ear a la Cans. Nell
made desperate attempts to reach Attell
with body blows in clinches, but Abe was
as mastery in infghting as at long range.
Neil fell to the floor in the fourth from
heavy right swing which did not connect,
and he was wild for the remainder of the
round.
The next three rounds were all AttelIs
The champion chewed gum. laughed over
NeiIs shoulder in the clinches and soaked
frankie in the face and gave him rights
and lefts on the law. frankie was bleed.
ing freely in all these rounds. In the sew
enth Neil. by lucky swing, opened up
the flesh over Attells right eye, and the
blood nearly blinded Abe. frankie then
rushed in like tiger and he had Attell
holding on. This was the first round that
Neil had any advantage. Neil, encour-'
aged by the crowd. then began rushing
AtteIl. who showed up for three rounds.
1t looked as though Neil might land de-
csve blow. as he measured his left
swings carefully and had the blood pour
Ing over Attelrs right eye at the begin
ming of every round. Neil was the Ia
vorite of the audience. and they rose and
cheered when he came back pluckily and
rushed Attell around the ring.
. In the eleventh Attell's seconds sue
ceeded in fixing his damaged eye, and he
at once regained his lead. He hit Neil at
will. with left and right swings, and ne
also landed heavily on the stomach Nell
fought an extremely game fight. He fell
from weakness in the tWeiItn, anu soon
after Attell landed "a heavy left swing on
the face knocking Neil fiat on his back.
He didn't wait to take the count how
ever but bounded to his feet and sailed
in, trying to rush his man. he was al
most out when the gong saved him.
Neil was perceptbly weaker IN the thlr-
teenth round and Attell followed him
around. jabbing him viciously in the face
with right and left. 1t seemed lncredlpie
that beaten man could stand SO much
punishment and still come back. FINALLY
Spider Kelly, Neifs chief second, seeing
that: his principal was helpless, jumped
into the ring and threw up the sponge and
Referee WEIGH then gave the fight to At
tell The crowd applauded keilys action,
as Neil was plainly beaten and on the
point of a knockout.
After the fight Nefls father, who acts
as manager, raised a loud howl over the
surrendering of the bout by frankie S
seconds for he claimed that Neil would
have been ali right in the next round. 1t
was quite plain to the spectators, though,
that the tossing of the sponge into the
ring was all that saved Neil from
knockout. What betting was done before
the fight was principally on the PROPOSE
ton that Neil would last the full twenty
rounds The certainty felt by Attells
hackers in the superiority of their man
was pretty we'll demonstrated by the odds
Of 3 to l, which they offered on the ques-
ton Of winner of the fight. Both lads
were in good condition and weighed in at
l22 pounds one hour before the fight, al
though ii was apparent that Attell had
not prepared himself as carefully as he
did for his bout with owen Moran.