Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-10
CANS WHIPPED
IN 2IST ROUND
BY BAT NELSON
White Man Now Undisputed
Cha NIPPON of the Light
weight Division.
ALWAYS MASTER OF HIS MAN
Outcome Never in Doubt, Colored
Fighter Devoting Efforts to Last
Till the Twentieth.

San Francisco. Cal, Sept. 10.-With |
his famous short arm punch but a |
shallow mockery of the past, his age |
telling 10 the experienced ring spec
tator from the first, Joe Cans once |
more fell a victim to Battling Nelson |
in their fight for the lightweight cham |
yesterday afternoon. He dropped |
from exhaustion in the early part of
the Dist round from the battering jolts
that the Dane had been pumping to
his stomach and the left hooks thai
had beaten his face into pulp.
A stiff right to the body and left
uppercut TO the same spot were the
finishing touches. Cans groaned from
the pain. and as Nelson stepped away
TO set himself once more Cans drop
ped TO the mat and rested on one
hand as the seconds were tolled off.
He yainly tried to rise at the count
of 10. but was too late. and Referee
Eddie Smith pointed to Nelson as
victor
Even had Cans been on his feet the
negro would only have been in for
more beating. The spirit that at times
! has brought to mind the Joe Cans
when he was in his prime was alto
gether lacking; he was merely help.
less mass of humanity that could
hardly raise a glove to protect him
self from the onslaughts of the Dane.
| Cans did well to stay 20 rounds and
to save the money his hackers had
wagered at evens that he would last
that long When he found his strength
had left him and that he could have
no possible hope of ultimate victory
the Baltimorean devoted his energies
to lasting the distance that had been
lset. 1t was all stalling in those last
few rounds. His efforts to land We're
feeble and far apart, and he welcomed
the incoming of the Dane. which gave
him something of chance to rest in
the clinches and save himself for a
time.
Nelson tried desperately in the 18th
and goth rounds to finish his man
Cans blocked as best he could, and
when the bell rang at the end of the
20th round the negro tottered to his
+, corner and shook hands with one oil
his seconds as if in token that he had
at least accomplished one purpose.
I Final Rally Failure.
J ut will be over soon now," muir
INJURED one of the fans near the ring
J side. Cans will not last five more
4 rounds. He never had n chance an(
\ now that he has stayed that distanc,
\ he will go quick
\ But the end came even quicker thai
X had been expected. The negro hat
Y evidently abandoned all hope, for h
x no longer sought the clinches. blu
z stood prepared TO take the punche
y that were coming. Nelson stood OF
q from his man fer almost the first tim
y during the fight and swung with left
4 and rights, battering Joe about tn
y ring. Summing up what strength h
Z had left Cans tried to make a fina
y rally. His blows had no effect O
{ Bat. who continued to land at viii
: A right to the body. then left uppel
cut were sent in rapid succession
4 Nelson was seen to step back as if I
8 land again and a moment later Gan
G agony showing in his eyes. 1t wa
q as if no punch had been struck. H
q was suffering from exhaustion an
3 the pace and was unable to stant
q The body blows completed what hook
B TO the face had commenced, and Jo
& Cans was once more thorough
8 defeated man.
X Timekeeper Harting counted Sc
9 onds faster than the referee, but tn
4 end would have been the same.
o any event Cans would nave been pl
x TO the canvas a few seconds late
Q He was tottering from wearines
X while Nelson was apparently fresh.
g Said Hand Was Broke.
9 Cans claimed in talk after til
x fight that he had broken his rigl
Q hand in the eighth round, but asid
X from a slight swelling of the ham
q as seen in his dressing room, thel
X was nothing to support this clair
VANS undoubtedly uuil tniS udi
x against Nelson's elbow. but it couldn
9 have interfered materially with h
3 fighting. and the sports here put 1
& credence in the report it had bee
8 broken.
n Nelson thoroughly demonstrated h
- ability to defeat Cans better than
their last encounter, because Cal
/ .; e II
:, ing and there could have been ]
question of the superiority of Il
Dane. He WIS as strong as he h