The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-11
CHANT P|0NSH|P BOUT
TURNS OUT FAKE
Two Thousand Dollars Are In.
volyed in a Rank
Frame-Up.
MUCH MONEY TURNED
LOOSE AMONG SUCKERS
Manager of st. Regis Club Die.
tates Terms Of Match and
Fighters Agree.

string Of suckers. $1,000. and fake
boxing contest advertised for the STATE
amateur championship are the features
IN one Of the biggest athletic frame
ups ever attempted in this city. About
1000 fans we'll remember the four.
round championship fight at the 81
Regis club last Monday night 1t was
a big drawing card and all expected fo
get their moneys worth. but they cot
it in the neck Tommy Fitzgerald of
California and Peanuts Sinclair Of
this city, sixteen.vear-o lad, were
the principals III the match while Man
ager Price ct al. of the ST. Regis eluh
were said to be thc directors of ibe
frame, and Mr. Walker OF California
was TO be the fall guy.
Sinclair has made "A record here as
an amateur boxer. Fitzgerald had is.
sued number of challenges TO Sinclair
and said he could beat the Salt Lake
boy. In the meantime, Walker appears
on the scene, who had seen Fitzgerald
box and was willing 10 wager $1,000
that he could beat Sinclair. Fitzgerald
SAYS that he went to Manager Price
of the St, Regis club and told him that
he had hacker Tor $1,000. Fitzgerald
said that Price immediately goi inter
ested and told him that he (Price)
would put the match on providing Fitz-
gerald would lay down TO Sinclair.
Fitzgerald says that Price offered him
5000 and the purse. Fitzgerald said
that he could NOT get the match in anv
other way and agreed to go on under
those terms. but never intended TO
carry them out. as Walker had offered
Fitzgerald the $1,000 if he won the CON
test Al details were arranged and
the $4,000 was placed in the hands of
Charles Fisk, the stakeholder. After
the money was posted there was all
kinds of money in sight that Sinclair
would WIN the fight, while few suck
ers who did not know or the pre-
arranged affair feIl for the dope dished
out TO them.
The day of the fight came. \ large
crowd gathered ar the Auditorium to
witness what would ordinarily have
been a first.class bout had IL been on
the square, bur they were disappoint-
ed. Previous 10 the contest. men went
among the spectators Offering all kinds
of money on Sinclair The principals
entered the ring and time was called
The first pass made by the men showed
up the fake. After the first round of
poor exhibition the crowd was too
had never entered the minds of the
people present. But that was not all.
As the contest progressed several peo-
pie became excited. Those who had bet
large amounts Of money that Sinclair
would win now saw that he was losing.
Instead Of Walker being doube-crossed,
Manager Price was TO be bumped A
wireless was sent TO Referee Pete
Sullivan. and he called all bets of and
declared the match no contest. Sulli-
van says he WIS greatly surprised at
the turn of affairs. and had he known
how thugs stood. he would never have
allowed himself 70 referee the match
After the fight the old SAYING came
To mind. "A sucker is born every min
ute, but none ever dies -
A statement from the fighters fol-
lows:
Fighters Statement.
We the undersigned. ses by the daily
papers that We are ba rrcd from the ST.
Regis club for taking our bout on laet
Monday, June 4. and deem II 10 the inter-
est Of the public as we'll as ourselves and
all concerned 10 make the following state
mont, and TO show who was back or the
deal.
\ Mr.. Walker was backing Fitzgerald
10 the extent OF $1,000 Tommy went 10
asked him To match him with Peanuts
Sinclair providing Price would take some
Of the side bet. Price said he would take
the side bet and make the ma ,ch u Ffts-
greed 10 pay us 5000. besides the purse.
Knowing that Price has control OF the
clnb. We agreed TO take the offer. After
Referee Pete Sullivan called all bets on.
Price could not accomplish his purpose
Tho promoters, Manager Price and Treas
urer Charles Bates have refused TO pay US
the purse Signed.
TOMMY FITZGERALD.