Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-17

this country and after certain states get
wise so that the game can go on without
constant police interference therell be a
whole lot more. The old California Athletic
club started the boxing club game first
about twenty years ago and made tons of
dough. too. until the officials began to
give phony decisions for the purpose Of
beating fighters out OF their Just winnings.
You remember that Jim Corbett fought
Peter jackson at that club for a $4,000
purse. The referee. Hiram Cook. stopped
the battle in the sixty-first round and de-
clared the mill no contest There was a
long wrangle over this unjust decision and
the club finally agreed to pay each OF the
fighters $500 instead of 5000. This affair
gave the California Athletic club a black
eye and the sporting public soon lost in
terest in It.
THE fighting game then seemed to
switch to New Orleans and the Olympic
club OF that city became so prosperous that
the stockholders coined money with such
attractions as the Dempsey-FItzsimmons.
Sullivan-Corbett, McAuliffe-Myer, Dixon
Sicily, Fitzsimmons-Creedon, Fitzsimmons.
Hail. Fitzsimmons-Maher, Goddard-smith
and many other important fights. II is
said that the Olympic club cleaned M
about half a million dollars in three years
while the game was going fast there.
Finally the authorities began butting In
and the stockholders, having made their
pile retired from the game, while the
greatest boxing club the south ever had
dropped out of sight.
COney Island Club.
Along about 1892 John Y. McKane opensd
up his Coney Island fighting club. 7 was
there the first night. TIE fight was for
the bantam championship between Tommy
Kelly, the Harlem Spider. and Billy Plim-
mer' the clever little Bnglishman. It was A
pipe Tor Plimmer, who knocked Kelly ont
IN the tenth round. I thought this was the
FINEST lighting club house in America, with
IT'S immense seating capacity. McKane had
thlhgs all mis- own way in those DAYS and
pulled orr about twenty fights, which en-
aoled MIN and his crowd to clean I'D 800
OO In less than one year. II McKane had
Kept out of the trouble which made him
lose his power the Coney Island club would
have made millions.
AFTER McKane had ben sent TO sinc
Sing the big club house fell into the hand
or other men, who pulled off some big hat
Ties such as the Jeffries-Sharkey Jeffries.
Coroett, Jeffries-F ftzsimmons and others.
me club was then known as the Seaside
Athleuc club. and the promoters, who were
chletly Brooklyn politicians, grabbed of
|nO'OO or more out OF these fights
III was during the life OF the Seaside
cup that Jack Dempsey was pitted against
io""y Ryan and a more disgraceful sight
never ga" IN a prize ring. Poor Jack
was a wreck ana should have been In a
hospital that night. He couldn't fight AZ
ALL but the club simply nut him IN IN
draw the money at the gate. RvsD w.s
very mereiful and just played with Damr-
sey until the crowd demanded that the
broken down Nonparell be taken OF Then
JACK McAuliffe and other noted fighters
VINO were at the ringside, jumped over the
ropes and led Dempsey away. II was piti-
iul ana the club managers should have bee
p'Hcheu Tor putting Jack in the ring. as
ne was gone both physically and men
tally. ""u "e"
Inc next big club to open around New
Aorh was the Broadway Athletic oIub
"Hele many packed houses brought all
anus OF money to Little Tim Sullivan
ION Hourke, the ConsidInes and other.
was at this club that the Dtxon.Mc-
GOVERN, Walcott-Choyinski, McCov-Cbov-
Inshl' Walcott-Creedon, -Cbov
uahs-Erne' Gans-Sullivsn, Gans-McFadd.n
mcSoVern-Gardner and other mills ver.
me club while Big Tim Sullivan was The
a. 'hIhg at the Lenox Athletic club IN
eh, another big money maker. where
Co~roett-sharkey, Maher-Morrissey
49, mysterlous Smith. Jeffries.Arm.
us iaher-oDonnell Dlxon-Jordsn and
49, SnaTAey battles were decided. An
Atbta,to ,nonsy maker was the Empire
LavIvna AT Maspeth. l. l.. where
tionsI foh, NaIcott In the most sensa-
"e"' ever seen in the ring"