The sun., 1909-06-06
A Grand Clog Dancing Match
Between
Jack Demrsey and Bllly Dacev.
Tickets with all extras ,..,.. .tlO.

A Grand Clog Dancing Match
| Jack Demrscy and BILLY Dacev.
/: Tickets with all extras ....,.. 80.
.The date and place OF mill were
never given on the tickets. Tho pro-
moter had-a certain number OF trusted
ticket sellers who instructed their GUS
toners to meet them in some saloon or
hotel on certain night to get the tip.
Then each ticket seller would get his
party Of twenty OF thirty sports together
and lead them quietly to the lodge room,
barn or hall where the scrap was pulled OF
Sometimes the selected spot was right in
the heart Of the city. and on other ooca-
sions It was over on Long Island in Jersey
or down on Staten Island
Clarendon Hall in Thirteenth street was
a favorite rendezvous for the old skin
glove fighters. The hall was origi-
nally built for an insane asylum and the
walls were dead. so that no noise could
| be heard in the street The lodge room
on the top floor back was generally
selected and the rlmpus at the ringsde
never disturbed the neighborhood.
1t was in this secluded spot that Jack
Dempsey and Jack Fogarty fought a
desperate and bloody battle to finish
with skin tight gloves in 1885, It WAS the
hardest fight Of Dempseys brilliant ring
career Fogarty was a game. rugged
young fellow at the time and took terri
BILE beating before he was conquered. The
Philadelphia sports went broke on that
mill, for Arthur Chambers had picked
Fogarty. who was hard working factory
hand in Phillie. as a sure winner. II
was really a contest between two cities.
and the Gotham boys were iubilant over
the success Of the wonderful Nonpareil
At one period Of the mill 1t looked dark
for Dempsey. but he had the heart OF o
lion aud won chiefly because ne bled
Fogarty into state Of extreme weakness.
Fogarty finally lost SO much blood that he
fell helpless to the floor.
-If this battle had been fought with the
big gloves they wear nowadays there
would have been different story to tell.
for think plucky Fogarty would have
carried of the honors; but with skin
tight gloves Dempsey was a skilled
bleeder. cutting and chopping with both
hands like n butcher with a meat axe.
He probably defeated fifty game fellows
in this manner
THAT was sensational battle between
Jack McAuliffe and Billy Myer Of Streator,
H., for the lightweight championship
with skin tight gloves ct North jackson.
H.. on February IL. 1889, II was the
West against the East and Mike McDon-
aid OF Chicago was the referee 1t was
bitter cold morning when we arrived
at the small village, with the mercury
about fifteen degrees below zero. The
Streator gang was at the ringside. armed
With big revolvers and sawed of rifles
ready to blow holes through the dozen
Eastern sports with McAulife.
This gang kept McAulTe and his
trainers. Billy Madden and Bob Drew.
walking the cold roads for two hours
while Myer was in comfortable bed in
a warm room in the building where the
mill was to be decided. The Sheriff had
been fixed and had left town TO enjoy
himself. only one hayseed constable being
left 20 protect the citizens from the gang
Of cutthroats, but he certainly played
his part in the affair
When the fight started Mister Con-
stable went TO the ringside and demanded
his bit. Dick Eoche, McAuliffe's mana
ger, handed him century note to soothe
his feelings A slick gentleman from
lowed the constable TO the barrcom down
stairs and proceeded to get the hundred
bucks with great rapidity: The con-
stable went upstairs again and got another
hundred, which Seven Up Pete nailed just
as quickly. The constable made four
trips to the ringside. In all. getting his
bit from Roche each time. and being
forced to disgorge to the Chicago hold-up
man just the same. When the constable
showed up at the rngside for the fifth
time tho gang suddenly grabbed him and
hurled him, oown long fight OF stairs
on his head.
soaked In brandy. He had been without
food for fifteen hours. When he began
to fight Jack acted as II he was drunk |
from tho sherry and brandy or was doped |
and he swore that he could see a dozen |
Myers dancing before him. McAuliffe, |
however, nailed the Streator Cyclone
with corking wallqp on the left cheek |
high to bring about q knockout. Still |
this one punch probably saved Jack, as
Myer kept at long range after that and let
McAuliffe force the issue.
Along about the twenty-flfth round
McAullne was shimself again. He could
See only one Billy Myer and he went after
lively sprinting and Jack gave up the
chase in disgust.
aIll give you hundred dollars every
time you lead to mo- Myer!' said McAu-
life who wanted to end the fight quickly,
but tho Cyclone knew his bus ness and
said no. Every time Jack got Billy near
the ropes hundred guns appeared ready
Tor action. so that McAullfe had to back
away or have his head blown OF. The
Streator gang had bot every button on
Myer and didn't intend TO 60 broke.
AT last In the siIty-third round the
referee declared that he would call the
mill draw II Myer did not stand up to
Tho scratch and fight. and as Myer
hear OF such q thing Mcdonald
snded the hght whom the sixty fourth
round was over and called It a draw.
I've often thought what a lucky draw II
was. for II McAulitfe had won there would
nave been several killings at the ringside.
That Western mob would meyer have seen
heir idol licked and would have swept
he Eastsrnera Oh the earth rather than
70 6Ack "a 4tvNa Far dAfaAtA2