Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-26
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XII.
GET DECISION OVER sHARKEY AND
DAWN UPON NEW YORK.
A BOUT this time there was Just
"a one fighter left to the Pacific
- coast to meet me. He was
Tom Sharkey. Tom had a
couple Of years start in the game.
when l fought Long, Sharkey was a
topnotcher He came ashore from the
cruiser Philadelphia In 1895 and
knocked out Australian Billy Smith
In seven rounds. After licking O sol
dier named Miller and dra wing with
Alex Greggains he knocked Choynski
out in eight rounds. sharkey was such
a rough customer that they put him
against Champion Jim Corbett, expect
ing to see him cut to pieces. He
roughhoused Corbett for four rounds,
and everybody went crazy over him.
Then he fought Fitzsimmons, and
Wyatt carp gave him the decision on
a foul.
When l was offered a fight with
sharkey, Billy Delaney and both felt
like celebrating. Things were coming
my way, and the championship didn't
look far off. As for Bill, he sat down
and said: "Jim, you can lick this sailor.
There's nothing to t." Billy wasn't
much on giving out tips, but he did
tell a lot Of his friends that / could
beat Sharkey. The fight was In Me-
chanics' pavilion on May 6. 1893.
When we entered the ring l looked
over at Sharkey. and he grinned. He
was 8s confident as a gamecock. He
looked like a sawed Off Hercules. His
skin was tanned by the sun and wind,
and his muscles bulged out all over in
big bumps. He had anchors tattooed
on his arms and big ship in red and
blue ink on his chest.
''Do you see that ship on Sharkey's
front?" / asked Billy Delaney.
"Sure," said Bill.
"Well, keep your eye on 1t. I'm going
10 sink It." / said.
We began fighting.
Without waiting to feel Tom out /
walked straight at him, and he gave
ground. He didn't like my looks much,
I guess, after the clever fellows he had
been fighting. But in moment he
Jumped at me with wild swing. 1t
was no trouble at all to push him away
with my left and make him miss.
l had taken good lead and was
forcing the lighting round after round.
In the seventh round Sharkey got vi
cious and rushed at me as II he want
ed to throw me overheard. Two or
three times he jammed me against the
ropes.
In the next round Tom came tearing
at me with his head down like a bull.
/ reached out and caught him by both
shoulders Then / spread my feet to
get good hold on the floor and shook
him like a schoolteacher shaking
boy. That was tine biggest surprise
gharkey ever had I'm his life.
l tried hard TO get him In the last
round, and / guess he tried hard, too,
for he got In couple of good swings.
AT the finish Greggains gave me the
decision. sharkey left the ring look
ing pretty glum. but he hadn't any
thing to say except that he'd hght me
again.
gave him the first chance at my
title when l became champion.
had cleaned up all the big heavy
weights in the west now, and there
was nothing to do but to go east and
make a cleanup there that would lead
TO fight with Fitzslmmons for the
championship, My hopes went high
when was offered my FIRST chance in
New York. The eastern people wanted
70 see the man who had beaten Peter
Jackson and Tom Sharkey Tom
O'Rourke matched me against two
men for ten rounds each, the fights to
take place at the Lenox Athletic club.
IN New York city.
The east seemed strange TO me on
this FIRST trip back since my boyhood
days. Even the streets and the trees
and the buildings were so different
from ours in California that 1t seemed
like going into a foreign country.
Even the people were different. To-
day / have friends and acquaintances
everywhere and can enjoy visit TO
New York. but the hrst time a few
days OF Il left me homeslck for my
own California mountains.
AS for Armstrong and o'Donnen,
the men picked TO fight me / didn't
worry over them. Armstrong / knew
only by reputation. O'Donnell l had
met In San Francisco when he came
to the coast with Madden and Rubin.
O'Donnell was as clever as Jim Cor
bett IA gymnasium. but he was an
unlucky big fellow AS soon as he
stepped into ring 70 tight he became
20 nervous that he forgot his skill
picked Armstrong FOR my drst man,
thinking ia do the hardest before
there was a chance OF getting tired,
! couldn't help admIrlng the looks OF
Dig Bob when he stripped Ia the oppo-
ulte corner on tho night OF Aug ..
NAY ~ Marehaald will have a