Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-07-13
y SPORTS
REFEREE WELSH LOST
Continued from Page 81

Al NOlBdSJ is Stili CudHlploH Vi the
world
| Officially, according to Referee, Jack
/ Welsh, Joe Rivers was counted out
just before the gong changed the end
/ of the thirteenth round, Unofficially
while Rivers was stretched on his
back on the canvas claiming a foul to
which Welsh paid no heed, the title
holder was staggering around the ring
also practically out although on his
feet, thanks to the helping hand OF
Welsh, who pulled Wolgast up with
one hand while he was counting Riy-
ers out with the other.
Wolgast's trouble, so he claimed,
came, from falling over Rivers just as
he had dropped. the Mexican. He
struck the latter's knee, and was so
helpless that he had to be carried
from the ring by his seconds.
1t was a scene unparalleled in ring
history. Welsh, with his indecision
in rendering his verdict, which finally
gave AID Wolgast knockout victory,
added to the confusion, and thousands
of the galleryites and even many at
the ringside were not sure who had
met friends outside.
Pandemonium reigned at the ring
side.
The crowd stood, partly in wonder,
until Welsh came to the edge of the
ring. Not knowing whether Rivers
had been counted out or whether tb !.
gong had saved him, Welsh was~ssked
his decision. -
"Wolgast wips the fight" said the
coatless y Sieree IL did not think
the ~rTiow was low, and | counted
,6fvers out. Joe was down for the
full count before the gong sounded. /"
Half hundred men swarmed into
the ring to express their opinion of
the arbitrator from San Francisco.
81 tell you that sort of thing will
not go in Los Angeles" shouted a
prominent attorney. you may pull
of that sort of thing in San Francisco
but not down here. Wolgast fouled
Rivers. You didn't give the boy a
square count, and you robed him."
Scores of such charges were made
and Welsh, having escaped from his
unenviable position, the crowd remain
ed, each man to argue with himself as
to Just what happened.
In the meantime Wolgast was re-
moved from the ring to his dressing
room, while Rivers, beaten, but far
from disgraced, walked up the road to
his own quarters, hundreds following
to cheer him.
Personally, didn't see the punch
which Rivers and his people claimed
was a foul, since Rivers had his back
turned. 1t didn't look low, so far as
J the writer could see, and Jimmy
Coffurth, across the ring and in an
excellent position to watch what was
happening, declares the blow fair
one.
Il was we'll toward the close of the
thirteenth round and came with all
the more surprise because the Mexi.
can had been doing some remarkable
work, while Wolgast was unquestion-
ably firing. Not more than twenty
seconds before it was time for the
gong Wolgast rushed Rivers almost to
the latter's own corner and sent a
hard left to the pit of the stomach.
Rivers, first of all, put his hands to
his face as to ward off punch to the
jaw, then dropped them and sank
to the floor, apparently in agony.
WoIgast Also Falls.
Wolgast, for moment, stood off to
one side, and then unaccountably
catapulted over the fallen Rivers, Joe
Levy, manager of Rivers, claimed that
a right cross had practically knocked
out the champion in that very mo-
ment, but the pictures show that AID
was struck by Rivers knee as he fell
and was injured in consequence.
Welsh, meanwhile, was tolling off
the seconds over Rivers, who made no
effort to stand on his feet Wolgast,
staggering around the ring, almost
sank at the referees knees and Welsh
committed the mistake of putting out
hand to help AID once more to his
feet.
In spite of the claim that Welsh
did not count the full ten seconds,
there is no doubt but that he did
count ten. The bell rang almost
simultaneously with the end of the
count and right there is where it
/ looks as if Welsh made his serious
error.
BY all means. the round, should
have been declared as ended and the
men sent back for the fourteenth in
the best possible shape. As matters
leoked, the chances are that WolgaSt
could not have responded because of
his own Injuries. Such injuries,
whether accidental or not, are all in
the luck of the game, and if it meant
| the changing of the title that is some
thing that could not be helped.
There is no question but that Jack
/ Welsh's sympathies were with Vol
CAST in his match, and although / be
lieye him to be an absolutely honest
arbitrator, he lost his head in his
work this afternoon. At no stage of
the proceedings did Rivers show a