The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-05
JOBBERY' CRY FANS
WHEN W0LGAST WINS
Referee Welsh Is Almost
Mobbed When He Counts
Joe Rivers Out.
BETS NOT OFF, HE SAYS
Ringside Spectators Aver
Mexican Joe Was on Feet
When Referee Said "Out."
BETS NOT OFF, HE SAYS
By H. NJ. Walker

LOS ANGELES, July 4.-The Vol
gast-Rivers battle came to spectacular
ending in the thirteenth round, a dra-
matte climax that left the world IS
lightweight championship still In little
ADJ possession, but with rumors Of job
berry, and sent the referee, Jack Welsh,
hurrying from the Vernon arena to es-
cape mob violence, a violence that
needed only the whisper Of a leader 3
voice to have turned the historic old
pavilion into madhouse.
The picture must be painted in small
bits. Too much happened inside the
space Of ten seconds for any living
man to describe the scene in sentence
Wolgast, the snarl of battle On his
ing Rivers in front Of him along the
ropes on the north side of the ring.
Lashing out, the champion sent right
to the body and followed with low
left to the belt territory. Rivers
crashed to the floor under this crushing
assault, and the force Of the delivery
carried Ad topping over on top Of the
Mexican.
simultaneously both men claimed a
foul. Wolgast struggled wearily to a
sitting position and threw both gloved
hands to his abdomen, claiming that
Rivers had used his knee. Laying at
full length on the canvas, the brown
challenger clutched at his belt line with
both hands. while his frantic seconds
set up succession Of shrieks to the
effect that the blow which floored the
Mexican boy had been low one de-
livered in foul territory.
Referee Loses Head.
! In reviewing what followed the most
charitable thing that can be said for
Jack Welsh is that the veteran official,
supposed to be the coolest man inside
the arena, completely lost his head and
was, in reality, the most excited indi-
vidual inside the walls.
Looking down upon the pair of lads
on the floor, Welsh faltered for two
or three seconds as though in guam
dary, and then used his left hand to
help the champion to a standing posi-
ton, while with his right he began to
go through the motion of counting
Rivers out. The referee 3 actions were
those Of a man uncertain Of his posi-
ton. and his count was unsteady.
The number Of seconds motioned OF
by Welch is a thing that will long re-
main q subject for argument. Some
ringside observers say Jack counted
four, others fve, while Welch main
tanned that he counted off the full ten
seconds.
While Welch was pantomiming the
count Wolgast staggered free of the
officials helping hand and tottered
about the ring, affecting great pain.
Also Rivers pulled himself to his feet
and as Jack continued TO palm off the
seconds the finishing bell sounded sig
mailing the end of the round.
Earl Rogers Angry.
Wolgast was hurried to his corner
where he lay back on his chair at full
length with his handlers working over
him Rivers dropped into bis chair in
a weakened condition when Welch
turned towards the champion gesturing
that the latter had won.
In answer 10 the storm Of surprise
from Rivers corner the referee main
tanned that Rivers had been on the
floor for the full ten seconds and that
he had counted him out,
As the news of the referee IS verdict
spread about the ringside it left an
army Of dazed and confused men in
It's wake Weleh quickly turned to
leave the ring when he was met by
, Attorney Earl Rogers, who tried to
prevent Jacks exit a score of ex-
cited men were in back Of Rogers, who
was burning Welch up with TRADE of