Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-27
MCFARLAND WINNER
0utboxes Wells, England
Lightweight Champion.
GARDEN PACKED TO DOORS
Big Crowd Roars Its Approval as
Chicago Boy Drives His
Rival to Cover.

! NEW YORK. April 27.-Matt Wells, the
lightweight champion Of Great Britain
went down OF defeat before Packey Nc
Farland in a ten-round bout at Madison
Square Garden last night. There was
never a round. never a minute. in which
the Briton showed in front, and the "Chi-
cago fighting Irishman." as Joe Hum
phries introduced him, proved the master
all the way
While Mcfarland was the logical favor
lite, few OF those present expected him to
win by such an impressive margin, and
the huge crowd first looked on in silent
wonder and then with keen delight, judy
| ing by the wild applause. as he landed
blow after blow and cleverly ducked
or covered up in keeping out of harm s
way.
For the last two years the boxing pro-
motors have tried to bind this match on
| two continents, but in each case the
bargain fell through. Packey was accus-
ed OF avoiding the issue on several occa-
| that rumor. Never before perhaps have
the fans seen him box as he did last
night. He stood off like fighter of the
! old school and tented Wells into kinks
Clever as he is, the Briton looked awk-
ward as he tore in. hooking his arms
| only to swish them through vapor where
Mcfarland had been a fraction Of q
second before. Packey beat him to the
punch with short jabs. bobbed his head
| back with right-hand uppercuts and then
| bella bored his body with heavy right
hand tolts and swings.
At times Mcfarland stood his ground
! and, swaying with the lead, let it slide
over his shoulder In the clinches-and
| there were many of them-he fought with
greater fury than he has ever shown.
Wells landed frequently, but after the
first few rounds the sting was gone from
| his blows and his arms became weary.
then Mcfarland would leap in and make
| him run to cover under volley Of heavy
punches. Toward the end. however,
"Packey" either grew tired or felt that he
had done enough. and he let down little
in his speed. When Wells sought to take
advantage, however, he let himself out
and won easily.
| Credit was due the game loser, who
took his medicine without fiinching Wells
| is we'll over thirty years old, and had not
boxed in a year. During that time he
| has been confined to a hospital and has
| undergone an operation, but he bored in
last night in the face Of terrible fire
| and did his best. His eye for distance
was gone and he missed his punches by
| wide margins. He was heavy on his feet
and could not spar or feint with his for
mer speed, and was unable to avoid the
oncomlng punches. which were showered
1
lie entered the ring q smiling, confident
| champion. ready to do his best with the
| worlds greatest boxer at the weight He
left a sadly battered and bruised man.
| Wells and Mcfarland weighed in under
l35 pounds at 3 o'clock yesterday after
noon. and both weighed at the ringside
at 1S8 pounds. The contrast between them
was strong-McFarland. the 1.-the, agile
greyhound OF the ring, his features show
ing not a mark Of his many battles;
Wells, more compactly built, hairy,
| broad-nosed and with ears that were Just
Jumps Of gristle from taking punches
: aimed at his Jaw or slipping leads over his
shoulders. They were both strong when
| they entered the ring, and, in spite of the
terrific beating he took, Wells left the
ring strong and ready to continue for q
| longer distance.
i Before the men weighed in Frank s.
| O'Neil and Maj John ]. Dixon, the men,
| bers Of the state athletic commission.
were introduced to the crowd, as were
Frank Klaus, Jack Dillon, Leach Cross
I''Knockout'. Brown and Freddie Walsh
the former lightweight champion of Great
| Britain. who challenged the winner