The Alaska citizen. (Fairbanks, Alaska) 1910-1917, 1913-10-06
| latest Outside Sporting Dope

tween Jeffrics and Sharkey. in which
George Siler gave Jeffries the dcei
sion after twenty-five rounds of hard
tirhting; the battle between YOU'VE
torbett ANA Jimmy Britt on the
coast when Edd, Graney awarded
the bout 10 Britt at the end OF the
twentieth und; the fight between
Tommy Ryan and Kid Mccoy N
Chicago, when Malachy Hogan
awarded Mccoy the verdict: the
one between Frank Klaus and Jack
Dillon n Frisco. when Jack Welsh
held up Klaus hand in token o:
victory:the fight that took place in
Milwaukee between Benny Yanger
and Charley Neary. when Jimmy
Bardell was threatened for giving the
decision to Tanger:the recent fight
at Los Angeles between hnny Xii
bane and Johnny Dundee. when Chas.
Eyton declared the contest a draw
at the end of twenty rounds: and
the one | oficated at in Chicago
between Buddy Ryan and Jimmy
Gardner which declared a draw at
the end of six rounds.
None Of these decisions met with
the approval of the press or public
Taking it all around, the referee
has no bed OF roses" He is the
m st unpopular member in the bust
ness after he has stopped a fight on
a foul in the m ddle of what was to
have been twenty-round contest.
With the arena packed with a roaring.
raging. hOoting mass of humanity,
who. to a man. are willing 10 swear
there was no foul committed.
A man who has placed a wager on
the cute, me of boxing contest
and witnesses the same will, as a
rule. root for the man his bet is on.
and naturally will protest the re-
feree's decis on when he loses, and
in an arena which seats thousands
there are sure to be any number
OF hard losers who have a violent
kick coming
A referee who is recognized as a
competent judge of boxing and CAP
able f deciding the outcome of an
athletic event of Importance never
under any circumstances takes into
consideration the wagers placed on
the result of the contest He goes
str city on the merits of the prin-
cipals and makes his decisions ac-
eordingly.
His judgment is open 10 criticism
as is that of other judges of sport
ing events. such as baseball. fost-
ball horse racing, and. in fact. all
events coming under this head.
1t is an impossibility in making
a decision to satisfy everyone con
cerned, as the rules and regulations
in the boxing game are enforced as
strictly as any other legitimate sport.
The judge Ct an information
yacht race is compelled at times
to make concess ons, ewing to I'M
/ foreseen conditions arising and must
make an allowance in his verdict for
the unforeseen.
! The greatest actors have been sub
Iject to stage fright at times, the
same as a mere novice, and this
state of mind also takes possession
of the cleverest of boxers at times,
and their failure to c"me up TO their
standard must be allowed for
at a contest between two men who
are popular with the fans. They
yell and root for their man in the
ring all through the fight
| have heard them yell and hiss
and cry fake" when | knew in my
heart both fighters We're handing
out the best they had, but there
was no way to make the fans be-
lieve it,
A man who witnesses a fight just
for the scientific principles and has
no favorite IS the one who enjoys
the exhib 'tion and leaves the arena
satisfied.
Years ago ! witnessed a fight be-
tween Dutch Neil and Harry Peppers
in Chicago, in which the fans yelled
"fake." and called for Siler to stop
it. Poor Neil died few hours later
in the hospital from exhaustion.
Another contest that | witnessed,
and which was bawled out as a
fake" was between Jack Root and
Tom Lansing. This als) took place
in Chicago and Malachy Hogan was
referee. The fans yelled fake
when Hogan counted the fatal ten
over Lansing who died soon after,
ward as much from over exertion
as any other cause.
Yet these heartless, unthinkine
ones condemned both these fights
as fakes for no cause nor reason
One yelled fake and the other took
it up on the principle of lone sheer
. taking the lead and the rest follow
ing"