South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-21
BUSH FIGHTING
IN OLDEN DAYS
ON OHIO RIVER
Crowd Thought Sheriff Was
Coming-UnConSCiouS Pu-
giIiSt Nearly Died From
Lack of Attention.
BY Ed W. smith.

j
bush tight you've missed one of the
real joys of the pugilistic game. You
may not think it is a JOY at the time
but later. when you sit down and re-
count the adventure. it's sure 10 turn
out 70 be something you wouldn't miss
for anything in the world.
They used to have a lot OF bush
battles in and around Chicago before
the refinement of the game made IL
possible TO see your ring faVorltes
perform with as much comfort as you
go TO the theater and these always
were replete with funny incidents.
None however quite approached IN
general spectacular effect and quaint
incidents as a battle they pulled OF
back in 1905 near Evansville. Ind. The
fight. as / remember it, was TO be Tor
the heavyweight championship OF IN
diana between a bulky German named
Schultz and a made-over Italian VINO
bore the name of Kelly.
The man had succeeded in working
up considerable interest in the mill
and the promoters decided to decide
il on a barge fOated down the ONO
river. Just as they were setting san,
however. word was received from the
Federal authorities that somebody
might get into serious trouble If this
plan was carried out. So the manage
ment of the thing, after an eXasperat-
ing delay. secured the side walls OF a
big circus tent and the barge sailed
down the river.
A landing was effected in the middle
of the night on the Kentucky side, and
the tent was pitched right alongside
of the bank Big gasoline torch lights
such as were formerly used in tent
shows lighted the scene and incident
ally il awoke every living thing in the
trees adjacent and inside of 10 min
utes those 500 or more spectators.
huddled around the turf ring, were
getting a regular forest serenade.
And therein is the cruX of this little
tale of the ring.
Hurried TO Ring.
The heavies lost no time in getting
ready They went at 1t heartily in the
first round albeit there wasn't a thing
about either one of them in fighting
way that would distinguish them from
pair Of stevedores. Neither would
ever have been pinched for violating
any of the existing speed law, no mat
ter how tight they might be drawn.
The first round was about an even
thing. and then. IN due course the sec
ond started. Just as it did an enor-
nous owl rOostinS in a tree directly
over the ring and blinded by the lights.
let out the most horrible squawk man
ever heard It was a screech that
could have been heard a mile.
Schultz, the German fighter, seemed
hypnotized by the horrible sound. With
his guard up in front Of him, he turn
cd his head slowly away from his OPP
ponent and up in the direction from
which the sound came.
Kelly took picks" as we used to say,
and with a running jump he landed
a right hand swing on the unsuspect-
ing Schultz's jaw, then nicely tilted up
in the air. Had the men been prac-
ticing some slapstick comedy they
couldn't have done it better.
The punch, propelled with about 22O
pounds of good, hardy power behind
it, landed with a smash that could
have been heard block away. Down
went Schultz, completely dead to the
world.
The Germans seconds. who had been
yelling themselves hoarse, kicked over
the water bucket in the corner and
after the referee had counted their man
out they rushed to the river bank tC
get some more water One of them
promptly tumbled over the side of the
boat. and his companion. IN his eager
ness TO pull him out, also slid in.
Next the Sheriff.
The pair set up a tremendous yell
ing for help, and somebody in the
crowd. which already was wrought uT
over the quaint ending of the battle
set up the terrifying cry:
The sheriff. the sheriff"
Ii was enough. Not a man in that
tent waited to find an exit. With a wild
rush that mob just pushed over the
side wall and tore for the woods. And
inside of two minutes there wasn't q
man in sight but the crew of the boat
The knocked out fighter was com
pletely forgotten.
In vain the captain of the boat blew
his whistle for the crowd to return
I The more the whistle footed the great
/ er the fright OF the crowd. Half Of
that 500 got lost in the woods and
didn't get out until the next day. Onll
/ ; returned on the boat.
The fighter nearly died because no
4 body thought to go near him He w2l
> out for over two hours and they haC
an awful time bringing him to wheI
/ they finally dragged him to the tent
His jaw was fractured on both sides
Barge lighting never was popular