Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-26
WILLARD LEADS
over MORAN IN
EARLY ROUNDS
Champion Takes the Aggressive at
Start of Titulsr Bout and Easily
0utpoints the Challenger.
JESS LEADS IN FIRST ROUND
Follows Up Advantage and Also
Earns the Honors in the
Second Period.
MORAN HAS A SHADE IN THIRD

NEW YORK, March 25.-The
doors OF Madison Square garden
opened late. A jostling crowd, inn
patient at the delay, poured through
the runways in single file, tickets in
hand.
The big hall filled slowly. The
galleries, so close to the roof that a
tall man standing tip-toe could have
touched the rafters with his finger
tips, were packed tight long before
the bare spots on the floor began to
disappear.
The faces in the galleries, bal
comics, boxes and theends of the big
oval floor blurred into indistinct
splotches OF white in the glare of the
big mercury lamps above the ring.
In frail-looking perches, swung
from the rail of the second balcony,
the moving picture men focused
their cameras on the ring.
The preliminaries began. but for all
the crowd cared the boxers might as we'll
have been pummelling each other in their
own backyards The spectators were in
terested only in the big bout and they
were willing to wait.
Old Champs on Hand.
John L. Sullivan. Bob F1tzsimmons. Jim
Corbett-all one-time holders OF the
heavyweight championship-had seats
close to the ring.
Among those holding box seats were:
]. P. Morgan. Reginald c. Vanderbilt,
Diamond Jim" Brady. David Beissco.
Enrico Caruso, IAndley NJ. Garrison, W.
Coleman Dupont and Mayor Curley of
Boston.
There were scores of women in the
great throng. Some sat in the arena
boxes, but mostly they were In the bal
comics
Jess Willard was the first to enter the
ring. climbing through the ropes at s:S7.
He was accompanied by his manager and
chief second. Tom Jones. and seconds
Walter Monahan, Jack Hemple and Ray
Archer.
willard appeared to be exceptionally
cook and at ease, and tripped across the
ring to shake hands with Frank Moran.
who arrived three minutes later. Moran
waa seconded by Willie Lewis. Frank
Kendell, Bill McKennon and Joe Kelly.
The timekeepers were. for Moran. Joe
Considine; for willard, Harry Weiss, and
for the club. Dr. Afuth.
willard Enters Rims.
Willard wore soft bandages. in sharp
contrast, and extended well above his
wrists. He was clad around the loins
by heavy red worsted tights. while
la IL fr,tn ~ afr
liar texture.
While the two heavyweights sat in
their corners. Bob Fitzsimomns. ]. J.
Corbett, Kid Mccoy and John l.. Sullivan
were introduced In turn. the last Of the
quartette being given tremendous ova-
tlon.
The former ring stars shook hands with
the principals OF the big bout During
these ceremonies Moran appeared an
noyed and nervous over the delay. while
Willard leaned back on the ropes and
smiled noncommittal smile. He fire.
qnently looked across the ring 70 Moran's
corner, but the challenger appeared to
avoid the champions eye.
At $40 Referee Charley White entered
the ring and called the two heavyweights
to the center of the ring to pick their
five-ounce gloves.
The official weights were announced as:
Moran. 2O1h; Willard. 25sk pounds,
Referee White took the principals TO
the center OF the ring at s54 for final in
structions.
First Round wilIard's.
Round 1--WIard jabbed Moran in
the face with a left and later retahated
with three blows to the body which VIII
lard blocked. Moran hooked left to
Wizards jaw and took three left jabs
to the face in return. Moran swung right
and left to Wilard's neck and received
a hard right in the body.
Moran missed a right and went into
a clnch and Willard tore lose and landed
a right and left 10 the head. Willard.
smashed him terrific left in the face,
dszing the challenger. Moran swung
wildly with right and left but Willard
CONTINUED on Page Two, Column Two)