The sun., 1916-08-27
FOULS FIGURED
PROMINENTLY IN
TITLE CONTESTS
Many Championships Have
Been Lost Through
Illegal Blows.
FITZ WAS DEPRIVED OF
HARD EARNED HONORS
Nv THE VETERAN.

which laid Freddie Welsh out cold In the
third round of the bout at Denver July I
vss not foul and hat Welsh lost his title
then and there has been sustained by so
much reliable testimony that there can
be little question as to the correctness OF
the former champions contention. The
verdict OF the club physician that Welsh
showed no evidence of having received a
foul blow is convincing. and the action
Of referee Floto In giving Welsh twenty
minutes in which 10 recover from the ef-
f.e,s OF the blow Is difficult Of expiana-
ton from the point OF view Of boxing
rules or common Justice.
Fioto In his defence says he wanted
4, give the spectators a run for their
money This is puerile. and will not
stand the acid test. The spectators got
q run for their money" when they saw
the lightweight champion OF the world
toppled over with q clean body punch for
the full count.
II does not follow that Floto was So
lie!tous for welsh's championship welfare
when he failed to oun him out in the
third round, bu, the fac, remains that he
did q bitter injustice TO woleast when he
failed to declare Welsh a beaten man.
thus giving Wolgast the title.
Referee's Ruling stands.
woigasts subsequent claim Of the title
because OF the apparent injustice lone
him by the referee will not affect the
situation. for the reason that under the
Queensberry rules the decision OF the
H.. a.. aaaI ix- - A.. -..t.
on that pom, is as fol!ows
1.-THE decision OF the referee shall be
promptly and ir%revocably given. and shall
b. binding as TO the battle money and
other wagers."
Therefore. as Floto decided that Welsh
was no, knocked out In he ,n.rd round
Welsh retains his title and wolgast can.
not get recognition Of his claim.
The one unfortunate feature so far as
Wokast Ia concerned has been the ien-
dency Of the former champion to hit foul
blows and the fact that the blow that
hnaily brought his bout with Welsh to a
close was adjudged foul.
1t Is also worthy Of note that WolRast
lost his title 10 Richie OF a foul: the
champion being on the verge OF a knock
out himself in the sixteenth round when
he brought the battle to a close with 4
low blow.
Operate Against wOlSast.
All these things have operated AGAINST
Wolgast In his complaint against Floto.
but the evidence is now 10 overwhelming
In HE favor that no fair minded person
can we'll deny that he has been wronged
However. all the world over the ref
eree's decision Ia fnai, and wolgast Is
not the only sufferer from mistakes by
The third man In the ring.
Beyond doubt the most outrageous in
stance on record was that in which Rob-
ert F~i'zsimmons was deprived OF "A we'll
earned victory over Tom Sharkey at San
Francisco December 2, 1895.
No championship hinged on this bat
Tie. but there was a big betting scheme In
operation. and 1t was not In the cards
for Fitz 10 win. The Cornishman was a
~lavofite. but owing TO the abundance OF
sharkey money the Fitz hackers smelled
a mouse and held back their cash.
Enter Wyatt Earp.
In order 10 make certain that Sharkey
should not lose. the clique In charge OF
the scheme selected Wyatt carp. a no.
torious sunman of the West. to act as
referee, and this interesting gentleman
~sN'Hiihtleu iikO iNG utUk w al
shooting iron the stock OF which is said
10 have contained many notches.
II was gently minated to Fitz Just
BEFORE the battle that If he used any un-
necessary roughness In handling the gal
iant sailor he would be more than apt
70 get a leaden warning from the referee.
ms did have q tendency to make
rNL cautious n ne went along very
carefully watching for an opportunity &c
send In a knockout punch.
This came in the eighth round. when
'he cornishman worked his left shift,
a.h landed his left fist full In the pit
VI sharkeys stomach. the sailor curl
ing up on the ring floor completely
stopped. although not unconscious. A.
evidence that Sharkey was a party &c
the scheme he began to groan loudly
and yell foul.
shsrkey Goes Into Hiding.
wyatt carp gave Sharkey a brief in.
spec'lon and then said:
roll blow. Sharkey wins"
IN order 10 carry out the deception
snafhey was carried to his hotel and
remained In hiding for a few days. bul
'nqu'sliIve persons who investigated re.
ported that the sailor was seen sitting
vi TWO chairs and smoking a fat c!gaI
an hour after the foul" was committed
Not only was Fitz thus defrauded OF
.he decision but he never got any of the
purse that was promised him.
but Fitz got some satisfaction fol
me injustice. On August "a, 1900. h
sot sharkey into the ring with him a
eoNey Island. A more terrific beatini
never was handed to a supposedly firs
cass heavyweight. Fitz battered tn,
sai!or all over the ring for n round an,
. hslf. and then In the middle OF thu
second round hit sharkey, In the stom
sch with the same blow that stopped
MIN on the co1st.
The sailor was knocked cold ant
could not have yelled foul had he de
sred TO. In any event II We uld hav'
sohe him no good to have clsimed foul
.or george Si!er was referee. and thu
~shnlng blow was 30 pa!pably fair an,
ABOVE the belt that even q novice ref
vree could not have done otherwise
"ah count Sharkey out.
sayior stopped welsh.
The Wolgast episode 10 not the onl,
one IN which Welsh's title was w
through the work OF 4 ref
cree Milburn Sayior knocked Wells
out clean with a body blow at Winni
peg October 20, 1913.
There was much confusion following
we Touchdown. and The astute han
der OF Welsh lost no time In declarin
MAJ his man had been fouled.
The referee. q novice Of Winnipeg
Became confused. and neither counte
welsh out nor called the blow foul. i
the hubbub Welsh left the ring. and a
mere had been no ofhcisl action by IN