The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-05
Referees Decision Gives
Welsh Victory Over White
for Lightweight Title
LITTLE CLEAN BOXING
FURNISHED THE FANS
Fighters Clinch Two-Thirds of Time.
Spectators Call Frequently for Men
to Fight-Welsh's Friends Are
Delighted With the Decision

Ringside, Colorado Springs, Septem-
Der AT the end of 20 rounds of
fighting, Referee Billy Roche this aft-
ernoon awarded Champion Freddie
Welsh of England the worlds title.
While the crowd evidently figured the
challenger, Charley White of Chicago,
Ind a slight edge throughout the bout,
the champions friends went into a
lifted In the air as token of victory.
The men were In the cIinches two
thirds of the time and there was but
little clean, open boxing.
White, the challenger, stepped into the
ring at BAT p. m. He was cheered as he
walked down the aisle.
A moment later Welsh climbed through
the ropes
White won toss for corner and selected
the seat with his back toward the sun.
His second kept an umbrella over his
head.
Johnny Dundee, the lightweight, was
introduced and challenged the winner.
A woman in the audience handed her
parasol to Champion Welsh, who bowed
his Acknowledgements.
GRANDSTAND FALLS
A portion of the grandstand, filled with
men and women who were awaiting the
start of the fight, collapsed shortly before
2 o'clock. Two hundred persons were
more or less injured, but no fatalities
have been reported
The thousands on the way to the fight
crowded around. forming solid ring
through which the police and volunteer
rescuers had to fight their way. All
kinds of vehicles were pressed into ser
vice to rush the more severely injured to
hospitals.
More than 125 feet of the upper tiers
of seats fell The section was only part
ly filed, the accident occurring before
the crowds had arrived.
Manager Eddie Pitts. who is promoting
the fight, announced from the ring that
all bouts would be staged as scheduled
City ambulances, patrol wagons and
automobiles were used to convey the in
jured to hospitals. Many had broken
legs and arms. The seats which collapsed
were occupied by holders of So seats
who arrived early to get the choice OF
Ipositions.
The crowds unloading from. the special
trains blocked the rescuers, who had diff
ficulty in reaching the victims. Thousands
on their way to the ring augmented the
,throng.
WILL INVESTIGATE
Announcement was made at the ring
side that the stadium had been inspected
by the proper authorities. D. G. John
son, commissioner of public safety, stated
however that so far as he knew no In
specton was made by the city engineer
office A thorough investigation, he said
would be instituted at once and an at.
tempt would be made to fix the response
bility.
| Nearly 10000 persons wree In the arena
when the two preliminaries to the Welsh
White lightweight championship battle
were over A blazing sun scorched the
spectators, and the majority OF the mer
were in their shirt sleeves. There was q
liberal sprinlxling of women.
Among those seriously hurt were: A. n
Mccoy, ST. Augustine Fla, and A. w
Jameson, Prosper, Tex. Additional names
received later from the hospitals increa sec
the list to 81. A number OF others, II
was stated, were taken to private homes
In the two preliminaries Cyclone Yel-
| skie and Jimmy Katz. both OF Cleveland
boxed an eight-round draw at cater
weights, and Luke Ginley of Clevelane
| and Kid Wolfe of Cleveland fought ~
round draw at 122 pounds. Ginley hal
been Johnny Kilbane's sparring partner