The sun., 1919-08-23
COTTON BROKERS In
FURIOUS NEAR FIGHT
Leslie Keiffer and Sydney
Smith Even Go So Far as
to Post Side Bets.
LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN
They Start for N. Y. Athletic
Club, but Some Mysterious
Hand Intervenes.

Somewhere on the rocky road between
Beaver and william streets and Fifty
ninth street and Sixth avenue-not such
a long distance, as the crow flies. either
there was lost yesterday one OF the
finest little hand TO hand encounters
which has been framed up this year.
On Beaver and William streets stands
the New York Cotton Exchange. Leslie
Il. Keiffer Of SO Wall street. is mem
Der. So is Sydney J. Smith Of b6. Pine
street Neither likes the way the other
parts his hair.
On Fifty-ninth street and Sixth ave-
nue. stands the New York Athletic Club.
Mr.. Smith Is member, as Is Mr.
Keiffer. They agreed in loud and angry
voices yesterday afternoon, while four
strong men held each OF them, to meet
at the New York Athletic Club at 80
o'clock, and there settle the differences
OF opinion which had arisen between
them, and to settle them in the good
old fashioned way. winner take all. In
this case. it was a $500 check. drawn
by each of them, as well as the aforc-
mentioned argument.
But, as before mentioned, somebody
threw monkey-wrench into the wheels
of the proposed bill, and the staid old
New York Athletic Club was as bare
of a fight last night as ever. Neither
MIR. Keiffer nor Mr.. Smith kept the ap-
, pointsaent, much to the great disgust
OF a large circle OF newspaper reporters
who had laid few bets among them
selves, Just to while away dull after
noon. 1t might be added. too, that
the manager Of the New York Athletic
club naturally probed around for the
Ethiopian in the woodpile when he found
the representatives Of every sporting
page in New York. not to mention the
Police Gazette and the Bdrtenders Guide
hanging around in the offing. await
ing the opportunity to occupy what
they fondly hoped would be ringside
seats.
He was told by way of explanation.
that two of the members had agreed to
eight It out then and there. Righteous
Indignation spread from the manager
the doorman, whose sole duty is to keep
out anybody who looks like a non
member. such a thing would not be
permitted here, I can assure you," he
declared virtuously.
So as far as could be ascertained last
night Mr.. Keiffer and Mr.. Smith have
not yet come to blows either at the New
York Athletic Club or anywhere else.
At Mr.. Smiths home 1t was said he had
gone out of town for the week end as
was his custom. At Mr.. Keiffer's re-
ported home II was said nobody of that
namc lived there. So the disappointed
little circle of fight scribes who trailed
around half Of the night hoping against
hope to bring the two amateurs together
had nothing left to do but weep into
scuttle or 30 Of 2.75 per cent. and call 1t
a day.
No one around the Cotton Exchange
appeared to know just what started the
argument between the two brokers, who
have been on the exchange together for
several years. Evidently II was one OF
those you did didn't things" wherein
one word leads to another. and then, I'M
less something or some one intervenes,
left hooks follow right jabs. The argu-
ment started In the cotton ring during
the middle OF a quiet afternoon.
According to hearsay and entirely cir
cumstantial evidence the original dis
pute, on a business question, was lost in
the shuttle when the brokers began to In
dulge in personalities. One Of them re-
marked, according to this hearsay and
circumstantial evidence, that he was
rtngtailed shorter and pinned and yearned
to knock the other Tor row OF pink ana
blue goals The other countered with
the remark that he was some bearcat
himself with his mitts. and that in any
personal encounter he always had to pull
his shots for fear of really putting his
opponent out of business. Well. one
word led to another. and-oh, you know
how those things go. But the $1,000 was
really put up and is reposing unclaimed
in the safe OF an office not far from
Hanover Square at this very moment.
Although no admission could be Oh
tanned from officials last night. 1t Is safe
) to say that the older and cooler heads
on the Cotton Exchange saw ITO 1t that
the proposed bout did not take place,
that the grievance committee of that or
ganization will be the final referee of the
argument. and that Mr. Smith and Mr..
Keiffer will have to worry along for the
rest of time without the satisfaction OF
knowing which is really the better man.