The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-09
JIM M Y BRONSON TELLS OF HARDEST BOUT, 76 ROUNDS
Over 20 Years Ago Crosby and Sharpe Staged Fierce
 Battle
By JAMES J. coRBETT

''Whenever the talk drifts to the toughest fights waged in America ring annals, I wonder if any ever compared with the gruelllng battle staged 20 years ago in Namoil1i, Ill.," remarked Jimmy Bronson, manage of Bob Martin.
 Tn my lifetime I Imagine I've seen as many ring duels as any man alive. While on the other side during the var I served as referee alone in more than ], 100 fights. I've seen countless hundreds more. But never have I seen anything that compares with the one put on between Harry Sharpe and Frank Crosby in the way back days of '92.
 76-Round Battle
 Tt went 76 rounds, with every round merciless, slam bang, never take -step-backward affair: 76 rounds of grudge fighting unlike any ever witnessed before or since.
 The story of how the fight was made is an interesting one in itself. It has its start in St. Louis. There was Daly family there and also Kelly family. They hated each other. The sons of the two families met one night to battle for the honor of the family and the milling was bloody to the extreme. The fathers were in the corners of their boys and the crowd was made up in the main of relatives of the fight CTS.
 When the Kelly boy was whipped. his father still seeking revenge upon the Dalys, got hold of Frank Crosby, who had gained something of A lighting reputation around St. Louis parts. and agreed to pay him a cer- tain sum of money to fight the Daily boy. But the father of young Daily. figuring his boy wouldn't have A chance against so experienced ringman, secuted around and hired Harry sharpe, another fighter with great reputation around St. Louis.
 Chase 'Em Around
 The right was to have been put on Tn Missouri. But the authorities. nearing about it. chased the fight CTS from one part of the state to the other, successfully baking plans to put on the mill. At last. tte fighters and the clans of Dalys and kellys journeyed across the state line to Namoiki, H.. where the battle was fought.
 Both men started off at a furious clip, each intent upon putting the other away in hurry. But both men had superhuman endurance. Blows were rained with merciless precision and terrific power. Both men staggered, were backed up. seemed beaten-only to rally. And so 1t continued round after round. all through the late afternoon hours and into twilight.
 As darkness was coming on. the seconds of both men asked them if they wanted to quit. Both shook their blood-smeared heads. Kelly then offered s10 for ten torches which were quickly found. And the fight continued under the glare of the sickly light of the torches, held high over the heads of the fighters.
 Almost Done
 Along in the fortieth round it seemed that neither man could go more than three or four rounds more. Each, figuring that the other was about through. and that one desper- ate rally would win for him, sat- tempted that rally. But always he found the other man able to take all he had-and then rally hiinseiS and send back fusillade of blows upon the head and body.
 ''In the seventy-sixth, both men tottered from their corners to the center of the ring. Victory then was a question only of who could land the first real punch. Both men lunged, Crosby missed; Sharpe land Jed. And Crosby went down and stayed there.
 "So badly were the fighters beaten that it was a week before their friends permitted them to look into a mirror; nearly three weeks before either was able to resume the regu- lar activities of life"
 Copyright, 1922. by King Features
 Syndicate. Inc)