Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-06
REFEREE DECLARES
HE WAS OvERAWED
BY MENAC|NC FANG
Newspaper Men at the Ring
side Unanimously Decida
Against McTigue Huga
Crowd Storms Arena

COLUMBUS, Ga, Oct. 5.-Michao
McTigue, of Ireland, last night wai
speeding out of this city with h
light heavyweight championsh
crown, following his fight wiz
Young Stribling. the eighteen-yea
old Macon, Ga, youth, who for thrt;
hours after the fight had in his pc
session what was supposed to haw
been the official title. Referee Harli
Ertle, closeted in a private residen
away from angry spectators, issu
a signed statement declaring that j.
had officially declared that the tie
round battle a draw and had not
versed his decision even in the ia
of threats that unless l award
the decision to Stribling / won
never leave the arena alive"
He admitted that fight promote
had forced him to grab the rig
arm of the challenger and raise
aloft, naming Major Paul join
Jones, heading the committee of Il
local post of the American LegiC
staging the fight, as the man wi
grabbed his and Stribling's han6
anu IdAoN0 It1Clll llOlIs
RINGSIDE, COLUMBUS. Ga, Oct
Exchanging his decision, after d.
claring the McTigue-S tribling bout ;
draw, Referee Harry Ertle awardc.
the light heavyweight championslS.i
title of the world to Young" Strib
ling, the Macon schoolboy battles
after ten rounds of fighting here.
The huge crowd, refusing to leav,
the arena, protested the early az
cision. They were Immediately Join
ed in teh ring by the newspaperInes
from the ringside,> all declaring thai
the fight was Stribling's for his az
gressiveness and the number OF cleaI
blows landed by the challenger OF
the champion.
After comforting with high autholi
ties present. Referee Ertle recon
sidered his announcement OF draw
decision and awarded the verdict Il
Stribling, making the 19-year-oa
youngster light heavyweight cham
pion.
The crowd roared itself hoarse al
the new announcement, which we;
made after McTigue, the conquered
Of Sikh, had been escorted from TIL
hotel by armed guards and police.
OF the twelve newspaper men cali
ed into the ring by Ertle, each vots1
that Stribling had won the BATH,
and that McTigue had failed to show
any championship ability.
The referee then held up the chab
lenger's hand, and, amid the plaudili
OF the crowd, declared him winner.
The champion, it was announced
weighed in at 1852 pounds. The chat
lenger was 165 pounds.
The spectators came to the arena
direct from McTigue's headquartert
in a downtown hotel. They appeared
in glee after having, they said,
checked a eleventh and three-quar,
ter hour effort on the part of thu
champion to ''chuck the fight"
There was a grand rush for gen.
eral admission seats when the gated
were thrown open. There was plenty
Of police protection on hand, to,
gether with military police from
Fort Benning, located near here.
The twenty-ninth regiment band
from the fort proved to be a reSu.
lar band, the first on record in re,
cent prize Mghting encounters not
to open up with a melody bewailing
the shortage of well-known tropi.
cal fruit.
OF visitors who came
here. early today to receive the news
that the fight had been called off
had returned to their homes. Tha
expected record-breaking crowd was
not in sight.
Many women at the ringside vera
about to witness their first prize
bout and appeared real timid about
it.
The band kept up a steady chant,
and played Hail to the Chief" when
Walter A. Ricards, city manager OF
entered the arena.
The khaki color of the, army was
everywhere. The Fort Benning
contingent had one section of the
general admission seats reserved.
Up until this morning the enlisted
personnel were ardent McTtgus
supports. It is understood they
now are on the fence.
Pre-Fight Statements
After both fighters had hauled
down their training flags and the US
Ial "pink of condition pre-fight
statements were issued, the cham
oion noticed the sting in his left
thumb growing worse. He decided
hat a drug properly administered
would beaded the pain and allow the
tight to go on.
A physician was summoned and an
X-ray picture of the swollen hand
was advised. This disclosed, accord.
ng to a signed statement, issued by
our doctors, AN imperfectly healed
fracture of the metacarpal bone of
he left thumb"
The fight was called off, McTigue
refunded the local post of the Ameri-
IAN legion the amount paid him Ev-
srything appeared satisfactory until
he fight fans began to pour into
own at the break Of dawn and then
hings began to take on another
color
Before dispensing the crowd lis
ened to a speech from the lips Of
he champion.
"I'Il fight him with one hand"
Continued from Page u
IcTigue shouted.
A member of the throng yelled:
Cold feet!''
McTigue retorted: did you fight
or your country like I did,"
There were cheers mingled with
Continued on Page 6, Column ~