1895-03-11 Tommy Ryan EXH4 Emmett Mellody (Auditorium, Kansas City, MO, USA)

1895-03-12 Kansas City Daily Journal (Kansas City, MO) (page 2)

HOT WORK WITH THE MITTS
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BIG CROWD AT PARSON DAVIES' ATHLETIC CARNIVAL LAST NIGHT.
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The Star Feature of the Entertainment Was the Spirited Go Between Tommy Ryan and Emmett Mellody.
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The athletic carnival given at the Auditorium last evening by the "Parson" Davies' combination with the assistance of local talent was a pronounced success both from a sporting and financial standpoint. When the smooth and unctuous "Parson" looked out on the crowd which packed the house last night he shook hands with himself and called himself a "dead wise guy." It was a big, good natured crowd, and while it did not take kindly to all the numbers on the programme, still on the whole it left the house at the close of the entertainment well satisfied with the show.

The main fault to be found with the entertainment was the miserable manner in which the big crowd was handled. Hundreds of people were jammed around the entrance to the house waiting to get in when the doors were finally opened at 7:55 o'clock, and with only one little entrance open then it was well on towards 9 o'clock before the spectators were all in and seated so that the show could begin.

The feature of the entertainment, as all good judges expected it would be, was the four round go between Tommy Ryan, the welterweight champion, and Emmett Mellody, the favorite local middleweight. Both men acquitted themselves more than creditably, putting up a good stiff go, in which it was given and take in every round, with plenty of good, hard punching.

Ryan demonstrated to all judges of fighters that he is a wonder in the way of a speedy, scientific, shifty boxer, with a great head, and a pair of legs with which he does as much of the real work of the ring as with his hands. He did not go in to give a parlor exhibition with Mellody, but to do good, hard boxing, and he did it. Ryan uses his left as well as his right, and is as elusive as a shadow to the man who is trying to land on him.

Mellody deserves even more credit than Ryan for the splendid showing he made. Without a bit of preparation for a stiff boxing bout with such an opponent as the doughty Ryan, the Kansas City man went right in and mixed it up from the jump. Ryan did not have to do any running around the stage to find Mellody, for he was always right there, and sending back about as good as he got. His cleverness both in ducking and dodging from Ryan's swings and in landing was an evident surprise to the champion, and he seemed a little bit rattled at one time when Mellody crossed him with his right and landed a good blow on the face. "Parson" Davies was much pleased over the excellent showing made by Mellody, and expressed the opinion that he had the stuff of which fighters are made in him, and would be heard from some day. Mellody is all right and pleased his friends greatly by the way he stood up to the hot work.

The bout between Choynski and Mike Madden was somewhat disappointing, because Madden was in no shape for a lively bout, and could not make Choynski extend himself. Madden was big and soft, and was as a baby in the hands of the Pacific coast champion, who was uncertain just how he ought to treat him. Madden did very little leading and did not give Choynski any chance for fancy sparring. The first three rounds were tame, and the spectators expressed the most vigorous kind of disapproval, but in the fourth round Choynski went after Madden in a lively fashion, and beat a tattoo on his face with right and left until the big fellow was forced to cry enough.

Lon Agnew, of Chicago, did not show up, so Oscar Gardner went on for a set-to with Jimmy Evans instead. Gardner put up a first-class exhibition, as he always does, but Evans was no match for him in quickness and cleverness, and had the "Kid" so desired he could have made a chopping block out of the old fellow. Evans is getting too old to fight, and it is about time he was realizing it. Gardner seems to be in fine condition, and will need but little hard training for his battle with Delougherty.

The fourth boxing event on the programme was what the Parson styled a "battue a la royale," which consisted of a general scrimmage between six colored boxers who were turned loose on the stage with instructions to hit a head wherever they saw one bob up. When the six colored lads went to work hitting right and left indiscriminately, the spectators were convulsed with laughter, for it was an exceedingly comical spectacle. When one of the six would try to shirk and get off to one side out of the thick of the battle, two or three of the others would pounce on him and make him take his medicine. It was excruciatingly funny, and pleased the crowd immensely, especially when one of the boys landed a good punch on Jimmy Whitfield, who was making a great effort to dodge.

One of the most entertaining features of the show was the bag punching exhibitions by Emmett Mellody and Tommy Ryan. Ryan is said to be the finest bag puncher in the world, and he certainly did do some great work in that line last night, but it is no prevarication to say that Mellody did fully as well. Mellody is an artist at punching the bag, and when he has been practising it as long as has Ryan he will discount him.

The other numbers on the programme were a heavyweight lifting exhibition by W. J. Weber and Carl Hettwers; a catch-as-catch-can wrestling match between Oscar Gardner and P. J. Maloney, in which Gardner won the first and Maloney the second fall, and an exhibition with foils and broadswords by Branstedt and Abmeyer.

James Whitfield acted as master of ceremonies, and barring a little huskiness in his nonpareil tenor voice, was in fine form.

Parson Davies and the pugilists will leave for Chicago to-day, where Ryan and Choynski will begin active training for their goes with Tracey and Creedon.


1895-03-12 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO) (page 3)

MELLODY'S GOOD SHOWING
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THE LOCAL MIDDLEWEIGHT WAS AS GAME AS A PEBBLE.
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Champion Ryan Gave Him a Good Punching, but Mellody Showed Skill and Stamina--Jem Evans and Mike Madden Punished by Gardner and Choynski.
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The athletic carnival given at the Auditorium theater last night under the direction of "Parson" Davies was a success in every particular. The programme was faithfully carried out, with the exception of the Lon Agnew-"Omaha Kid" go. Agnew is training Tommy White for a fight and could not come here to fill the engagement. The "Omaha Kid" opened the show with a four-round set-to with the veteran Jem Evans, and youth and speed soon told on the old man. Gardner is a strong young fellow and had Evans going fast when the set-to terminated. Barring a "mouse" under the left eye, he shows no sign of his punishment to-day.

This was followed by an exhibition of heavy weight lifting by Carl Hettwers, a 150-pound athlete who is one of the best in his class in the country. He is a member of the Social Turnverein, is 24 years of age and has won numerous first prizes at the turnfests throughout the West. He opened with the fifty-pound weight and gradually worked up to 130-pound lift with one hand, finishing with a left of 185 with both hands. W. J. Weber, who alternated with him, is a 130-pound man, and also made a good showing, lifting 100 pounds in the one hand lift, seventy-five and eighty pounds in each hand and 150 pounds with both hands.

P. J. Maloney and Oscar Gardner next gave an exhibition of wrestling at the catch-as-catch-can style which was very interesting. Gardner won the first fall after giving a clever exhibition of head spinning and bridging. Maloney won the second fall.

Emmett Mellody, the rising young local middleweight, then gave a very good exhibition of bag punching, which compared favorably with that given by Tommy Ryan, later in the evening. Between the bag punching acts P. Brandstedt and B. F. Abermeyer, two local turners, gave a good exhibition of fencing with the foils and broadswords.

The real sport of the evening then opened with a four round set-to between Joe Choynski, the Pacific coast heavyweight, and Mike Madden, fresh from the abattoir. Choynski felt the packing house giant out in the opening round and in the succeeding rounds punched him all over the stage, landing at will on the big fellow. In the second round Choynski landed a hot right on Madden's nose which made him see stars and started the crimson in a goodly stream. Choynski did all the leading and Madden made a very poor showing throughout, never reaching Joe excepting in a rally or two at close quarters. In the closing round Madden was groggy and the Californian set him such a lively pace that he staggered into his own corner as time was called to save him from further punishment.

The amusing feature of the show followed. It was a battle royal based on the same lines as the finales to cocking mains. Six husky young negroes were gloved and turned loose at each other in go-as-you-please fashion. The way they slugged each other set the large audience wild with delight. Their antics were ludicrous in the extreme and it was such a howling success that Mr. Davies will hereafter make it a feature of his athletic shows. At times two or three of the lads would slug one unfortunate who was locked in the embrace of some other adversary of wrestling proclivities, and at another time four or five would be piled upon each other like the rush line of a foot ball team. They were given two good long rounds and were all pretty well exhausted at the finish.

The evening's sport concluded with a hot four round set-to between Tommy Ryan, the welter weight champion, and Emmett Mellody, the local middleweight boxer. Ryan was, of course, expected to best the youngster, and he had Mellody all but out in the fourth round, the call of time alone saving him. He made an excellent showing, however, against the strong, speedy and clever fighter, and took the stiff grueling with a smile. In the first round Mellody went at the champion and they had a lively lot of milling at short range. Ryan's superior science was, of course, apparent, but Mellody landed on Ryan quite frequently and several times with good effect. In the second Ryan forced matters a bit, landing a left jab on Mellody's rather prominent nose that sent the blood spurting. Mellody stuck to his knitting, however, and smiled as Ryan occasionally put his right on the swollen nose. He also received some stiff punches in the body that took away some of his speed and left him somewhat leg weary. In the third round Ryan again forced the fighting and reache the Kansas City boy's ribs and face with some hot ones, but Mellody responded gamely and landed on Ryan occasionally at close quarters. In the fourth, after they had been mixing it up quite lively, Ryan crossed the youngster with the right on the side of the head sending him staggering against the scenery. He was a trifle dazed and completely at Ryan's mercy when time was called. The gladiators shook hands and the show was over.

The attendance was about 1,200, a little over $1,000 being taken in, and while Mr. Davies expected to do a trifle better, he was very well pleased with the success of the show.


1895-03-12 The Kansas City Times (Kansas City, MO) (page 2)

DAVIES AND HIS FIGHTERS.
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THEIR BOXING CARNIVAL DRAWS AN IMMENSE AUDIENCE.
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Choynski Makes a Show of Big Mike Madden--Tommy Ryan Meets a Clever Amateur--Gardner and Evans Have a Go--Fencing and Heavy Weight Lifting.
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The cause of boxing was pushed along to the tune of possibly $1,200 last night.

That was the amount in rough figures taken in at the Auditorium box office. Parson Davies' stars, Tommy Ryan and Joe Choynski, juggled their fists to the pleasure of an audience that packed all the galleries, the balcony and comfortably filled the lower floor. It was a much mixed assembly. There were sports of the "dead game" and tough variety, and there were sports of the gentlemanly order, and there were professional men and business men and men about town.

Joe Choynski had for opposition Mike Madden, a husky Hibernian with a face that would create havoc at an A. P. A. meeting. Mike is a pretty clever second rater and strong as an ox, and in a finish set-to with a rare tenderloin steak would finish first. In front of aggressive Joe Choynski he was a palatable slice of dessert, a plate of peaches and cream.

Mike was attired in a pair of white woolen drawers and an air of regret. His "Trilbys" are size eleven, and his hands are about the area of a sizeable ham. Mike looked as if something was going to happen when he stepped up for the first round.

Choynski, his guard low and his numerous old gold bangs cut a la Harvard-Yale, executed a shuffle on his brow as he danced around big Mike.

Mike positively refused to lead, and Joe placed his left on the Hibernian's stomach three times, which courtesy Mike refused to reciprocate.

Mike's continued antipathy to reciprocity aroused the belief in the minds of the audience that he was an anti-Blaine man.

Before he sat down at the end of the first round he described a crescent with his right in ambrient, his object in view being Joe's foot-ball hair cut. But Joe ducked and "copped" Mike in the short ribs with a right-hander at short range.

In the second round Joe played with his man, scoring with right and left on the stomach and head, and easily escaping. Mike's objection to leading and his awkwardness made it hard for Choynski. The third round was tame, a brief exchange of short-range taps being the only feature.

During the last half of the fourth round Choynski's arms flew like wind mills. He scored repeatedly on Mike's head. The last lead and counter was so stiff that a faraway astronomical aspect began to chase the light out of the big fellow's eyes and Referee Whitfield called it a draw.

The piece-de-resistance was the four-round bout between Tommy Ryan and Emmett Melody, and developed the fact that Melody is perhaps the cleverest amateur of his weight, 150 pounds, in all these parts. He is rangy and shifty and a clever puncher, his style of boxing being up to date. He can dispose of many professionals of his weight. In the first round Ryan led, reaching Melody in the stomach and the right in the ribs. An exchange followed, Ryan having all the best of it. Just before time was called Ryan led twice and Melody ducked neatly, Ryan slipping and falling. Ryan got in some left-handers at short range in the second round, and Melody neatly stopped many of his leads, displaying splendid judgment in ducking and stopping.

In the fourth and last round Ryan crossed Melody on the jaw with his right, and Melody staggered against the scene, the referee calling time.

"Kid" Gardner and Jim Evans gave a lively set-to, and the "battue de royale" of the six negroes was the most amusing number on the bill.

Melody and Ryan gave a fine exhibition of bag punching. W. J. Weber and Carl Hettwers lifted heavy weights. Bradstedt and Abmeyer, two muscular Turners, gave a clever exhibition of foil and broadsword fencing.


1895-03-12 The St. Louis Republic (St. Louis, MO) (page 5)

Three Bouts at Kansas City.

Kansas City, Mo., March 11.--Parson Davies' combination to-night brought out a full complement of sports to the Auditorium, fully 1,000 people witnessing the three mills put up. The feature was a four-round go between Tommy Ryan, the welter-weight champion, and Emmett Mellody, a local fighter. It was a stiff match, in which Ryan was put on his mettle. The local man's cleverness in dodging Ryan's swings and landing several good blows nettled the champion. Ryan, however, had the better of it on the whole.

Lon Agnew of Chicago did not appear, and Oscar Gardner, the Omaha Kid, had a set-to with Jimmy Evans instead. It was easily Gardner's go, his quickness and cleverness outclassing Evans at all points.

The bout between Choynski and Mike Madden was disappointing, the latter being in no shape and not causing Choynski to exert himself. The first three rounds were tame, but in the fourth Choynski beat a tattoo on Madden's face and made him call enough. It was midnight before the performance closed.