FLAHERTY WHIPS ERNE.
Frank Erne of Buffalo met his Waterloo last night in the arena of the New York Athletic club. Martin Flaherty of Lowell, Mass., gave him a drubbing which the Buffalonian will not soon forget. The work of both men was of the hottest kind throughout the twenty rounds.
During the last two rounds the Buffalo boy made a game struggle to offset the decided lead that his opponent had gained over him, but his efforts were futile and when the bell ended the contest everybody who saw the fight was perfectly satisfied that Flaherty had won a well earned victory and Referee Arthur Moore as well as the judges decided that Flaherty had won it.
1897-02-21 The New York Herald (New York, NY) (page 10)
FLAHERTY DEFEATS ERNE.
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The Conqueror of Dixon Receives a Hard Punching at the N.Y.A.C.
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Martin Flaherty, of Lowell, defeated Frank Erne, of Buffalo, in a twenty round boxing contest at the New York Athletic Club last night. It was the best show ever given in the club's gymnasium, which was packed with members and their guests. Erne recently got a decision over George Dixon in twenty rounds, and many have referred to him in consequence as the feather weight champion of America.In the first three rounds Erne looked like a sure winner, but Flaherty then got to work, and in the next round cut Erne's eye, ear and mouth almost into ribbons. Throughout the rest of the bout his eye bled freely, and at times his face looked, as one spectator put it, "like a butcher shop."
Erne displayed great gameness. He took a terrific punching and was fairly beaten. When the judges, Edward W. Kearney and Charles Coster, gave their decision the cheering was loud and prolonged. There was not a dissenting voice.
There were two preliminary bouts, each of ten rounds. Frank Smith, of California, and "Bobby" Wilson, of Jersey City, were the first to meet. Wilson won in the seventh round, and Smith, in falling, twisted his ankle, and was carried off.
The second bout was between "Jack" Hannigan, of Pittsburg, and "Joe" Youngs, of Buffalo. It lasted the limit, the judges agreeing on Youngs.
1897-02-21 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 4)
FRANK ERNE DEFEATED.
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MARTIN FLAHERTY PROVES HIS MASTER AT THE NEW YORK A. C.
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The Buffalo Pugilist Outpointed and Badly Punished in a Twenty-Round Battle--Flaherty Escapes with Scarcely a Mark--Wilson and Youngs Also Win Bouts.
Frank Erne of Buffalo, the featherweight pugilist who not long ago received a decision over George Dixon, met his master in Martin Flaherty of Lowell last night at the New York A. C. Flaherty earned a well-deserved verdict because he was faster, a harder hitter, and fully as clever in ring tactics as the Buffalonian.
Erne's left eye and ear were cut open in the early rounds, and to the end of the battle he bled profusely. Flaherty on one or two occasions nearly ended the contest with heavy right-hand swings, which were aimed for the point of the jaw. Erne, instead of cutting the pace throughout, seemed partial to defensive work, and in the latter part of the "go" most of his efforts were limited to countering. Flaherty escaped with scarcely a mark.
The gymnasium was crowded with members and their guests when the opening bout was put on. Arthur Moore was the referee, Charles Coster and Edward Kearney were the judges, Robert Stoll held the watch, and Waldo Sprague was the master of ceremonies. The first bout was between Bobby Wilson of Jersey City and Frank Smith of California. They were to box ten rounds at 117 pounds.
The boys met before at the last show under the club's auspices, and after a hot battle Smith received the decision. Last night the referee stopped the fight and declared Wilson the winner. Smith's ankle was injured to such an extent in the last round that he was carried to his dressing room.
What was expected to be a fast "go" was the second bout, between Joe Youngs of Buffalo and Jack Hannigan of Pittsburgh, ten rounds, at 122 pounds. Youngs received the decision of the judges amid intense satisfaction. Both boys were badly punished.
Erne and Flaherty came next. They were matched for twenty rounds at 126 pounds. Both weighed in and were prepared for business shortly after 10 o'clock.
First Round.--Erne's left fell short of the body. Then both sparred for an opening. Erne tried his left for the head and was blocked, Flaherty putting a right on the heart. Erne again shot out his left and it reached the mouth. Flaherty ran into a clinch, and Erne put in a solid left on the stomach. This made Martin rush a bit, but Frank got away nicely, and also countered strongly on the mouth. They were sparring lightly at the end.
Second Round.--Erne sailed in with a volley of left-hand jabs, which did no harm. Then he swung a left to the ear, Flaherty putting in a good rib roaster. The latter came in with a double blow, which was prettily stopped, and repeated the attack, getting his right over the heart. Erne put in a left on the neck, and Flaherty got in a double swing on the head. Erne's left for the body was short, and Martin countered on the face. The round was about even.
Third Round.--Erne's left was stopped, but he tried it again, both landing on the body. They exchanged half-arm jolts on the head and Erne shot a hard left to the body. He also put a left on the mouth, Flaherty rushing in with a couple of swings on the face. Erne piled in after this with half a dozen solid punches on the head, and Flaherty for the first time used his elbow. The latter rushed, but he was met by a volley of short jabs which stopped him short. It was Erne's round.
Fourth Round.--Flaherty got his right to the back of Frank's neck. Then Erne put a stiff left on the nose and they mixed it up to a clinch near the ropes. Both did some heavy swinging without damage and then fiddled until Flaherty led for the neck and received a terrific body punch just above the belt. Erne also shot in two lefts to the neck, Flaherty countering rather wildly and rushing unsuccessfully just at the end.
Fifth Round.--Flaherty's rush was blocked, but he tried another and got a left to the body. Flaherty came again and with a couple of hard lefts he shook Erne's head up for fair. Erne's left swing was stopped nicely on two successive occasions, and Martin swung his right behind his opponent's head. The Lowell man rushed, but Erne skipped around the ring like a sprinter.
Sixth Round.--Erne's left was stopped, but he tried another which partially landed. Flaherty tried a right-hand swing for the jaw, Erne ducking quickly, and coming up again with a left on the body. Flaherty rushed, Erne running away, after which they mixed it up, and Martin chased Erne to the ropes, where he landed a heavy left flush on the nose. Then Erne kept away, so that the round ended in sparring.
Seventh Round.--Erne's left was short, but he put a second jab on the mouth. Flaherty began rushing and swinging, whereupon Erne took the defensive and kept away. Flaherty finally landed a hard one on the mouth and then both fell in a clinch. They exchanged hard swings on the head, and Flaherty put in a corker on the mouth again. Erne was bleeding from the left eye and mouth when he sat down.
Eighth Round.--Erne began to fight faster and shot a couple of lefts to the head. He rushed, too, but Flaherty's defence was effective enough to prevent damage. Martin later resumed rushing tactics, and landed a couple of heavy swings on the left eye, which drew more blood. Then he cut loose and put in a volley of punches on Erne's face and body, Frank fighting back almost blow for blow. Erne's eye was bleeding freely at the end.
Ninth Round.--Erne began the onslaught with left jabs, but Flaherty met him with more heavy swings on the eye, drawing more gore. Erne rushed with a left on Martin's eye, but the latter's blows were the heavier, and Erne took the defensive for a moment. Flaherty continued his hard hitting until Erne's eye bled so much that both men were practically covered with it. This was easily Flaherty's round.
Tenth Round.--Flaherty landed heavily on the eye the moment Erne came up. Frank put a couple of sharp jabs on the mouth, but they were nothing compared to the punches that Flaherty sent into the damaged eye. Erne began swinging his right, but it was for the most part stopped, although one good swing found the jaw. They were sparring at the bell.
Eleventh Round.--Erne's left for the body was short, and another left was well stopped. Flaherty then put in a swing on the cut eye, and received a cross counter on the mouth. Flaherty also put a heavy swing on the left ear which brought forth more blood. Flaherty came in with a straight left, Erne countering. Martin did some more leading, with the Buffalo boy on the defensive.
Twelfth Round.--Erne led, but his rival smashed him on the eye. Flaherty also put in a left on the nose, Erne countering on the body. Martin got away from a couple of swings and then rushed Frank to the ropes, where he sent in half a dozen swings to the head, Erne meanwhile driving in body blows. Flaherty stopped a long left, and then punched Erne's nose so hard that it brought a clinch.
Thirteenth Round.--Erne's left was short, but he sailed in for a mix up and landed a heavy right over the heart. Erne then missed two lefts and was chased into a clinch. Erne came to close quarters and Flaherty slipped down in getting away from the rally. Erne put in a couple of good lefts on the neck and Martin's terrific left went wide of the mark. Erne showed improvement in this round, which, however, was in the Lowell man's favor.
Fourteenth Round.--Erne's left was stopped, and when he came on again, Flaherty put in a hot body blow. Erne rushed with a storm of punches on the head and body, Flaherty clinching, and then rushing the Buffalo boy to the ropes. Erne tried his left repeatedly, but he did very little harm.
Fifteenth Round.--Erne opened with a left on the nose. He tried another for the body at long range and Flaherty blocked it off easily. They came closer and Flaherty fought his man to the ropes, where he landed heavily on the neck and body. Erne was still bleeding, but full of fight. In a clinch both fell, and upon arising Flaherty put a heavy one on the jaw, Erne countering on the mouth.
Sixteenth Round.--Erne did not seem anxious to lead, so after a moment's fiddling Flaherty rushed in with right and left on the eye and jaw. Erne clinched, and after the break he received four heavy smashes on the head and neck, Erne's counters being anything but strong. Then, in a fit of desperation, Erne rallied and forced his man to the ropes, after which he was clearly staggered with a heavy right on the jaw.
Seventeenth Round.--Erne's left was short on the first three attempts. Then Flaherty rushed and made Erne clinch with a couple of heavy jolts on the neck. Erne tried two swings, one of which reached the neck, and then rushed, Flaherty clinching. Martin put in a body punch and sent in a terrific left squarely on the right eye. Then they mixed it up, and just as the bell rang Erne landed a right that sent Flaherty sprawling. The latter, however, was all right as he took his chair.
Eighteenth Round.--They sparred a moment and then Erne tried his left unsuccessfully. Flaherty swung a left to the jaw, and Erne was driven to the ropes, both landing well on the head and body. Flaherty was cautious now, until he saw an opening for a double swing, and also put a left to the body. Just as the bell rang Flaherty landed a right on the jaw, and Erne staggered.
Nineteenth Round.--Erne opened the round with a left on the mouth, but Flaherty came to close quarters and drove his man to a corner, where they clinched. Erne's eye was still bleeding terribly, while the Lowell boy did not have hardly a mark. The latter rushed again and swung two hot ones on the eye, Erne, as usual, countering. Again Flaherty rushed and landed half a dozen heavy jolts on the head. When Erne took his corner he was terribly punished.
Twentieth Round.--They shook hands, and Erne cut loose with two swings on the head. But Flaherty rushed in with a couple of great drives in the face and a left body punch. Erne thereupon took the defensive, and Flaherty pitched in to make a Garrison finish. He got in two blows to one for Erne, and the latter was on the defensive when the bell rang.
The judges agreed on Flaherty, which was considered to be a just verdict.
1897-02-22 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 7)
"Frank" Erne, who has extracted considerable satisfaction from a very questionable decision over George Dixon, collided with a disagreeable experience at the New York Athletic Club Saturday night when he was clearly defeated in a twenty-round bout by Martin Flaherty, the sturdy Boston featherweight. Flaherty had the best of the argument from start to finish, and got the decision. Erne pursued his customary tactics of showy sparring and dancing methods, but Flaherty, eschewing all frills, used his left with telling effect, and at intervals swung a staggering right. Erne was badly punished, while the New Englander showed not a mark.
The club members insisted that they never saw such excellent bouts at those presented Saturday night, which was a just compliment to Matchmaker "Charley" White.
1897-02-22 The Standard Union (Brooklyn, NY) (page 8)
Frank Erne ran up against one of the biggest surprises of his life when he met Martin Flaherty in the New York Athletic Club on Saturday night. Flaherty outfought him all the way, and got the decision easily.
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