1897-11-29 Joe Gans W-TKO5 Stanton Abbott [Eureka Athletic Club, Academy of Music, Baltimore, MD, USA]

1897-11-30 Baltimore American (Baltimore, MD) (page 3)

GANS DEFEATS STANTON ABBOT.
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FAST BOXING AT THE ACADEMY CONCERT HALL.
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In the Third Round the Colored Boy Dazed the Englishman by a Left Hook, Followed by a Right Swing, Both on the Jaw--Three Other Bouts Under the Auspices of the Eureka Athletic Club--"The Adonis of the Ring" Stopped Wrenn, and Sweigert Was Bested by Joe Elliott--Two Featherweights Made a Fast Pace.
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Joe Gans, colored, of this city, last night practically knocked out Stanton Abbot, the famous English lightweight boxer, who is now engaged in teaching the manly art to the swell residents of Newport. The contest took place before a crowded house at the Concert Hall of the Academy. Gans outpointed and outclassed his opponent. He broke at will over his defense, succeeding himself in escaping the unaggressive short-arm jabs aimed by Abbot. In the third round Gans reached over Abbot's guard for a left hook on the jaw, following it with a lightning stroke with the right on the opposite jaw, and Abbot went down dazed. He managed to get up just as the referee was counting the last of the ten. From then until the middle of the fifth round Abbot gave an illustration of the bulldog tenacity and pluck of his country, simply acting as a butt for the quick charges of his dusky opponent. The contest was thus going on in a way perfectly hopeless for Abbot when, in the middle of the fifth round, his seconds threw up the sponge. Abbot was dazed, while Gans was as fresh as when he had started. The colored boy practically was not punished at all. He was in great form, while Abbot was soft and totally unable to withstand the nerve pace. The men boxed in open, clean order, breaking always nicely, making the "go" on its merits, very much to the gratification of the audience.

Gans' victory was as complete as notable. Abbot has a great reputation over this country and England as a boxer. He has, locally, defeated such men as Gehring and Duke. Gans was always the aggressor. He started from the take-off to make the pace hot. Being able to get away from return punishment at will, he constantly made sorties on his antagonist, getting around his guard, and repeatedly landing lefts on face and right-swings on body.

The contest was given under the auspices of the Eureka Athletic Club. There were four set-tos in all, for which no decisions were given publicly by Referee Mantz, though privately he expressed opinions. Excellent order prevailed throughout, and, apparently, none of the men taking part were injured.

Johnnie Smith and "Kid" Byrnes, both of this city, rival aspirants for 110-pound honors, made up the first bout. Both boys were full of steam, and put up a contest quite to the liking of the crowd. At the start of the first round Byrnes started to make the going. He swung a hard right on Smith's neck, and was countered on the body. In the second round, Smith began to send fierce punches after Byrnes' short ribs, exploring for the famous solar plexus blow. Byrnes could only lead with his right, not being at all nimble with his left. Smith was out in a pair of baby blue trunks, kept in place by a pink sash. One of his first efforts was to give Byrnes a "brim lamp," which at the ringside means a damaged eye. Byrnes looked over his optical crapery in the best of humor, a fresh smile coming with each blow. Smith had previously gotten the wrong end of a padded mill argument with Byrnes, and he was dead in earnest to even up. The two labored away energetically for their six rounds. The crowd adjudged it a draw.

Frank Farley, the Adonis of the ring, then had a five-round affair with Joe Wrenn, of Hazelton, Pa. "The Adonis" is handsome, and he's handy with his pins as Jimmy Fadden would say. He polished off Wrenn's nose with a double coat of claret, and then literally ran him off his legs. Not having legs, Wrenn failed to stand gracefully in the ring by the end of the fifth round, and Manager Herford suggested that the thing be stopped. Herford's suggestions go at the Eureka Club, and the thing was stopped, Farley getting the blue ribbon.

Fred Sweigert, "The Trial Horse," reminiscent of Fred Stewart and the Monumental Amphitheater, came out for a four-round friendly "go" with Joe Elliott, who himself is something of a trial horse. The two men had a rough way of showing their friendship. Elliott worked his left on Sweigert's nose and mouth, varying it occasionally with a heave with his right. He tired Sweigert out, and won a decision in a way to the taste of those present.

Before the real business of the evening started there was a bag-punching contest, for which three medals were given. These were won by Frank Farley, Joe Gans and William Anty.


1897-11-30 Morning Herald (Baltimore, MD) (page 5)

GANS BESTS ABBOTT.

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Big Attendance at the Boxing Carnival in the Academy of Music Hall--Farley Gets the Medal.

The boxing contests at the Academy of Music Hall last night were well attended. The house was packed, in fact, and Manager Herford feels much encouraged as to the outlook for such events in the future. The first thing on the card was a punching-bag contest. The entries were William Auty, Charles Steinbach, James King, Herman Holstein, Jim Janey, Joe Gans and Frank Farley. All of the men showed up well, but the judges had no difficulty in placing Farley first, and he was awarded the gold medal. Joe Gans was second and William Auty third. Auty was probably the most scientific of all, but the bag was too high for him, and he could not do himself justice.

The first of the boxing contests was between Tommy Burns and Johnny Smith, and was scheduled for six rounds. The boys put up a pretty fight, and at the end of the six rounds it was a stand off. Burns is a new-comer to the ring and hardly understands as much about the game as Smith, but he is a likely strong lad with a dangerous right, and will make a clever boxer with more experience.

Frank Farley and Joe Wrenn, of Hazleton, Pa., were next put on. Wrenn is a stout, husky boy but lacks skill, and Farley outpointed him all the way. The "Adonis" was not in the best of shape himself, owing to recent illness, but he made the Hazleton boy look very cheap. In the fourth round Wrenn began to get weak on his legs and in the fifth he was so groggy that he was taken off.

Jim Janey had been advertised to box with Tobe Parker, of Washington. Parker had signed an agreement to be on hand and Manager Herford had sent him on his railroad ticket. Parker, however, did not show up, and the bout was declared off. To fill in, Joe Elliott and Fred Sweigert went on for four rounds. Joe had all the best of it and fought Sweigert to a standstill. This, however, was not much to Sweigert's discredit, for he was in no shape for a fight, and simply went on to oblige Manager Herford. He made a very game and creditable showing under the circumstances. The star bout of the evening between Stanton Abbott and Joe Gans was then in order. It was Gans' battle all the way through.

Abbott, with his wonderful guard, stood Joe off for a couple of rounds, but in the third the colored lad got into the Englishman, and, punching him right and left, finally sent him to the floor. The referee counted 10, and at the last second Abbott staggered to his feet. He was a beaten man ten, but he managed to hang on until the gong saved him. The next round he recuperated wonderfully and did some leading himself, but he was clearly weak and all but out of it. In the fifth Joe went at his man, and, hitting him at will, finally dropped him with a right-hand punch on the jaw. Abbott's seconds saw that it was all over and threw up the sponge. Abbott was not in the best of condition. He looked fat and soft, and after the second round he was slow as an ice-wagon. He clearly has no business with Gans, and, indeed, none but strictly first-class men can hope to make a showing with the colored lad. Abbott took his defeat very philosophically. He said: "I have been 16 years in the ring, and I must expect to find my superior among these youngsters."


1897-11-30 The Sun (Baltimore, MD) (page 6)

GANS WHIPS ABBOTT.

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Takes Less Than Five Rounds To Do It--Other Bouts Of The Eureka And Bag Punching.

Joseph Gans, the colored lightweight of Baltimore, again proved his great ability as a pugilist by defeating easily Staunton Abbott, the Englishman, in less than five rounds last night.

The colored boy came within an ace of finishing Abbott in the third with a blow on the jaw that almost put him out. Staunton staggered to his feet, however, just as the referee counted "9" and the gong saved him. He recovered somewhat and gamely tried to continue the contest. But in the fifth round, after Gans had made a chopping block of him, Abbott's second threw up the sponge, after a knockdown by Gans. Abbott was not "out," but he was helpless, and his seconds gave up to save him from further punishment and the knockout that would have come shortly. Abbott made a very game fight, but Gans outpointed him from the start. It was evident that he was no match for the colored boy, who escaped everything like a serious blow.

The Gans-Abbott battle was the last and principal one at the boxing exhibition given in the concert hall of the Academy of Music, under the auspices of the Eureka Athletic Club, of which Al. Herford is manager. The exhibition was an excellent one and the crowd filled nearly every seat. There was a six-round set-to between Thomas (Kid) Byrnes and John Smith, both of Baltimore, at 110 pounds, which was a draw; another between Frank Farley and Joseph Wren, both of Philadelphia, five rounds at 124 pounds, which was all Farley's and a four-round "go" between Joseph Elliott and Fred. Sweigert at catch weights, in which Elliott pummelled his opponent almost at will. The last was arranged after the exhibition began, to take the place of a bout that had been arranged between Tobe Parker, of Washington, and James Janey, of Baltimore. Parker, although a railroad ticket had been sent him, failed to appear.

No decisions were given by the referee in any of the events, the spectators being left to decide for themselves. George Mantz was referee and Ernault Gebhart was timekeeper.

Besides the boxing contests, Manager Herford introduced a novelty to open the entertainment with in the shape of a bag-punching contest, for the championship of Maryland and prizes. A number of contestants entered and Frank Farley, the "Adonis," as he is called, because of his handsome face and figure, gave a wonderfully skillful exhibition of bag punching and was awarded the first prize, a large gold medal, and the championship. Joseph Gans, whose punching was only a little less fine, won the second prize, a punching bag. William Anty, a Baltimore boy, was adjudged entitled to third honor. Every contestant was given three minutes. Messrs. Walter Schlichter, sporting editor of a well-known Philadelphia paper, J. H. Anderson and William Walts, of Baltimore, were the judges.

The Gans-Abbott bout opened with both men sparring for an opening. After a few moments Gans landed the first blow of any consequence, a straight left jab in the face. Shortly afterward he got in another, following it with a right hook in the ribs. Abbott landed a light left on Gans' neck and the round closed, with neither man hurt, Gans having had the better of it, however. The colored boy began working in earnest in the second round and had all the better of it, landing half a dozen or more stiff punches on the face and ribs of his opponent. Abbott's face was scarlet and his body blood red from the blows as he went to his corner.

Gans was still more savage in the third round. He continued his hard jabs in Abbott's face and ribs and near the close had Abbott all but out. With a terrible straight left jab in the face Gans jolted his opponent's head back and then sent in a right hook on the jaw. Abbott went down and it looked as if it was all over. But after lying perfectly still on his back until the referee had counted up to six, the plucky little Englishman arose to his feet as "nine" was called and managed to defend himself until the song sounded.

The last two rounds simply tested the endurance and dogged bravery of Abbott. Gans hammered him almost at will, but Abbott managed to evade a knockout. When, however, Gans floored him after 2 minutes and 15 seconds of the fifth round, his seconds threw up the sponge. Abbott tried hard to land his famous right, but Gans was far too clever.

The other bouts were no less animated than the star affair. Byrnes and Smith had a savage time of it for a while and "mixed it up" in lively fashion. Byrnes did nearly all the fighting, forcing matters from the start. He had the better of it, but Smith recovered, and toward the close evened up matters considerably.

The Farley-Wren contest was all one-sided. Wren was the heavier and stronger, but was not in good condition, and Farley was the cleverer. At the end of the fifth Wren was tired out, and the bout was stopped. Wren was not hurt.

In the other preliminary, Joe Elliott, as usual, proved himself a very clever boxer, and Fred. Sweigert proved, as usual, that he could take any amount of punishment smilingly. At the end Sweigert, breathlessly, apologized to the crowd for not doing better work, saying he was not in condition.