1899-10-06 Charles Kid McCoy D-PTS6 Joe Choynski (Ft. Dearborn Athletic Club, Star Theater, Chicago, IL, USA)

1899-10-07 The Chicago Daily Tribune (Chicago, IL) (page 6)

FIGHT RESULTS IN DRAW.

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M'COY AND CHOYNSKI HAVE EVEN BATTLE AT THE STAR.

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Agree to Divide Honors if Both Are on Their Feet After Six Rounds--Arrangement Disappoints the Crowd--Hoosier Scores Only Knockdown, but No Decided Advantage Over the Californian--Lively Sport in Preliminary Bouts.

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Before a crowded and rather disappointed house at the Star Theater "Kid" McCoy and Joe Choynski fought a six-round draw last night. It was a draw because the agreement existed it should be such if both men were on their feet at the finish. Possibly this arrangement saved Referee Hogan from a dilemma, for the fighting was fairly even.

McCoy may have had a shade of advantage on points, but Choynski's friends would have denounced such a decision. There is no question the arragement for a draw if both men were on their feet detracted from the vigor of the contest, for while both men apparently fought earnestly a bout of such limited duration was hardly sufficient for either to emphasize his superiority. It would have been more satisfactory to the sporting crowd had such an arrangement been made public in advance.

Both men did a fair share of the aggressive work, McCoy leading in this particular early in the contest, while the Californian appeared to make earnest efforts in the closing stages. McCoy scored the only knockdown, and in the first three rounds gave the impression he was constantly waiting for the chance to land a knockout blow. Choynski tried hard in the opening rounds to feint his man out, but the imperturbable McCoy refused to be drawn out. McCoy did some clever work in this line himself and once or twice had Choynski guessing.

McCoy's lightning left was often in action, and, although Choynski cleverly blocked some of the leads, many of them landed. Some of them appeared to be delivered while the "Kid" was on his toes. In the clinches McCoy did the better work, being ever ready to whip in left and right jolts. Choynski showed great reluctance at times in breaking.

McCoy Takes His Unlucky Corner.

McCoy was the first to appear, taking the same corner he occupied a few weeks ago on the occasion of his unexpected knockout at the hands of McCormick. He was attended by his brother, Homer Selby, Jack Leonard, and Harry and Sammy Harris. He looked well.

Choynski came in accompanied by two boyish-looking seconds, N. and G. Shrosbee. He looked far better than he did in his battle with Ryan at Dubuque a month ago, having more color and a brighter eye. The men fought straight Queensberry rules.

Little effective work was done in the first round, the men endeavoring to feint each other out. McCoy made several bluff leads, but there was not a good blow struck until the latter part of the round, when McCoy sent his left to the breast.

In the second round McCoy opened with a left lead for the head. Two seconds later they exchanged short arm blows in a clinch, from which McCoy emerged with the bridge of his nose cut and bleeding. Choynski's left lead was cleverly blocked and McCoy jabbed his face three times in quick succession. Several good exchanges took place and Choynski twice backed away from McCoy's onslaughts. The round ended with easy sparring, and the crowd grew a trifle impatient.

Hoosier Scores Knockdown.

In the third round McCoy again did some good work with his left and showed excellent judgment of distance in avoiding Choynski's swings. McCoy forced the fighting in the middle of the round, landing two jabs on the body. Getting Choynski against the ropes he swung his left against the jaw, sending the Californian to the floor and bringing blood from his mouth. Seeing his advantage McCoy followed with two hard lefts on the face. Choynski, however, fought back strongly and finished the round in good shape.

In the fourth round McCoy sent a good left to the jaw and Choynski raised a cheer by countering hard on the face. Choynski followed soon with a good jab on the mouth, McCoy countering on the forehead. Choynski retreated to the ropes as the "Kid" came after him and cleverly evaded a heavy left swing. Towards the end of the round there were several brisk exchanges of an even character. Honors were fairly even in the fifth, in which Choynski appeared to be fighting with great confidence and endeavoring to get in a blow which would bring him the decision. McCoy, however, was wary and frustrated his opponent's attempts by clever footwork and good blocking.

In a clinch at the finish Choynski was wrestled to the floor. There was little variation from the last round, the pace of which was not increased to any great extent, both men probably realizing that much effort would be wasted.

Entertaining Preliminary Bouts.

In the opening bout Lew Mansfield knocked out Jim Falvey in the second round. The latter went down without being hit in the first round, and after getting some punishment was put out for the full count.

Jack Robinson and Billy Kauffman, 140-pounders, fought six even rounds to a draw.

Jack Hudson knocked out Jim Quinn in the fourth round. They met at 138 pounds. After a fairly even break in the first round Hudson's superior hitting ability began to tell. Quinn was sent to the canvas for eight seconds from a left hook on the jaw. He was floored three times in the third round, and fell a like number without being hit. Early in the fourth he was partly wrestled to the floor, and on rising was sent to the canvas for the limit with a stiff left on the chin.

No funnier bout than that between Ed Morris of California and Charles La Grande of New York, two 150-pound colored men, has ever been seen in the city. It was Kirwanesque in the extreme. La Grande, a tall, ever smiling youth, pirouetted around the ring and exhibited every kind of blow known to pugilists, both ancient and modern. Occasionally he drew his head between his shoulder blades turtle fashion. Morris, in the early stages of the contest, swung his right windmill fashion and generally missed. After that he paid attention to his opponent's ribs. Neither seemed able to do any damage, and rounds four and five were decidedly slow. In the last Morris forced the fighting and scored the only knockdown of the contest with a left hook on the jaw. He was given the decision.


1899-10-07 The Chicago Record (Chicago, IL) (page 6)

CROWD HISSES BOUT.

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M'COY AND CHOYNSKI DRAW.

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Hogan Renders Decision According to an Agreement Made Before Entering the Ring--Tame Boxing Disappoints a Full House.

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"Kid" McCoy and Joe Choynski engineered their expected draw in the wind-up bout at the Star theater last night. Amid a din of hisses, groans and calls of "fake" Referee Malachy Hogan made himself heard and gave the decision. He explained--what had previously been concealed from the crowd--that the fighters had agreed before starting that if both men were on their feet at the end a draw must be announced. Hogan added his personal conviction that the men had fought to win. Not all the crowd that packed the building shared this belief, and another blast of groans and jeers stung the fighters' ears as they climbed out of the ring.

The fight was a deadening exhibition of feinting, clinching and occasional lively mix-ups. With the convenient reservation as to a draw, the men fought with considerable earnestness, but neither took great chances to rush matters. The wrath of the crowd was more against the club which permitted the deception of the public than against the fighters.

McCoy Has Slight Advantage.

If a decision had been given it would probably have been in McCoy's favor, though Joe redeemed an early faltering by some sharp fighting near the close. The "Kid" had a shade. He seemed disposed to let his opponent off without severe punishment. At times he rammed his piston-like left into Choynski's face with deadly aim, but for much of the time he was wild. Joe appeared very wary and hesitating in the early rounds, but peppered McCoy with some neat left hooks later on. About the only really savage work the men indulged in was in the clinches. Joe was afraid of a shot to his body, and the "Kid" was always alert to plant a hot one while in a clinch. So the men were close locked most of the time and Hogan had hard work in making them break.

McCoy appeared in prime condition and showed all his customary confidence. Choynski showed up in about as good shape as he has lately, but betrayed in his drawn face his usual overdone training. As a result of the six-round draw last night Choynski expects to get on with the "Kid" for another twenty-round fight.

Choynski Depends on Left Hook.

McCoy fought like an automaton. He seemed fairly to glide along the canvas, feinting his way past Choynski's guard and then dashing in with his left. The "Kid" varied his style of delivery with almost every round. First he would stand up, hold his guard high and depend upon his feet to keep him out of danger. He seemed to be able to draw Choynski's leads any time he wanted, while Joe's efforts at feinting did not seem to annoy his opponent to any extent. Choynski depended upon his old standby, a left hook, to do damage. He landed one of these punches on the bridge of McCoy's nose in the first round and that member began bleeding.

This blow seemed to make McCoy slightly aggressive. He tried again and again by raising his left for the face to make Choynski try to cross with his right, but Joe seemed to understand what McCoy wanted, and every time the "Kid" tried with his left Joe either slipped, his head ducking low, or began a spring around the ring.

McCoy Lags at the Close.

Choynski was very careful of the way he handled himself in the clinches. The minute he felt one of McCoy's arms twining around him the experienced Californian would squirm around like an eel until he had placed his body in a safe position. The third saw a bit of milling. At the tap of the bell McCoy stepped in with a left full on the nose, and before Choynski recovered from the effects of this blow the "Kid" was in again with a punch on the jaw. Choynski attempted to get away and tried to duck under one of McCoy's left hooks, which caught him full on the nose, and Choynski half slipped down, bleeding freshly from the nose. He was up in an instant, however. Choynski then landed a left on McCoy's jaw, and he followed with a sharp right high on the head just as the bell rang for the end of the round.

The fourth saw McCoy lagging. He never used his right except in the clinches, when there seemed a poor chance of execution. McCoy started out fast enough when he heard the jeers of the crowd and cries of "fake," but again slowed up, and the last two rounds were much the same.

The preliminaries were a poor lot and resulted as follows:

Billy Kauffman and Jack Robinson fought a draw.

Lew Mansfield made Jack Murphy quit in one round.

Jack Hudson made Jim Quinn quit in four rounds.

Ed Morris defeated Charles LaGrange in six rounds.


1899-10-07 The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, OH) (page 3)

SIX EASY

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Rounds Between Kid McCoy and Joe Choynski.

Chicago, October 6.--Kid McCoy and Joe Choynski fought six rounds before the Ft. Dearborn Athletic Club to-night. Both men had agreed to a draw in case they were on their feet at the end of the sixth round, and that was the decision, as both were not only on their feet, but comparatively fresh. McCoy, however, clearly outpointed the Californian, and scored the only knockdown of the fight, putting Joe to the boards with a left hook to the mouth in the third.

The Kid made a careful fight of it. He took no chances whatever, contenting himself as a rule with stabbing Choynski with his left. He used his right but seldom, but it generally counted hard when he did put it in operation. Choynski scored many times, bringing the blood from McCoy's nose in the first round, and once or twice jarring McCoy considerably with his right. Many of his blows, however, fell short.

In the preliminaries Billy Cauffman, of St. Louis, and Jack Robinson, of Chicago, fought a six-round draw. Lew Mansfield, of Chicago, knocked out Jack Falvey, of Chicago, in the first round, and Jack Hudson put Jim Quinn away in four rounds.

The McCoy-Choynski fight by rounds was as follows:

First Round--Both men shaped up well as they came together, and were evidently in good trim. McCoy landed a right on the ribs, and escaped a return. He tried a left for the face, but it was blocked. McCoy tried his left again, and put it hard on the face and a right to the ribs, Choynski countering on the ear. In a clinch McCoy beat a tattoo on Joe's ribs with his right, and brought it up to the ear, Choynski slamming his right to the Kid's ribs. Choynski was cautious and fiddled considerably. McCoy refused to be drawn out, but watched his man like a cat. No particular damage was done.

Second Round--Choynski hooked his left, but missed. In the clinch that followed he landed hard on ribs and ear, but Choynski brought first blood with a short hook on McCoy's nose. Choynski landed a light right on the mouth. McCoy quick as a flash jabbed his left twice to Choynski's nose. McCoy put his right on the ribs, Choynski countering with a left on the face. Joe landed a left on the mouth as the bell rang.

Third Round--McCoy got to work at once, and slammed a hard left to Joe's mouth and a right hook to the ear. Joe put his right on McCoy's ear, the latter coming back with a hard left to the mouth. McCoy repeated the blow, Choynski putting a light left to the chin. McCoy jabbed his left twice to the face and then to the ribs. Then suddenly shifting he tied the Californian up by feinting with his right and sent his left with terrible force to the mouth. Choynski went down like a shot. He got up immediately, but his mouth was bleeding freely. McCoy was on him at once, but Joe fought back hard, putting his left and right to the face, sending McCoy's head back. McCoy put his left straight and hard on the jaw. This was decidedly McCoy's round.

Fourth Round--McCoy put two hard lefts to the face, Choynski countering with a left to the mouth. Choynski swung his left lightly on McCoy's ear. The latter then sent Joe's head back twice with straight lefts. Choynski evened matters with right and left hard to the jaw. McCoy swung left and right to the head. He left an opening and Choynski staggered the Kid a little with a hard right to the neck.

Fifth Round--Choynski blocked a left and sent his left hard to the Kid's eye. McCoy then feinted and put a terrific right over to the ear, staggering Choynski. The latter, who was decidedly aggressive, placed his left on the ear. In a clinch both landed hard rights on the ear. McCoy put a hard left on the neck and Choynski a hard right on McCoy's mouth. McCoy brought his left to the ear and partly wrestled Choynski to the floor as the gong sounded.

Sixth Round--McCoy put his left to Choynski's nose, starting it to bleeding. Choynski missed a left for the chin, and McCoy put his right hard on the kidneys. McCoy reddened Joe's ribs with his right in a clinch, the latter bringing his left over on the neck. Choynski sent his right to the ribs and McCoy countered with a good left hook to the mouth just before the bell rang. Choynski landed a right swing on the jaw, shaking the Kid up a little.

Choynski's lips were somewhat swollen at the finish. Beyond a skinned nose McCoy did not bear a mark.


1899-10-07 The Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago, IL) (page 8)

M'COY AND CHOYNSKI DRAW.

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Bout Proved Unsatisfactory from the Start to the Finish.

Kid McCoy and Joe Choynski boxed six rounds to a draw before a North Side club last night. The men fought under straight Queensberry rules, and Malachy Hogan acted as referee.

The affair was unsatisfactory from start to finish. In the first place, it appeared as though McCoy was not trying very hard, and, in the second, the announcement that both men had agreed to call the contest a draw if both were on their feet at the end of the sixth and last round was not made until the contest was at an end. Then Referee Hogan came to the front, declared the bout a draw, and added that both of the principals had agreed to make it a draw if the bout went the limit. The crowd was plainly disgusted and testified its dislike of the proceedings by shrill cat-calls and numerous cries of "Fake!"

McCoy seemed to be far the cleverer of the two. His superb foot work carried him out of danger of Choynski's rushes, and his long, dangerous left was always in evidence, shooting to the face and wind with marvelous celerity.

When the men squared off for the first round McCoy led a straight left for the face, which was neatly ducked, Choynski countering with a light left on the chest. Choynski tried a left swing for the head and McCoy blocked it. Choynski missed a left hook for the wind, McCoy rushing him to the ropes. A mix-up ensued, with honors even, all the exchanges seeming to lack steam. Choynski tried a left swing for the head again, missed, and McCoy sent a left uppercut to the face, which caused Choynski to clinch and hang on. Both men fiddled to the end of the round. There were murmurs of disapprobation from the crowd as they went to their corners.

Choynski opened up the second with a left swing for the jaw. McCoy got out of the way and pushed his left squarely on the face. A mix-up followed, and when the men broke away McCoy's nose was bleeding from the effects of a left hook which grazed his face. McCoy kept jabbing, and the round closed with a clinch.

In the third McCoy used a one-two-straight left on the face, and an occasional left to the wind which made Choynski grunt. McCoy caught Choynski off his balance, sent a left to the nose, and Joe slipped down, but was up in an instant. The exchanges were light, McCoy having the best of matters.

The last three rounds were all of the same order.

Referee Hogan declared the bout a draw.

Tom O'Rourke, manager of Joe Walcott

1922-12-10 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 8)

FIGHTERS I HAVE HANDLED

As told to George B. Underwood

By World famous Managers, Trainers and Seconds

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Joe Walcott, the Giant Killer, as Seen by Tom O'Rourke, Who Discovered and Campaigned Him--Big or Small, They All Looked the Same to the Barbadoes Demon--Settled Debt with Choynski for Dixon.

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(Copyrighted by G. B. Underwood.)

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This is the seventh article of the series on famous figures of the ring as related to America's leading writer of boxing by world's famous managers, trainers and handlers. In previous installments Tom O'Rourke told Mr. Underwood of George Dixon, Joe Humphries of Terry McGovern, Dan McKettrick of Willie Lewis, Jimmy Johnson of Jem Driscoll, Ike Dorgan of Frank Moran and Sam Wallach of Leach Cross. O'Rourke today gives Mr. Underwood his second contribution, telling of Joe Walcott, the Barbadoes Demon. Fistiana greatly is enriched by these personal and intimate glimpses of the ring's greatest heroes. These articles appear in this paper every Sunday.

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If you had asked any of the great fighters of the old Horton law days, from middleweight up to heavyweight, who was the last man in the world they would like to see in the corner opposite them, it is 100 to 1 that, if they answered truthfully, nine out of ten would reply, Joe Walcott.

Walcott, never more than a welterweight and generally fighting as a lightweight, was the most feared fighter of his time. Under rough and tumble conditions he could whip any man in the world, and under Marquis of Queensberry rules most of them.

I have seen all of the great heavyweights of the last fifty years. There is not one who I would be afraid to send Joe Walcott up against, or one who Joe himself wouldn't fall all over himself to get a crack at. I do not bar Jim Jeffries, either. In fact, Jeffries himself once came to me and said:--

"Tom, I see you are challenging all the heavyweights in behalf of Walcott. Don't include me in that list. It would take me at least ten rounds to size the fellow up rightly and know how to fight him. Even then I would have my troubles with him. He's built like a gorilla and can give and take almost as much punishment as one of them."

You must remember that little Walcott knocked out Joe Choynski in seven rounds shortly after Choynski had fought Jeffries a fierce twenty round draw.

Jeffries said that Choynski hit him the hardest blow he ever was struck, the punch driving the teeth on both jaws through his lips. Jim would have changed his opinion if he had fought Walcott. Joe could hit twice as hard and fast as Choynski.

Proof of the respect and fear with which Walcott was held by the heavyweights of his time was the way they avoided him. I posted a certified cheque for $5,000 with a New York newspaper as a forfeit for Walcott to fight Jim Corbett and Kid McCoy on the same night, allowing Walcott one-half hour's rest in between bouts, Corbett and McCoy to toss up to see which would first tackle the Barbadoes Demon.

Both ignored the offer, despite it would give each a chance to make a big wad of needed money. Corbett came to me later and tried to laugh it off, saying:--

"Why, of course, you didn't mean it, Tom. I understand what it was--great publicity. Why, I would make a monkey out of your gorilla man, and you know it!"

"I know it, eh?" I replied. "What I do know is that money talks and that I have a certified cheque for $5,000 posted with a reputable newspaper guaranteeing that Walcott will whip both you and McCoy on the same night, and I know that neither you nor McCoy can be pulled in the ring with Walcott with a team of horses!"

Rolls Maher in Mud.

They rightly called Joe Walcott the Barbadoes Demon. Joe was only five feet one inch in height, but he was about as broad as he was tall and his gorilla-like arms hung down almost to his knees. He had the reach of a towering six footer and could hit like no man I ever have seen before or since his time, not even excepting Fitzsimmons or Peter Maher.

Walcott, by the way, once rolled Peter Maher all over Coney Island Boulevard. This is how it happened:--

Soon after I brought Walcott to New York I sent him down to Coney Island to help train George Dixon for Little Chocolate's fight with Fred Johnson, the English featherweight champion. Maher came into Dixon's training quarters one day. Joe was curled up on the floor by the fire just like a dog. Maher looked in the door and seeing Joe with his queer bullet shaped head and great arms stretched out there, turned with a grin to me and said:--

"Bedad, Tom, I've a mind to poke him an' see if he's got a tail!"

"Keep away from him, Peter," I warned, "or he'll smear that Irish face of yours all over the map!"

Mind you Walcott was asleep and hadn't heard a word of it. A few days later Maher and his sparring partner encountered Dixon and Walcott on the road. Peter was in high glee and after joshing with Dixon told George he was going to find out whether or not Walcott had a tail hidden under the back of his shirt.

Peter grabbed Joe. Joe grabbed Peter. The next place Peter found himself was on his back in the middle of a puddle, with his own sparring partner on top of him.

Walcott had cross-buttocked Maher down and rolled him in the mud and then had grabbed his sparring partner and flopped him on top of Peter.

Right now, when old Peter tells of it he will exclaim:--

"Begorrah, that naygur Walcott wasn't a man at all--at all! Shure, he was a divil!"

The first time I ever heard of Walcott he was a cook on one of the coast line boats between Boston and the Barbadoes. I had Dixon on a theatrical tour and we were showing in Miner's Theatre on the Bowery. One night George said to me:--

"Tom, there's another little coon up Boston way who can whip his weight in wildcats. He's a cook on one of the coast liners. I saw him at one of the smokers down East and he knocked a fellow twice as big as himself clean over the ropes. My friends tell me he is going to enter next week's amateur boxing and wrestling tournament in Mechanics Building, Boston. You'd better run down and bring him back with you. It'll be worth your while."

I told Dixon I would run down to Boston and look the fellow over, anyway. So the next Thursday I went to Boston to see the final competitions in the amateur tournament.

Walcott Cleans Up.

Walcott was entered in both lightweight and middleweight boxing events and in the lightweight wrestling championship as well.

In the lightweight boxing championship, Walcott fought three men and knocked them all cold. He disposed of two of his middleweight opponents by the knockout route, and then fought a fellow named Kelly in the final to what the judges called a draw. In my mind Walcott was a clear winner.

In between his six boxing bouts he took part in three wrestling bouts and won them all. Joe came out of Mechanics Building that night amateur lightweight champion boxer and wrestler, and with a tie for the middleweight boxing championship as well.

Yes, you're right, I came with him. I knew a good fighter when I saw one, and you bet I was quick to take Walcott under my wing.

Well, I brought Walcott on to New York and made him a member of my Dixon show. He was green and unschooled in boxing, so while I was teaching him the fundamentals of boxing I kept him wrestling nightly with the show, meeting all comers. I boxed regularly with Walcott at the start, just as I had with Dixon, and what he knew of the manly art he learned from me.

While we were in New York the city was plastered with posters telling of a show Jack McAuliffe, the lightweight champion, was to take part in at Madison Square Garden. McAuliffe agreed to meet any three men the public would select and forfeit $500 to any or all whom he failed to stop inside of three rounds.

Walcott, in his strolls around the Bowery, noticed one of the posters. The day of the Garden bouts he came to me and asked if he could go on early at Miner's that night and get away. When I asked him what for, he replied:--

"There's a fellow named McAuliffe who is going to give $500 to any man that stays three rounds. I want to get that $500."

"Don't you want to stay with this show, Joe?" I asked.

He replied that he did.

"Well," I replied, "we want only winners at this show. Don't go fooling around McAuliffe or you'll lose to him and lose your job, too."

"Mister O'Rourke," he replied, "there ain't no man in the world who can knock me out in three rounds!"

That's how confident Walcott was when he first started in the game. I would have let him fight McAuliffe, only I was a mighty good friend of Jack's and didn't want to crab his game. We were making good with the show and there was plenty of money in sight without interfering with McAuliffe.

Later, Jack came down to Miner's to see our show, and after seeing Walcott in action acknowledged to me that Walcott could kill him. Jack said he himself could whip any man of his weight in the world, but that Walcott was more of a gorilla than he was a man.

A Stalking Horse.

To show you how cagey McAuliffe was, let me tell you how he sidetracked Austin Gibbons. Gibbons had fought McAuliffe in a short bout once and given Jack a tough go. Jack didn't want to meet Austin again. McAuliffe then was tied up with Judge Murphy, the power behind the throne at the Palace A. C., of Coney Island. The public wanted McAuliffe to take on Gibbons there. McAuliffe said he was willing, but that Gibbons first must meet Joe Walcott. The rather unsuspecting Gibbons agreed to a match with Walcott, and Joe knocked him out in three rounds.

Then when Gibbons' supporters again tried to arrange a McAuliffe-Gibbons bout McAuliffe sneeringly exclaimed:--

"What! Me, the lightweight champion, fight a man whom O'Rourke's green coon knocked out in three rounds? Nothing doing! Let Gibbons go out and make a reputation and earn the right to fight me!"

After the Gibbons-Walcott fight Joe accompanied us on the road with the Dixon show. We hit a town in Pennsylvania. Our posters advertised that Dixon agreed to stop any one or forfeit $50.

When the show opened that night a big, brawny 190 pound miner stepped on the stage to answer Dixon's challenge.

I told him Dixon was only a bantam and that our offer stood only for men of his weight.

The miner replied that our advertising poster did not stipulate any weight and called for us to make good our advertisement. He was a local favorite and the house was with him, loudly declaring Dixon must make good.

I stepped to the front of the stage and started in telling the crowd that it wasn't right to compel the bantamweight champion to risk injury at the hands of a heavyweight, but the crowd howled me down. I raised my hand for silence and then declared:--

"All right, Dixon will fight him! But first let your man go on with another little colored fellow here with our show. He only weighs 130 pounds, but he will fight your man. If you man beats this chap then your big fellow can fight Dixon."

"Don't go on with the dub!" yelled some of the crowd to their representative. "Fight the champion, Dixon, or no one!"

Finally, after a long confab and upon my firm insistence that the heavyweight fight Walcott first the heavyweight sneeringly consented to go on with Walcott.

"Those white folks think I'm a dub, eh?" muttered Walcott as we were putting on the gloves. "I'll show 'em!"

He certainly did "show 'em." Joe walked right out of his corner and buried the big fellow under a swirling shower of lefts and rights. One of Joe's rights thudded home to the jaw in the first minute's fighting and knocked the fellow out for a good half hour.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't fight Dixon," groaned the big miner, after we finally brought him around. "If I had fought the champion he probably would have killed me!"

The one big thing the public goes wrong in as regards professional boxing is that, like that Pennsylvania miner, they generally figure on the name rather than the man. That is why a champion almost invariably enters the ring a heavy favorite.

Great Fight with Lavigne.

Probably the most talked of fight in the history of American boxing was Walcott's famous go with Kid Lavigne at Maspeth, L. I. Lavigne, lightweight champion at the time, finally agreed to a match with Walcott provided the weights be 133 pounds at three P. M. The agreement was that Walcott should stop Lavigne inside fifteen rounds or forfeit the purse.

While Joe could shave down to the lightweight limit and still be strong at that time he could not reduce to 133 pounds without suffering from stomach cramps. Three times, when he was training for Lavigne, we had to go out and carry Joe home off the road because of his collapsing with the cramps.

Walcott and Lavigne weighed in for their fight in the Turkish baths at the corner of Broome street and the Bowery. Walcott weighed 131½ pounds and Lavigne 132½ pounds.

There is no need rehearsing that fight to you or your readers. Who hasn't heard of it--the fiercest, bloodiest, closest waged combat in the history of the roped square? Both Lavigne and Walcott fought like wildcats from the opening gong. They were both game as bulldogs and could hit like triphammers and withstand all kinds of punishment.

At the end of the sixth round little Dixon, who was assisting me in seconding Walcott, told Joe that he wasn't giving everything he had, but he better do it or he would lose our money. "If you don't knock him out quickly," warned George, "you're liable to get the cramps and he'll whip you!"

"I can lick him any time I want," boasted Walcott. "I'll cut loose and knock him out in a round or so."

But when Walcott came to his corner at the end of the seventh he was seized with the cramps. They attacked him so bad that he couldn't sit down, but stood up and grasped the ring ropes while we kneaded and massaged him.

During the last eight rounds of the Lavigne fight Walcott suffered continually with those cramps. Those who attended the mill thought his standing up between rounds was mere braggadocio. They little knew what agony Joe really was in.

That was the big reason why Lavigne was on his feet at the end of the fifteenth round. The white boy put up a wonderful battle, and I don't want to take any credit away from him. But if Walcott had not been seized with those cramps Joe would have stopped Lavigne inside the distance.

When I started talking of Walcott I told you how he knocked out Joe Choynski in seven rounds not very long after Choynski had gone twenty rounds to a draw with Jeffries. I was eight years arranging that match between Walcott and Choynski.

How It All Started.

It all started the night of the Dixon-Skelly match during the three day carnival attending the Sullivan-Corbett fight at New Orleans, in 1892.

Choynski then was managed by Parson Davies, a very close and intimate friend of mine. Skelly offered Joe $75 to second him against Dixon. Choynski induced Davies to come to me and asked if I would have any objections to Choynski going behind Skelly against my man Dixon. I replied that I had not, for Dixon would annihilate Skelly, no matter who was in Jack's corner, and I was glad that Choynski had the chance to pick up $75.

Well, when Dixon and Skelly came to ring centre for instructions from Mr. Duffy, the referee, that night, Choynski, in a voice that could plainly be heard throughout the hall, grabbed the referee by the arm and said:--

"Mr. Duffy, you'll have to watch this fellow, Dixon, closely, tonight, for he's a very foul fighter!"

Dixon almost turned white at that utterly unwarranted accusation. Stepping up to Choynski he asked:--

"Joe, did you ever see me fight?"

"No," Choynski grudgingly acknowledged.

"No, you never have seen me fight," responded Little Chocolate, "and you, nor no one else, ever has seen me foul. There is not a foul against me in all my record. Yet you step up before this hostile Southern audience, who already has protested against a negro like myself meeting a white man, and further inflame them against me by making me out as a foul fighter!

"Jack Skelly himself has seen me fight many times. He knows my record fully. I know Jack Skelly is man enough and honest enough for him to truthfully tell whether by act or reputation I am a foul fighter."

And to Skelly's credit Jack truthfully declared:--

"Mr. Duffy, my opponent is as clean a boxer as there is in the ring!"

I was boiling with rage at Choynski's accusation. Holding myself in as best I could, I told Choynski:--

"Choynski, you came crawling to me and asked if I had any objections to letting you second Skelly, so you could make $75. I told you, all right! and that I was glad to have you. Now in return for it you try to inflame this Southern crowd against this little negro boy.

"Let me tell you, Choynski, I'm going to make you pay for this! I've got another little coon named Walcott under my wing and he's going to fight you and give you the worst beating you ever had. Unless you deliberately lay down and quit he'll play with you as a cat would with a mouse before he knocks you out. You'll regret this baiting of Dixon to your dying day when Walcott gets through with you!"

It was eight long years before I could inveigle Choynski into the ring with Walcott, however. Parson Davies naturally steered him clear of the match. The Parson knew fighters well enough to know what Walcott would do to Choynski. Finally, however, Davies broke with Choynski and Joe lost the advice and instructions of that splendid handler of fighters. I had an interest in the Broadway A.C. here in New York and I offered Choynski a match with Walcott and he accepted it. That, mind you, was eight years after the episode at New Orleans.

Settling the Debt.

Choynski came on here from California to train for Walcott. The betting was 5 to 1, with Choynski favorite. The talent couldn't see what chance little Walcott had against the man who fought Jim Jeffries a fierce twenty round draw.

I took one bet from Al Smith, the well known sporting man of that time, of $1,000 to $200. Walcott weighed 135 pounds and Choynski 175 pounds, you must remember.

Well, in the first round Walcott knocked Choynski down seven times. Each time Referee Charlie White gave Choynski the benefit of the count. It was shortly after the McCoy-Choynski fight, in which Choynski's supporters claimed that White had given Choynski a fast count. Old Good Eye gave Choynski no chance to claim a quick count in the Walcott match. He dragged out the count each time.

Every time that Walcott would floor Choynski in the first round of that fight, John L. Sullivan, who was seconding the Californian, would tumble down off the ring platform, thinking the fight was over, and start for the dressing room. John L. had to jump down, turn around and jump back again almost a dozen times before Walcott finally knocked Choynski out in the seventh round.

Joe Walcott paid Joe Choynski back in full that night for the trick Choynski attempted to pull on poor little Dixon in New Orleans eight years before.

The only man approaching Walcott's weight who could give Joe a real fight when Joe was right was Mysterious Billy Smith, a real fighter and one of the great champions of the ring. Joe beat Billy frequently, but the battles always were close and fiercely fought.

Before one of their fights, Smith sent word to Joe that he was going to bite his ears off.

"Never mind, Joe," I joshed, when he told me of it, "if he bites your ears off he will be disqualified and lose the fight anyway."

"Huh!" snorted Joe. "Ah druver lose all the fights in the worl', Mister O'Rourke, than to lose mah ears!"

Under the greatest fighting physique any man ever boasted Walcott had the brain and feelings of a child. Physically and anatomically speaking, however, what a fighter, what a truly wonderful fighter he really was! There never was a man of his poundage his equal and I doubt if there ever will be.

1903-03-30 Philadelphia Jack O'Brien ND6 Joe Choynski [Washington Sporting Club, Philadelphia, PA, USA]

1903-03-31 The Boston Daily Globe (Boston, MA) (page 5)

O'BRIEN WINS ON POINTS.
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His Blows Lack Force, and He Fails to Knock Out Choynski in a Six-Round Bout.

PHILADELPHIA, March 30.--"Jack" O'Brien of this city tonight outpointed Joe Choynski in a six-round bout at the Washington sporting club. Choynski was not match for O'Brien, whose failure to score a knockout was due to the lack of force behind his blows.

Choynski started well, but appeared to lose heart under O'Brien's unceasing rain of left-hand jabs. From the second until the last round Choynski's only object seemed to be to stay the limit.

The third and fourth rounds were particularly tame and the referee warned the men. In the sixth O'Brien was more aggressive and subjected his opponent to a severe drubbing, but his jabs and punches lacked the power to put Choynski to sleep.


1903-03-31 The Evening World (New York, NY) (page 10)

JACK O'BRIEN'S JABS BEWILDERED CHOYNSKI
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Majority of Spectators at Bout in Philadelphia Thought Quaker Had Better of It.
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(Special to the Evening World.)

PHILADELPHIA, March 31.--Jack O'Brien added another leaf to his laurels last night when he defeated Joe Choynski in six rounds. The bout was far from satisfactory to the majority of the spectators because the men resorted to clever boxing. The referee warned the men in the fifth to box harder. The warning was not thrown away, as the men let out a few wraps and showed what was possible.

In the first two rounds there was little to be desired. The two men were on their best behavior. Choynski eased up in the third and took matters easily, either from self-inclination or inability to land on the elusive Philadelphian. O'Brien followed suit, but it was less noticeable than in his opponent. The fourth was a repetition of the third and the crowd began to hiss.

In the fifth round the men were cautioned and soon made the fur fly again. The sixth and last round was a hummer. Many of those present thought the men were faking because they were not covered with blood.

O'Brien and Choynski are boxers, part excellence, and not fighters of the stamp of Maher, Marvin Hart and "Kid" Carter. The Philadelphian is one of the quickest and cleverest two-handed fighters in the business, and ordinarily clever men appear slow beside him. Choynski is clever also, but the continual passage of O'Brien's gloved hands in front of his face somewhat nonplussed him.

Whether O'Brien's fast work made him appear slow, or whether despairing of reaching O'Brien's vital spot he eased up, is best known to himself, but it is a long time since Joe made such a poor exhibition. He seemed afraid to lead and his nimble opponent was on top of him all the time. Once or twice he made O'Brien wince with the effect of blows on the face and over the heart, but at no time did a knockout appear imminent. O'Brien from the start resorted to his mode of attack, jabbing with his left and trying to cross with his right. Time and again he got home on Choynski's brow and face, but the blows lacked steam. He did most of the leading and seldom failed to land.

Joe was some time sizing his man up, and just before the end of the first round caught O'Brien a vicious jolt under the eye which raised a "mouse." The second was a repetition of the first. O'Brien worked his left repeatedly in Choynski's face without a return. He varied this with an occasional swing. Choynski opened the third round with a stiff punch over the heart, but Jack got back on Joe's nose six times in succession. He had Choynski on the ropes at the end of the round.

There was no boxing in the last round. Choynski showed to better advantage than in any of the previous rounds. He caught Jack a stinging blow in the face which straightened up the Quaker. He then visited Jack's ribs two or three times. O'Brien got home several stiff heart blows when Joe set the blood flowing again from the cut over O'Brien's optic. O'Brien wound up the bout by several nasty jabs in Choynski's face. The bout was all O'Brien's.

Willie Mack, the clever light-weight boxer of Brooklyn, easily bested Otto Knapp, the Cleveland welter-weight, in the semi-wind up. The men engaged in a six-round bout, and, although Knapp had every advantage over Mack, the latter outpointed him throughout the contest. Mack used a straight left continually into Knapp's face and raised a lump over his eye. He also dazed the Clevelander several times.

Mack came near finishing Knapp with a few left hooks on the jaw, but the bell sounded in time to prevent such a proceeding. Mack's showing was so good that he has been promised a match with one of the best men in the Quaker City.


1903-03-31 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 10)

CHOYNSKI DID NOT TRY WITH O'BRIEN
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Failing to Take Advantage of Opportunities Offered, He Is Jeered by Crowd
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Referee Warns Him Towards End of Fifth Round and He Extends Himself in First Part of Sixth
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There is every reason to believe that another barney was foisted upon the public at the Washington Sporting Club last night, and there is not the slightest reason for believing that either the club or Jack O'Brien stood in the play. The plain, bald fact is that Joe Choynski did not try a yard except when it was really necessary to lend to the farce the glamor of realism.

An explanation from Mr. Choynski is in order.

There was some pretty work in the first two rounds--pretty work, but not convincing, although at that a large-sized mouse was started over O'Brien's eye.

In the second round O'Brien's jabbing was beautiful to look upon, but none of the jabs seemed to have the slightest effect upon Joseph. There was some clever ducking. Vicious swings wasted themselves upon the thin air, and many hard punches landed on the hard--the very hard--part of Jack's anatomy, but there was not a minute when he was in any serious danger.

At the start of the fifth round there was a series of mixes, jabs, ducking, feinting and holding. Then the house started up a chorus "Fake, fake, fake." Referee Rocap toward the close of the round put a temporary stop to the proceedings, and gave Choynski to understand that he must spiel, or there would be nothing doing at the box office after the bout. A lively exchange followed and the bell sounded.

In the third round Choynski started to rush things, and some of the more enthusiastic spectators began yelling "Save a piece for Fitzsimmons, Joe." This was entirely superfluous. Choynski himself was evidently willing to leave everything for Fitzsimmons. Opening after opening was permitted to escape, and finally in the middle of the fourth round, when it became so flagrantly apparent that there was nothing doing so far as Joseph was concerned, the spectators began yelling "Take them off." And yet in this round Joe landed the hardest punch in the bout--a right on the side of the face that seemed to jar O'Brien.

Choynski was evidently stirred up by the referee's admonition, for he started in like the really good fighter that he is in the sixth, and there was plenty of action for a while; but it was only for a while. He soon let down, and there was a repetition of the rounds that preceded the last.


1903-03-31 The Washington Times (Washington, DC) (page 5)

THE O'BRIEN-CHOYNSKI BOUT SAVORED OF A FAKE
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Audience Hissed the Forbearance Displayed.
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PHILADELPHIA, March 31.--From a spectator's point of view the bout last night between Jack O'Brien and Joe Choynski had a very bad look. The men were engaged to fight six rounds, at the Washington Sporting Club, and a big crowd turned out despite the storm. There's no question as to the sincerity of the principals until the beginning of the fourth round, when Choynski let slip by many chances that, had he tried, he could have done considerable damage to Jack. But on the contrary, he invariably drew his arm back when the blows was already on its way.

The crowd was quick to see that something was wrong, and hissed Choynski time and again for not following up his leads. The fifth round was worse than the preceding round. Choynski did not even try to land on Jack. On the other hand, O'Brien jabbed, uppercut, and hooked as he pleased, but his blows were rather weak. The referee at this stage of the proceedings stopped the men long enough to caution them. O'Brien said that he was doing his best. Evidently he was, as he hit Choynski three to one and clearly outpointed him at every stage, and he could have no reason to enter into an agreement with the Chicago man, having bested Choynski in Chicago some time ago.

After the referee cautioned the men Choynski let out a few links and went after O'Brien right and left, but Jack danced nimbly out of harm's way, and hooked his left to the face when the bell rang. They came out of their corners for the sixth and cut out a terrific pace. O'Brien, as in the previous rounds, was much the quicker and landed oftener than Choynski, but his blows lacked the necessary steam to do much damage. Again in this round Choynski, after his spurt, let up, and it looked as though he was not trying to fight. The crowd again started hissing and yelling to stop the bout, and kept up this sort of thing until the gong for the end of the sixth round sounded. Choynski paid no attention to the hissing, and only smiled. After the bout was over the spectators seemed to be glad of it, and gave vent to their feelings in very strong language.


1903-03-31 The World (New York, NY) (page 9)

O'BRIEN VICTORY TOO EASY FOR SPECTATORS.
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They "Roared" When He Tamely Defeated Choynski.

(Special to The World.)

PHILADELPHIA, March 30.--What was expected to be an interesting hard-fought ring battle at the Washington Sporting Club to-night between Jack O'Brien and Joe Choynski developed into a one-sided farce in which the former had all the better of the boxing.

O'Brien landed scores of times, but apparently was not anxious to put much steam behind his blows, while Choynski was contented to act as a punching-bag and seldom attempted a lead. From start to finish the bout had a very queer look, and at its conclusion a roar of disapproval went up from the big crowd present.

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.

1889-02-26 Joe Choynski W-KO14 Frank Glover (San Francisco, CA, USA)

1889-02-27 Daily Alta California (San Francisco, CA) (page 8)

GLOVER DEFEATED.
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Joe Choyinski Defeats Frank Glover in Fourteen Rounds.
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THE MEMBERS' TICKET ELECTED.
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A Game Fight Made by the Chicago Stock-Yards Man, But the Candy-Puller's Reach Was Too Long.
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The rooms of the California Athletic Club were packed last evening to witness the glove contest to a finish between Joe Choyinski of San Francisco and Frank Glover of Chicago, for a purse of$1250--$1000 to the winner and $250 to the loser. The men have been in active training for the past eight weeks, Glover at Berkeley and Choyinski at Joe Dieves' on the San Leandro road. The men weighed in last evening, Glover weighing 170 pounds and Choyinski 163 pounds. Prior to the event of the evening there was a ten-round contest between Sam Fitzpatrick (the Australian Comet) and Tom Ward, a late arrival from the north, who claims to have defeated Mike Brennan, the Port Costa Giant, in thirteen rounds. Fitzpatrick had the advantage throughout the ten rounds, but very little punishment was given. Billy Jordan, the referee, announced that it was impossible to decide this contest unless it was to a finish, as the gloves were too large, and he would, therefore, call the contest a draw as both men were good ones.

The next event was a three-round boxing bout between William Keneally of the Olympic Club and Ed Lynch of the San Francisco Club, and proved to be an exciting and interesting set-to, Keneally having the best of the first round, Lynch the second and the honors divided in the third.

After fifteen minutes' intermission, the event of the evening was announced, and Frank Glover made his appearance with his seconds, Billy Delaney and Jim Carr, and took the same corner that he occupied during his fight with Joe McAuliffe, but he lost it in the toss-up for corners. Joe Choyinski followed a few seconds later and was attended by Tom Meadows and Ed Greaney. Frank Crockett and J. Landringen acted as time-keepers for the men and Director Gibbs for the club. H. B. Cook acted as referee.

During the time the seconds were adjusting the gloves many bets were made on the result, Glover being the favorite. A pool of $800 to $400 was taken, Jack Hallinan, Ed Foster and others taking the short end. It was ten minutes to 10 when the men were ordered to shake hands and time was called.

Round one--Glover was the first to lead with his left, catching Joe lightly on the neck. Joe countered, but fell short, both men sparring cautiously until time was called.

Round two--Joe was the first to lead in this round, and got home on Glover's wind with his left. Glover now worked Joe into the corner and made an attempt to smash him, but the latter ducked cleverly. Glover then swung his right at Joe's neck, and again the latter ducked, getting back at Glover's face with both right and left.

Round three--Joe got in a stab with his left on Glover's face, and followed it up with a right-hander, knocking the latter down; Glover, upon arising, tried his rushing tactics, and got in several blows, but Joe was cool and stood him off.

Round four--The men used up the time with light sparring. Glover getting in a good one on Joe's nose toward the close of the round.

Round five--Glover opened this round by tapping Joe in the face, when the latter rushed Glover to the ring side, punishing him in the face with both right and left; the men clinched on the ropes, and both fell to the floor. When they got up Joe again rushed at him and forced him into his (Glover's) corner, but he ducked and got out. Glover was groggy, but Joe was afraid to press matters until he had stabbed him several times with his left. He followed this up by rushing him into his corner again, and would have ended matters there, but the gong rang, and this is all that saved Glover from defeat in the round.

Rounds six and seven--Both men rested after the lively bout in the fifth round, and but little hitting was done.

Round eight--Joe let Glover do the fighting in this round, and took the blows with an indifferent air.

Rounds nine and ten--Joe came up full of confidence in these rounds, punishing Glover in the mouth and eyes with repeated stabs of the Jackson stripe, and forcing him to the ropes, holding him there and giving it to him with both right and left full in the face, Glover going to his corner bleeding freely.

Round eleven--Glover seemed to be stronger in this round than in any during the contest. He got in three repeaters in succession on Joe's neck, and followed it up by one in the wind. It looked now as if Joe was exhausted and the turning point in Glover's favor had arrived.

Round twelve--Glover got home with his right on Joe's ear, and made a swing with his left for Joe's neck, but the latter ducked and Glover went bang against the ropes. Both men showed signs of weakness, and Glover, while retreating, ducked his head, but Joe failed to get in an upper cut that was open to him.

Round thirteen--Glover got in a swinging right on Joe's neck and smiled with satisfaction; but what a smile! It even made Joe smile to see such a face as Glover presented. The round closed with both men sparring lightly.

Round fourteen--Glover reached for Joe's neck on the opening of this round, but fell short. Joe again tried the stabbing, and Glover, in stepping back to avoid the punishment, slipped to the floor, striking his head. When he got up he was groggy and Joe forced matters, beating Glover to the floor. Glover, however, was game and got up. Joe went for him again, and both men went to the floor, where Glover clasped Joe and tried to hold him there. Joe wriggled away and Glover followed suit. Joe now rushed Glover and both men fought desperately, Glover going down four times in succession. Upon getting up for the fifth time Joe sent in a right-hander that caught Glover square in the face, knocking him through the ropes, his head striking the iron railing which is about two feet from the ropes, where he remained in an unconscious condition and finally had to be carried to his dressing room.

The annual election of officers resulted in the choice of the following: President, L. R. Fulda; Vice-President, R. B. Mitchell; Secretary, Frank Vernon; Treasurer, J. D. Gibbs; Directors--J. F. Dally, W. R. Vice, Edward Fay, John Ferguson, F. McLaughlin, George Roes, George L. Fish.