1898-06-03 Joe Gans W-PTS6 Kid Roberson [Tattersall’s, Chicago, IL, USA]

1898-06-03 The Chicago Daily Tribune (Chicago, IL) (page 4)

BOXERS IN THE DARK.
---
Lights Go Out at "Parson" Davies' Entertainment.
---
ONE BOUT IS STARTED.
---
Gans and Roberson the Only Fighters to Appear.
---
ACCIDENT TO THE DYNAMO.

"Parson" Davies' company of fistic stars gave a one-act presentation of "The Light That Failed" at Tattersall's last night.

Joseph Gans of Baltimore, aspirant for the lightweight championship, and Mr. "Kid" Roberson opened the entertainment. Paddy Carroll marshaled them before the crowd, presented them in due form, and also Malachi Hogan as referee, announced that the two colored men weighed 135 pounds at 3 o'clock, and retired, leaving the two fighters to continue the performance.

For three minutes they devoted their time to executing the fancy steps of an Oxford minuet and pirouetted and tiptoed around the ring till the gong sounded.

Then they rested for a minute and began operations again. Gans swung his right arm and it found lodgment on Roberson's neck and the latter was down for four seconds. Gans landed two or three times more and time was called. In the third they went at each other a little harder. Gans went after Roberson, and after considerable sparring landed a right on his opponent's short ribs and the lights went out.

Master of Ceremonies Carroll asked the crowd to keep cool and wait. Some of the spectators wanted the colored men to fight anyway, but one of the seconds shouted back that they couldn't see each other in the dark, and as Gans was two shades lighter in color than Roberson the latter would have an advantage.

The crowd waited, while little patches of light flickered all over the building where cigars were going and an occasional match was lighted. The wait continued and the crowd disported itself as if it were in attendance at a strawberry festival. The lights winked exasperatingly once in a while, but just as the crowd would begin a yell, thinking the fights could go on, they would go out again. Meanwhile, the two bath-robed figures sat quietly in their corners and waited.

Finally it was announced that the dynamos had gone wrong and the bouts would be called off until tonight.

The crowd left in an angry frame of mind, many of the spectators asserting they had been duped.

"Parson" Davies was also angry, declaring he was the victim of a job. He asserted that the commutator of the dynamo had been tampered with and that the extra commutator had disappeared. The "Parson" averred he had some enemies, who, being unable to prevent him holding his entertainment by fair means, had resorted to trickery and had obtained access to the machine-room and tampered with the dynamo.

An electrician, J. G. Nolan, a friend of the "Parson's," volunteered to repair the damage, but after examining the dynamo said there was a "nigger in the woodpile" somewhere. He asserted that ordinarily any burning out or similar accident might easily be repaired, but he had never seen a commutator behave as the one at Tattersall's did, and the "Parson" was kept busy telling his friends how it happened.

The boxing entertainment did not draw as well as others at Tattersall's have, and the galleries were not nearly full, but the floor space was pretty well taken.

It was announced that the bouts would be held tonight, and return checks were given to the crowd at the door.


1898-06-03 The Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago, IL) (page 8)

NO LIGHTS, NO FIGHTS

--------

Disgruntled Arc Circuit Spoils the Contests.

--------

THIS IN THE THIRD ROUND

--------

Spectators at Tattersall's Boxing Carnival Dismissed.

--------

Promise Is Made That the Full Show Will Be Given This Evening.

--------

In the middle of the third round of the fight between Joe Gans and "Kid" Roberson at Tattersall's last night the arc-light circuit collapsed, and after half an hour spent in darkness the 3,000 spectators were dismissed with "rain checks" and told to come back tonight.

It looked bad for Mr. Roberson about the time that the lights went out. In the second round he had been floored and roughly used up, and he came up for the third in pretty bad shape. Up to this stage he had been used harshly, and if there was any disappointment at the going out of the lights none of it came from Mr. Roberson or his seconds.

When the four strings of light went out Master of Ceremonies Paddy Carroll told the spectators to remain seated; that all would be well again in two minutes. Five minutes later Carroll mounted the platform and announced that the break was more serious than at first anticipated; that it would take at least twenty minutes to make repairs. Half an hour after the circuit became defunct Carroll made his third appearance. He announced this time that the break was irreparable; that it looked like a job; that the spectators would get their money back; that the show would be postponed until tonight.

The spectators made an assault on the box office, loudly calling for the return of their money. Here they were told that no money would be refunded, but that the "rain checks" would be honored tonight.

"It looks to me like a job," said "Parson" Davies at the door. "I think that some one threw a handful of gravel or dirt into the dynamo."

"What would the object be?" was asked.

"I don't know," returned Mr. Davies.

Considerable grumbling was indulged in by the spectators from out of town. When told that the announcement made by Carroll--that all money would be refunded--was a mistake, the sports from a distance sought out Mr. Davies and tried to make it miserable for the manager. But the latter was obdurate, and told the rural ones that they would have to come back tonight if they wanted to get their money's worth.

It was 8:45 o'clock before the opening bout was put on. Joe Gans of Baltimore, and "Kid" Roberson, who now claims Chicago as his port of hail, came on. Al Herford and "Shorty" Ahern were behind the Oriole, while Kerwin and Smith looked after Roberson. From the outset it became apparent that the men were poorly matched. Gans began by peppering his man in the face with straight lefts, and easily avoided Roberson's return efforts. In the second round, toward the close, and after beating a left-handed tattoo on Roberson's face, Gans felled his man with a short right-hander, just back a bit too far to do the work effectively. As it was, Roberson went down and Malachy Hogan counted four. Roberson, badly rattled, got to his feet, but Gans did not press him hard. After one minute and twenty seconds of fighting in the third round, the lights--or rather the lack of them--came to Roberson's relief.


1898-06-04 The Chicago Daily Tribune (Chicago, IL) (page 7)

FIGHTS LOST ON FOULS

---

"TOM" TRACEY AND "MYSTERIOUS BILLY" SMITH PENALIZED.

---

Referee Bat Masterson Awards the Decisions to "Kid" McPartland and "Billy" Stift Because of Unfair Work by Their Opponents--Frank Childs and Charley Strong Battle to a Draw--Jack Moffatt Gets the Decision Over "Jim" Janey.

---

The electric lights staid to a finish last night at Tattersall's, and "Parson" Davies' show, postponed from Thursday night, was brought off without interruption.

The five battles resulted as follows:

Joe Gans of Baltimore defeated "Kid" Roberson of San Francisco on points.

Jack Moffatt of Chicago defeated Jim Janey of Baltimore on points.

Frank Childs of Chicago and Charles Strong of Newark, N. J., fought a draw.

"Kid" McPartland of New York won from Tom Tracey of Australia on a foul.

"Billy" Stift of Chicago won from "Mysterious Billy" Smith of New York on a foul.

There were about 2,500 people in the building, and it was said the managers of the show lost $1,800.

Variety was the distinguishing feature of the program. On paper it appeared that science would predominate, but the early termination of two of the bouts left the slugging element in the ascendency. That the bouts were to the liking of the crowd was shown many times, and seldom have two men brought forth greater applause than Janey and Moffat. A feature of the evening was the demand made for "Parson" Davies, who was noisily received on entering the ring. In a short speech he said suggestions reflecting on him had been made as to the sudden termination of the show on the previous evening, and "money could not purchase the satisfaction he now felt because he had kept faith with the public."

Cleverness of Gans.

Gans and "Kid" Roberson, whose meeting on Thursday night was abruptly terminated by failure of light, began all over again. The six rounds fought showed Gans to be a cool, clever, and two-handed fighter. Only in the concluding stages of the sixth round did Roberson show any signs of equality with the Baltimore man. Then he forced matters and landed several telling blows with both hands. Early in the first round Roberson received a hard left under his sinister optic which almost closed that member. It was an additional handicup against the clever Easterner. A final rally by Roberson in the last round led to calls for a draw, but Gans had too long a lead.

Moffatt and Janey, who were announced as weighing 150 pounds, furnished the event of the evening so far as hard fighting was concerned. A truly wonderful capacity for punishment was exhibited by the "Black Demon." Time and again was his head forced back by the rushing left leads of Moffatt. On numerous occasions the swinging right hand of the sturdy blacksmith landed hard on the head of his dusky opponent. He took them all with smiles except in the fourth round, when he connected with a powerful right swing which sent him to the floor in a groggy condition. The gong brought him welcome relief. Throughout the whole six rounds Moffatt pursued his usual tactics. Some terrific infighting in the fourth ended by Moffatt landing hard on the chin and over-keeling the colored man. The applause that greeted the finish could have been heard for blocks. Moffatt was fully entitled to the decision.

Colored Men Fight a Draw.

Charley Strong and Frank Childs met at 170 pounds. In their respective sections they are considered the best colored fighters at their weights. Strong appeared a trifle stout in the abdominal region. He is long of reach and fiddles persistently with his left. Plenty of footwork marked the six rounds and most of the hitting was done at long range. Few good blows were struck in the first three rounds, and by the time they had finished both men were weary from much traveling. Windmill swings marked the conclusion of the fourth round. In the succeeding two there was but little to choose, and a draw was the natural conclusion.

"Kid" McPartland, who announced his weight at 134, made his initial bow to a Chicago crowd. With such a clever opponent as Tommy Tracey some scientific work was expected. A second or two of preliminary sparring was followed by Tracey rushing his opponent all across the ring and hard enough against the ropes to loosen the corner post. In a "clinch" Tracey landed two rights on the wind. He again rushed the "Kid" to the ropes and in a succeeding clinch again landed twice on the ribs. It was evident Tracey was hot after his man. No sooner had the second round started than Tom again forced McPartland to the ropes. Both fell over, exchanging blows as they fell. Another rush and another clinch followed and both went to the canvas, McPartland being underneath. Referee Masterson had great trouble in parting them. They were together again in an instant and once more fell to the floor. Next time the "Kid" got mixed in the ropes, and while there Tracey struck him several blows. Masterson gave the bout to McPartland, Tracey protesting strongly. By many it was thought McPartland was responsible for the clinching and wrestling, but the rushing style adopted by Tracey was certainly different from his usual methods. Two minutes and twenty seconds had expired of the second round when the bout was stopped.

Stift Wins on a Foul.

"Billy" Stift, who had some ten pounds advantage over "Mysterious Billy" Smith showed up in splendid trim. Smith was armed with two porous plasters and had his right knee in bandages. As far as the fight progressed there was little to choose. The New-Yorker was fast and clever, but several times was landed on heavily by Stift. Stift in the first round fell from the force of a blow which he failed to land. Few blows were struck in the second, which was even. Warmer work marked the opening of the third, Stift taking the aggressive. After one minute and eighteen seconds of fighting Stift swung and fell. While he was down Smith swung a hard right on the jaw, knocking the North Sider to the canvas. Masterson, who was on the other side of the ring, at once gave the fight to Stift. It was a difficult decision, and the opinion of the spectators was divided as to whether Stift's knee was touching the canvas or not. Stift was not knocked out and would have been able to continue. Smith refused to shake hands with Stift.

Malachi Hogan was referee of the first three bouts, and Paddy Carroll acted as master of ceremonies.


1898-06-04 The Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago, IL) (page 2)

LOST ON FOUL BLOWS

--------

Tom Tracey and Billy Smith Disqualified by Masterson.

--------

STAR BOUTS DISAPPOINT

--------

McPartland and Stift Are Forced Into Victories.

--------

Gans Wins from Roberson and Moffatt from Janey at Tattersall's.

--------

Five spirited contests were brought off last night at Tattersall's, as a result of a postponed carnival of Thursday night, when the collapse of the electric-light plant put a stop to the programme.

They resulted as follows: Joe Gans of Baltimore defeated "Kid" Roberson of Chicago in six rounds; Jack Moffatt of Chicago defeated Jim Janey of Baltimore in six rounds; Frank Childs of Chicago and Charley Strong of New York fought six rounds to a draw; "Kid" McPartland won from Tommy Tracey on a foul in two rounds; Billy Stift of Chicago won from Billy Smith of Boston on a foul in three rounds.

The opening bout was between Joe Gans of Baltimore, and "Kid" Roberson of Chicago, the game pair which began the hostilities the previous night, when the lights went out. Neither man did much in the first round. In the second Gans sent in a couple of sharp lefts to the face and to the body, and it began to look as though Roberson was up against the same hard game of the night before. Short lefts in the third round all but closed Roberson's left eye. Gans did considerable damage to Roberson in the fourth, but the local man stood up stoically under the lash. Both fought hard in the fifth, Gans doing most of the leading. Roberson came up for the sixth badly winded, but gamely willing. He fought hard and landed four good, stiff punches on the Baltimorean, bringing the claret. The crowd howled Referee Hogan's decision in favor of Gans, but it was proper and just.

Moffat the Victor.

Moffat and Janey were the next couple on. This was looked forward to as a slugging match, gauged on the encounter of a month ago at the Seventh regiment armory. Harry Gilmore and Henry Lyons acted as seconds to Moffatt, while Al Herford and "Shorty" Ahern were behind Janey. The men went at it from the start, and both earnestly sought to end the contest in a hurry. Slam-bang! they went at it, Janey once upsetting his man with a punch to the body. Both were wild in their eagerness.

In the second, they collided heavily, the exchanges favoring Janey, though Moffatt made valiant resistance. At the end of the second round it looked as though the strength of Janey was too much for Moffatt to overcome.

The third was full of cyclonic mixings, both roughing it viciously. It was a business match, with little or no pretense at scientific boxing.

In the fourth round a terrific interchange of rights and lefts culminated, first, in the flooring of Moffatt, and then, just as the gong sounded, the knocking down of Janey. The sound of the gong alone saved Janey, for he was all but out when the round ended.

The awful pace told on both men in the fifth round, and but little was done by either man. Moffatt did the major portion of the work in the last round, and was given the decision.

Frank Childs of Chicago and Charley Strong of New York were then introduced and "sicked" at each other.

Hoodlums Draw Fire.

Before the bout began there was an assault made on the Seventeenth street door by the hoodlums, which called forth the fire of the Pinkerton men. Two shots were fired in the air, and the mob was repulsed.

Strong and Childs fought at about 175 pounds. Strong was fat, flabby, and slow, and Childs had no trouble in landing almost at will. This for three rounds. In the fourth Strong came back and went at Childs, landing a couple of wild swings and almost winning. Childs came up recuperated some in the fifth round, but neither man could do any effective work. Hogan called the fight a draw at the end of the sixth round.

"Kid" McPartland and Tammy Tracey came on for the fourth number, "Bob" Masterson, the well-known Western sporting man, being introduced as referee. In the first round Tracey landed a few lefts to the "Kid's" face, and in the clinches pumped right short-arm blows into the kidneys. In the second round, in rough and foul fighting, Tracey four times backheeled the eastern man, falling on him and digging his knees into the stomach of McPartland. It was the most deliberate fouling ever seen in any ring, and after warning Tracey three times, Masterson righteously disqualified Tracey and gave the decision to McPartland.

The wind-up between Billy Stift of Chicago and "Mysterious" Billy Smith, Tommy Ryan's old and insistent foeman, was brought on shortly before 11 o'clock. Smith weighed about 160 pounds, the local man closely approximating 175 pounds. Stift appeared all tied up, and in the first round Smith succeeded in sending him in two short ones to the throat and wind, though no harm was done on either side. Stift landed on Smith's jaw in the second, Smith reciprocating in like fashion. They were in at close quarters when the round ended.

There was a warm exchange in the third round, and Stift was forced to his knees as the result of some sharp blows to the body in a clinch. While in this position Smith swung his right full to the side of the prostrate Stift's head. It was not hard enough to knock as rugged a fighter as Stift out, but the local man saw a soft spot and some easy money, and rolled over on his back, simulating unconsciousness. It was clearly a foul, and Masterson, following up the healthy precedent established in the preceding engagement, gave the fight to Stift.

The carnival receipts were $1,800 short of expenses.

1900-09-11 Mysterious Billy Smith W-PTS18 Young Peter Jackson [Business Men’s Gymnasium, Cleveland, OH, USA]

1900-09-10 Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) (page 3)

PUGILISM.
--------
Interest at Fever Heat.

The big glove contest scheduled for tomorrow night at the Business Men's gymnasium between young Peter Jackson and mysterious Billy Smith will certainly be a great affair. Both contestants are in the very best possible condition and this will certainly mean a good contest.

The men are now on edge and waiting for the gong to sound. They will simply do enough work now to keep in condition. The weighing in process will be gone through with tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock. Both men are well under the weight limit, which is 145 pounds. If either man weighs more than the weight stipulated in the articles he will forfeit $100 to the man at weight.

The advance sale of seats goes far ahead of any previous contest ever given by the club and the crowd will surely be a record breaking one.


1900-09-10 The Cleveland Leader (Cleveland, OH) (page 8)

PUGILISM.

------

ALL IN READINESS.

All arrangements have been completed for the 20-round contest to-morrow evening before the Business Men's Gymnasium Club between "Young" Peter Jackson and "Mysterious Billy" Smith. Both men have taken their final hard work before the contest. Yesterday they devoted their time to light road work to keep down their weights. The advance guard of out-of-town sporting people who will attend the contest arrived last evening, and more are expected to-day. All arrangements have been made to handle a large crowd. The main bout will begin promptly at 9 o'clock.


1900-09-11 Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) (page 6)

BOTH MEN ARE CONFIDENT.

--------

Statements From Smith and Jackson on the Eve of Battle.

--------

A Championship is at Stake.

--------

While Cleveland has never been much behind the other cities in this part of the country in any line of sport, a championship contest in the roped arena has never been decided here, and had the old-time rules which governed pugilistic affairs prevailed, the chances are that no such event would be forthcoming for some time to come. Under the rulings that put science at par and discount brutality, however, a championship contest was arranged, and the followers of boxing have been waiting for this, the eventful day, for a long time past.

Young Peter Jackson and Mysterious Billy Smith will meet at the Business Men's gymnasium, on Bank street, tonight, and the winner will have a good claim on the welterweight championship. The records of the men which have been published have set all the "dope" experts to figuring, but as the men have fought in widely different circles there is little to be gained from figuring out their records.

Jackson has beaten nearly everybody in his class in the west, and no one need be told what Mr. "M. B." Smith has done in the east. The men will come together tonight as strangers and there is every reason to believe that they will be extremely close acquaintances before they leave the ring.

Each contestant picks himself to win in tonight's contest in the following personal letters to the sporting editor of the Plain Dealer:

"I will show Jackson that I am his master tonight. I know he's a tough fellow, but then I've always had hard ones to beat and I have no doubt but that I will beat "Bishop's Black Demon." I am in better shape now than ever before and if I don't win it will not be because I am not in condition. I am very confident of victory. I want Tommy Ryan after I win from Jackson. Mysterious Billy Smith."

Jackson writes:
"I know Smith to be an exceptionally good man, but still I have no doubt as to the outcome. I am just as confident as ever. I never like to say I can beat anyone until I have done so. I prefer to do all my blowing after the contest is over. I will surely do my best and you can rest assured that I will bring home the laurels. My condition is all that could be wished for. I am in perfect fix.

  "Young Peter Jackson."

The doors will be open at 7 o'clock and the entertainment will begin promptly at 8:30 with a four-round bout between Denny Gallagher and George Siddons.

Smith and Jackson will enter the ring precisely at 9 p. m. Smith will be seconded by Prof. Jimmy Kelly, Mike Barry and Joe Maxfield. Jackson will be looked after by "Biddy" Bishop, Ed Chartrand and Grant Nickens.

The public is warned by the club against purchasing tickets from scalpers. Those desiring to buy tickets can do so today and tonight at the club and at the usual sporting resorts about town. In this way purchasers can have no fear of buying counterfeit tickets.

The preliminary bout will begin at 8:30 and the main event will be on shortly after 9 o'clock.


1900-09-11 The Cleveland Leader (Cleveland, OH) (page 6)

PUGILISM.

------

WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

After a great deal of discussion "Young Peter" Jackson and "Mysterious Billy" Smith will meet in a twenty-five round contest for the welterweight championship this evening before the Business Men's Gymnasium Club on Bank street. "Rube" Ferns was originally engaged to meet Jackson, but he backed out of the agreement after articles had been signed and the forfeits posted, and hence Smith was engaged to take his place. The latter is a more formidable opponent for the colored man, as he has had more ring experience and has also defeated some of the best men of the day, including Joe Walcott. That this bout is attracting the whole pugilistic world is shown by the large number of out-of-town sporting men who are arriving to witness the contest. It is expected that fully 300 of them will be here.

With the coming of the sporting men, the betting on the result of the contest has greatly increased. The result is that several big wagers were made yesterday afternoon, in which Smith was the favorite at 10 to 9. The Jackson people are backing their man at these odds. There is still plenty of money in sight, and it is quite likely that when both men enter the ring to-night the betting will be even. Jackson takes a wonderful amount of punishment, even to get in a blow, and his backers are pinning their money on his strength and staying qualities.

The main go will start promptly at 9 o'clock, with Lavigne as referee. The men are now down to the required weight and there will be no trouble on this score. The doors will open at 7 o'clock. A large number of extra seats have been placed in the building. The curtain raiser, which will be a four-round bout between Denny Gallagher and George Siddons, will be called at 8:30 o'clock. Following are the views of the principals for this contest:

"Mysterious" Smith--I am going to do my best to win. I am in good condition, in fact I never felt better in my life and if I lose I will have no excuses to make. I know Jackson is a good man and I know he is a hard fellow to beat. If I don't win it will be because he is a better man. After this contest I will challenge Tommy Ryan.

"Young Peter" Jackson--Smith is, I think, the best man I have ever gone against. I am confident I will win. I can't say just how I'll fight him until I get into the ring, but I will surely give my supporters a good run for their money, and Wednesday will see me the champion. I am in good condition and have trained hard and faithfully. I think every one will be pleased with the contest.

Professor James Kelly--I have trained Smith myself and his condition is all that could be desired. I think it will be the greatest glove contest ever seen in this city.

"Biddy" Bishop--You can rest assured that Peter will win. I have been with him each day that he has trained and have worked with him, and he is in perfect condition.


1900-09-12 Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) (page 6)

TOO FIERCE A BATTLE.

--------

The Smith-Jackson Bout Stopped by the Police.

--------

Eighteen Hard Fought Rounds.

--------

Wonderful Gameness Shown by the Western Colored Boxer.

--------

Mysterious Billy Smith and Young Peter Jackson boxed eighteen hard rounds before a big audience at the Business Men's club last night, and because the bout began to look a little rough toward the end, the police representatives requested that it be stopped.

Early in the match Smith discovered an old sore spot on Jackson's left ear and he went after it. The result was that while the colored man was not in the least distressed there was too much blood flowing to please either the spectators or the contestants.

Jackson put up one of the gamest battles that has ever been seen here, and when he was finally stopped he insisted that he was not hurt in the least and begged to be allowed to continue. The examination that followed after the western boxer was taken to his dressing room showed that his injury looked far worse than it really was, but there seemed to be plenty of cause for stopping the bout, and it was for the best interests of the boxing game that it was not allowed to go farther.

Jackson protested vigorously when he was sent to his corner and justly claimed that he was as strong as his opponent. At the time the bout was terminated Smith had the best of it on points, but Jackson was proving that he is well entitled to all the confidence that was placed in him.

Smith started out in the lead for the first three rounds, but while he landed often his blows did not hurt. In the fourth round the colored man held the mysterious Billy even and then came so fast that he had the better of the next two. The seventh it was even again, but the next was all Jackson's. After this he did not show so well, and while several of the remaining rounds were even Smith did the better work on the whole.

There was a long delay on account of selecting a referee. Both parties had agreed upon Billy Lavigne, but at the last minute Smith's managers put in an absurd objection, based upon the statement that Lavigne and Biddy Bishop, Jackson's manager, are personal friends. Mat Hinkel, the president of the Newburg Driving club, and manager of the Rockport Athletic club, was finally selected.

Denny Gallagher, the same old-timer who has been seen here in all sorts of contests for the last few years, and Kid Phillips of Saginaw went on for a curtain raiser. The bout was of two-minute rounds, with gloves that looked like pillows. No decision was to be rendered. Even under all these restrictions the boxing was fast enough to keep the audience interested all the time, and had the gloves been regulation size and the rounds the prescribed length there would have been a fierce battle on. As it was, it was impossible for the men to harm each other, and the only danger was from loss of wind. At the same time, the match was one of the most amusing that has ever been seen in the club's preliminaries.

Mysterious Billy Smith and young Peter Jackson were not long in appearing, but the audience, impatient for the main event, kept up an almost continuous uproar. The men weighed in without difficulty at 145 pounds at 3 o'clock. Neither one was up to that weight.

Smith was first to enter the ring, and behind him were Prof. Jim Kelly, Mike Barry of Chicago and Joe Maxfield and Bob Bell of this city. Smith wore bandages on his hands and unusually high trunks. Jackson came in a little later. He was attired in a loud bathrobe and wore no bandages. Behind him were Biddy Bishop, Grant Nickens and Ed Chartrand. There was quite an argument over a referee, Manager Lavigne having declined to act. "Spike" Sullivan, the famous lightweight and Tom Couhig of Buffalo were introduced to the audience, and there were cries for both to referee. There were also cries for Mat Hinkel, Tom Jenkins and others. Everybody yelled for his favorite, and it was worse than a political convention. It was impossible to agree upon a man for a long time, but it was finally agreed to have Mat Hinkel act in the ring, with two judges on the outside, who were empowered to overrule the decision of the referee. Spike Sullivan and the sporting editor of the Plain Dealer were agreed upon as judges.

It was after 10:30 when the men were called together. At this time odds were offered at 3 to 1 on Smith. Jackson put on light bandages just before the bout started. Tom Jenkins was the official timekeeper.

Round 1--Jackson made the first lead lightly; Smith came back with left and right on body. Smith put left on head. Jackson landed straight left on body and face, but they were light. In two close mix-ups Smith had the better of easy infighting. Smith hammered Jackson on the kidneys repeatedly with his right after blocking his leads.

Round 2--Smith rushed from his corner and landed left and right on the head. He kept on rushing and was cautioned for hitting in a clinch. He had Jackson worried and the black boy kept hanging on. He came back fast, however, and put in several good lefts on the body. The wind up was fast.

Round 3--Smith landed repeated rights on Jackson's kidneys, Jackson fighting low. Jackson landed left in face. Smith landed left and right on face and kept up his kidney blows. Jackson hung on and was slightly worried. Smith met Jackson's punches with straight lefts on the neck. The round was decidedly Smith's, Jackson fighting low and giving opportunities for hammering on the kidneys. He hugged often.

Round 4--Smith opened with straight left and right to head. A left to jaw was Jackson's first really hard punch. Smith landed straight left twice to face, then missed several vicious body blows. Jackson landed lightly on face and body, but they didn't count. The round was the most even so far.

Round 5--Jackson got in a hard left to body but most of the blows were light, the colored boy doing the rushing. Jackson landed right on head and Smith in a clinch put right to body. In clinches Smith used right on face and body, Jackson leading for face with left. They mixed it up in the middle of the ring on an exchange of face blows. As the bell rang Jackson led left for face, Smith coming back with right. The round was fast and Jackson showed up well.

Round 6--Jackson used his left effectively on face. Smith landed a hard left on neck and put both hands to the wind. Smith began to show the effect of the face blows. In the clinches Jackson held his own. Smith's uppercuts with right were blocked. The white boy was rushed to the ropes. They were mixing it in the middle of the ring and Jackson, by his showing, began to make a few friends among the spectators, even money being offered.

Round 7--Jackson put back Smith's head with a straight right. They mixed it and in clinches Smith got in a couple of good body blows. Jackson's lefts and rights to face began to tell and Smith clinched often, getting in body blows, which were growing visibly weaker. Smith missed a couple of swings, but the round ended soon.

Round 8--Both were cautious, but when they mixed both swings right and left to face. Smith sent straight left to wind, pushing Jackson to the ropes. Jackson landed a terrific left on chin and repeated. Smith clinched and got in right on body. Smith landed right on the neck as the bell rang. It was Jackson's round.

Ninth--Jackson opened with the same left to jaw, Smith landing kidney blows in the repeated clinches. Smith rushed Jackson to the rope with rights and left to face. The white man began to lead right to face, Smith blocking. The round was even.

Tenth--Smith after opening with a straight left to the wind landed once or twice on face. Jackson blocked Smith's uppercuts and then ducked his face into a left. Jackson countered hard with left reaching face on Smith's rushes. The round was even.

Eleventh--Jackson reached Smith's bad left eye. Smith rushed the black boy, uppercutting right and left. They fought into clinches, both landing hard. Jackson slipped down and was hit, but it was unintentional. Smith hooked right to jaw at the close of the round. It was Smith's.

Twelfth--Billy rushed Peter to the ropes. They began to rough it. Jackson began to bleed on the left ear which Smith kept pounding. They landed rights and lefts on head, Jackson slipping down. Peter put back Billy's face with a left and both were fighting hard and furious at the end of the round, which was Smith's by a shade.

Thirteenth--Smith put left to Jackson's ear, but matters were evened by Peter's straight ones to face. Smith landed a couple of hard body blows, but devoted most of his attention to Jackson's ear. The round was even.

Round 14--The early part was tame. Smith's right to ear hurt. In a clinch the white boy uppercut with right. Smith sent a hard left to stomach and Jackson seemed very tired. On exchange Smith had slightly the better. It was slightly Smith's round.

Round 15--Smith opened the round by rushing Jackson all over the ring. Smith got a hard right to wind and met Jackson's rushes with blows to face, which were closing the black boy's left eye. The round wound up with Smith sending a left to face which made Jackson rather dizzy. It was Smith's best round so far.

Round 16--Smith's right swings to head made Jackson very weak and closed his left eye, but the colored boy was game and took his beating, getting in several light blows himself. Again Smith's round.

Round 17--Smith got in all of the earlier blows, landing on face and stomach. Jackson swung left to face, but Smith continued to play on Jackson's ear. It was all Smith's.

Round 18--Smith uppercut. Smith kept putting left and right on face and neck and right on the sore ear. Jackson only kept smiling and kept coming back whenever he found an opening.

While the men were in their corners the police objected to further bloodshed and the battle was stopped. It had gone long enough and fast enough to suit the most ardent admirers of the boxing game and while Jackson lost the decision, he won many friends.


1900-09-12 The Cleveland Leader (Cleveland, OH) (page 6)

FIGHT WAS STOPPED.

--------

Smith Had Best of It When Police Interfered.

--------

END OF EIGHTEENTH ROUND.

--------

JACKSON TOOK A WONDERFUL AMOUNT OF PUNISHMENT.

--------

COULDN'T LAND DECISIVE BLOW

--------

ALTHOUGH "MYSTERIOUS BILLY" LANDED ON FACE AT WILL.

--------

The Finest Boxing Bout Witnessed Here for Years.

--------

After eighteen of the fastest and fiercest rounds ever witnessed in this city, "Mysterious Billy" Smith was given the decision over "Young Peter" Jackson before the Business Men's Gymnasium last evening. The contest was originally scheduled to go twenty-five rounds to a decision, and had not the police interfered it is quite likely that it would have gone to the limit, for, although Smith had the best of the contest with the exception of three rounds, he was unable to finish the colored man, who seemed to be a glutton for punishment and was ready for more. When the contest was stopped his left ear was in bad shape, it being partly torn off, and his left eye was closed, but he was still game.

Some of the blows that Smith landed on him would have put any ordinary man out of the business, but they did not seem to bother the colored man in the least. While the crowd seemed to think that Jackson was having the worst of it, the colored man did not think so, and was always ready with his trusty left hand when he had a chance to use it. If Jackson had Smith's experience and knew something about ring generalship he would be one of the best fighters in the business to-day. He can take punishment, but he cannot defend himself, and is very awkward on his feet, as well as in the use of his hands. He has only one good puncher and that is his left, and he had only a few chances to use it, but it showed every time. Smith had him guessing all the time, and clearly earned the decision. In only three rounds did Jackson seem to have any the best of it, the fifth, sixth, and eighth rounds. When the contest started, it looked as though it would be a walkaway for Smith, for he landed at will, while Jackson seemed to be in distress. But in Jackson the public were fooled, for he was ready for the call of the bell when the police stopped the contest. He was game to the core, and the crowd, after the tenth round, appreciated his gameness and cheered him on until the contest was stopped.

It was a cosmopolitan crowd that witnessed the contest; in fact, it was the largest crowd that has attended a boxing show here since the Lavigne-Daly contest several years ago.

There was a long delay between the curtain raiser and the main bout, and the crowd was impatient. "Mysterious Billy" Smith and "Young Peter" Jackson were the principals for the main bout, which was scheduled to go twenty-five rounds to a decision. They were matched to weigh under 145 pounds, and both tipped the scales under that weight. It was just 9:30 o'clock when Smith entered the ring. He was looked after by Professor "Jimmy" Kelly, "Mike" Barry, "Joe" Maxfield, and "Bob" Bell. He looked to be in excellent condition, although he had a big plaster on his kidneys. Jackson showed up a few minutes later, wrapped up in a bathrobe. He was looked after by "Biddy" Bishop, "Ed" Chartrand, and Grant Nickens. There was another delay when the men entered the ring over the refereeship. While the argument was on Spike Sullivan and Tom Couhig, the fast lightweights were introduced, and it was announced that they would appear before the club in the near future. The betting was $100 to $80 on Smith, and several wagers were made at these figures. There were calls for "Spike" Sullivan, Matt Hinkle, and Tom Jenkins. Finally the crowd became so demonstrative that Manager Lavigne announced that he "would give the men five minutes to decide between themselves, and if in that time they could not agree the club would appoint the referee. When the five minutes were up Lavigne appointed Matt Hinkle to referee. Jackson objected and the club called "Spike" Sullivan. After a long argument Jackson agreed to Douglass White, but the latter refused to serve. After a wait of forty-five minutes it was finally decided to accept Matt Hinkle and a proposition of two judges on the outside, who were to make the final decision. To the two judges Smith at first would not agree, but finally consented.

At once Jackson made arrangements to begin proceedings, thus causing another delay until he put on his bandages. When Jackson stripped he looked in excellent condition and wore a green ribbon around his waist. Smith appeared to have the better of it in height and reach, and it was plainly seen that both were trained to the hour. At 10:30 o'clock both men shook hands.

First round--Jackson led lightly on wind, Smith countering with right and left on body. Smith put his right on the face. In a rush Smith put his left on face. Jackson dodged cleverly from a right swing and got away neatly from an uppercut. Smith kept playing repeatedly with his right on the kidneys. In a fast mix-up Jackson put his left hard on the face and Smith countered with two hard rights over the kidneys. Honors were even.

Second round--Smith rushed as the bell rang and put his left squarely on the eye. Smith kept rushing and caught Jackson with a left swing on the jaw, which dazed the colored man. He appeared weak and kept hanging on Smith with every lead, while the "Mysterious" played continually for the wind. Jackson was unable to lead a square blow and repeatedly clinched to save himself. It was all Smith's round.

Third round--Smith at once played for the kidneys, Jackson taking a crouching position. Smith put his right and left on the jaw without a return, Jackson being unable to land. In a mixup, Smith landed right and left on the head and face, Jackson being very tired. Near the end of the round, Smith started to take things easy, looking for an opening.

Fourth round--Smith started to end matters and rushed with right and left to the face. Jackson feinted with his left, Smith coming back strongly with a hard right swing. Twice in succession Smith landed his left on the face. He tried to rush but Jackson dodged cleverly. In close quarters Smith put his right on the jaw. Twice Smith landed his right over the kidneys, but the blows did not appear to affect Jackson, who went back to his corner strong when the bell rang.

Fifth round--Jackson started to mix up matters at the start, and put his left on the head and kidneys and in close quarters Jackson put his right and left on Smith's face. In a rush Jackson slipped to his knees. Twice Smith tried his right on the jaw but fell short. Jackson in another mixup placed his right on Smith's jaw. Near the end of the round the fighting was fast and furious, both giving and taking a great deal of punishment. Jackson appeared to be tired when he went to his corner. Jackson had slightly the better of it.

Sixth round--Smith was cautious when they came up this time, but he caught Jackson with a left swing on the jaw. In a mixup Jackson put his right on the jaw, without a return. Jackson was just warming up and he put his right and left on the jaw, forcing Smith to the ropes. A left jab on the nose brought the claret from Smith's nose. It was all Jackson's round.

Seventh round--Jackson blocked cleverly left jab for wind. Both were fighting viciously, Smith leading, putting his right and left on face, Jackson countering with a right swing on the jaw. Smith dodged cleverly from two vicious swings. He was on the offensive and twice put his left on the face. This was the tamest round of the contest thus far.

Eighth round--Smith rushed and put his right and left on the head and wind. In another rush Jackson was nearly pushed through the ropes. Jackson changed things a second later when he landed his right twice on the jaw without a return. Jackson poked his left on the wind. Smith worked hard to land a decisive blow, but Jackson was always on his guard. This was Jackson's round.

Ninth round--Smith jabbed his left on the wind just as they came to the center of the ring. In a hot mixup Smith had the better of it, putting his right over the kidneys. In another mixup he rained right and left blows on the face and jaw without a return, Jackson seeming to take the punishment without a murmur. This was Smith's round.

Tenth round--Smith tried to follow up his advantage and put right and left on the face and wind without a return. Jackson did not seem to be able to use his right. Three times Smith crossed his right over on the jaw, Jackson never offering to return. Two strong left jabs on the face knocked Jackson's head back, but he was always ready for more, while Smith was tiring himself out in the attempt. This was Smith's round.

Eleventh round--Jackson allowed Smith to do all the leading, and the latter was doing all the work, landing right and left on head and face. Getting Jackson near the ropes he put right and left squarely on the jaw, which would have put any man out, but Jackson was ready for more. Smith followed up his advantage. Jackson landed his left on the jaw, and just as Jackson was slipping to the floor, Smith put a right on the kidneys.

Twelfth round--Smith put his left in the wind as a starter. He started to wind up matters, but Jackson took his punishment gamely, and landed his left squarely on Smith's jaw. This was a very hard round, and both men were tired when the bell rang.

Thirteenth round--After sparring for wind for a moment, Smith put his right over the kidneys. Jackson countered with a left on the face. Smith kept playing for the bad left ear, but Jackson was cautious, and put his left on the jaw. A right poke on the wind made Jackson wince for the first time during the contest. Honors were even.

Fourteenth round--Smith slowly forced Jackson to the ropes, and then put his right on the jaw. Jackson ran into a left jab on the jaw, Smith countering with right on the head. Smith started to rush, and put right and left on head and wind, without a return. Smith seemed to be tiring, and his blows lacked steam.

Fifteenth round--Smith rushed Jackson to the ropes, and put right and left on the head and face. Jackson dodged cleverly from a vicious right uppercut, but Smith changed tactics for the kidneys and bad ear. Smith put his right over the heart with his whole force, but Jackson came back for more. In a mix up, Jackson put his left on the jaw. Just as the bell rang, Smith put his right squarely on Jackson's head. This was one of the fastest rounds of the fight.

Sixteenth round--Smith kept putting his right and left all over Jackson without a return, any one of the blows being strong enough to put an ordinary man out. In close quarters Smith, with a vicious right hand uppercut, landed on the jaw, but it seemed not to bother the colored man, he being a glutton for punishment.

Seventeenth round--It was the same old story, Smith starting to do the rushing, putting his left and right on the head and wind. Jackson rushed into a left hand jab on the jaw, but it did no damage. Three times did Smith land his right over the bad ear, but Jackson was game to the core.

Eighteenth round--Smith kept playing all over Jackson's injured ear and bad eye, while the colored man did not seem to be able to defend himself. He was strong when the bell rang, but the police ordered the contest stopped.

------

"Denny" Gallagher and "Kid" Phillips, announced from Saginaw, Mich., gave a four-round setto with twelve ounce gloves as a curtain raiser. No decision was to be given. The contest created plenty of amusement, as Gallagher had all of the science, while Phillips did not have the first rudiments of ring generalship. He kept the crowd in an uproar by rushing Gallagher, and made it interesting. Each round would usually start off with "love taps," but when they got warmed up, it became all the more interesting.

1898-08-26 Mysterious Billy Smith W-PTS25 Matty Matthews [Lenox Athletic Club, New York, NY, USA]

1898-08-27 New York Evening Journal (New York, NY) (page 8)

SMITH WHIPS MATHEWS EASILY.
--------
Matty Had a Nice Little Plan for Winning, but It Was Spoiled by Referee White.
--------
When Billy Started to Fight He Had to Follow His Man in Every Round.
--------

The fight which took place at the Lenox Athletic Club last night between "Mysterious" Billy Smith and Matty Mathews was really an interesting performance. It was divided into four acts. In the first Mathews tried to win by fighting, in the second his handlers did their best to have it awarded to him by making loud claims of foul, in the third Matty played the part of the man who had been badly hurt by being hit after the bell rang, and in the final round he just stayed in the ring, doing his little sprint the while, and taking a long chance that a draw might be his portion for being on earth for the final handshake. The plot of the piece was Charley White, the referee, and he was one hard working plot.

Wanted a Foul.

Had the original programme been carried out as planned, it is barely possible that Mathews might have fared better. The plan was not to allow White to officiate as referee. The reasons given were funny, and the one not given was clever. Smith, it has been said, is a foul fighter. In fact he has lost fights on fouls. He is as fast as a runner (sp?), as confusing as a dray load of fire works in action, and few referees have been able to follow him. White demonstrated that he could make Bill fight fair, therefore he was not the man to referee the fight. Mathews is either out of his senses or he must understand that he has no business to attempt winning from Smith by fighting for it. His chance was to win on a foul or get a draw, in consideration of what he had undergone in the way of alleged fouls. The plan was clever. A draw with the best welter on earth would be considerable, and to win on a foul nothing short of ideal. But White refereed in spite of the agreement made by the manager of the club, and in consequence the crowd saw a good fight, and Mathews had no odds in his favor.

The men were to fight in clinches until ordered to break, and no blows were to be struck after the word. The conditions looked bad for Smith, whose long suit is at close work, and there was also the chance of his disregarding the order and losing the decision in consequence. White, however, seemed to have him under control, and only on a few occasions did he offend, and then not seriously. The crowd applauded him again and again for his obedience to the order to break.

Mathews Outclassed.

Mathews seemed to get on fairly well until Smith started to fight; then it was a procession. Smith held the lead all the way, and was obliged to go to Mathews or not fight. In the eighth round Mathews's head struck Smith in a clinch, and Bill had a cut eye in consequence. In the fourteenth they were at short-arm work as the bell rang, and just on the tap Mathews got his right on Smith's head. Bill, regardless of the bell, jolted with his right, and Matty-wise Matty--immediately doubled up and hobbled to his corner as if suffering with colic. His second ran to White, but Charley was "on," and waved him away. In the meantime Matty was being patted and a beautiful pale blue sash he wore was united to ease the injured (?) spot. The bell rang suddenly, and the sash trailed yards behind as he rose. White waved Smith back, took the sash off Mathews, and said: "Oh, go fight!" That round was the best Mathews fought.

They began to slow up about five rounds before the finish and the audience began kidding them. White said nothing for a couple of rounds, and then dropped the flag and mentioned the fact that it looked like a fake. Twenty seconds later Mathews was taking nine seconds on the floor, but the bell rang before Smith could finish him.

Mathews did some clever foot work, took what came to him gracefully, and jollied Bill into taking it easy many a time, but he belongs elsewhere, not in the same class with the Mysterious William.

  RIGHT CROSS.

1898-08-27 New-York Tribune (New York, NY) (page 8)

MATTHEWS BEATEN BY SMITH.

"Matty" Matthews was beaten by "Mysterious Billy" Smith in twenty-five rounds at the Lenox Athletic Club last night. The men weighed in at 142 pounds. Smith was the favorite at 2 to 1 before the contest. The opening bout, between Joe Burk, of Brooklyn, and "Eddie" Morris, colored, of California, was to have been of ten rounds duration, but it was stopped at the end of the third round, Morris being disqualified for fouling.


1898-08-27 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 4)

SMITH BEATS MATTHEWS.

Mysterious Billy Smith made Matty Matthews look like an amateur in their twenty-five round bout at the Lenox Athletic Club last night, Smith receiving the decision. The preliminary, between Joe Burke of Brooklyn and Ed Morris of California, was awarded to Burke on a foul in the third round.


1898-08-27 The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) (page 4)

"MYSTERIOUS" BILLY SMITH

--------

Outfought and Outgeneraled Matty Matthews Before the Lenox Club.

--------

New York, Aug. 26.--"Mysterious" Billy Smith met Matty Matthews before the Lenox A. C. to-night and outfought and outgeneraled his opponent 5 to 1. Both men were in good condition, although Matthews's left arm was bandaged from an injury which he received about six weeks ago. Smith was the aggressor throughout the fight and at the end of the fourteenth round Matthews seemed to have had enough.

Just as the gong sounded at the close of that round Matthews landed on Smith and the mysterious boxer sent his right hard on the wind in return. The referee gave Smith the benefit of the doubt, as he may not have heard the bell. Matthews wriggled in his seat as if he had been hit low, but the trick did not work.

From this time to the end of the contest Matthews adopted sprinting tactics in order to last the limit, which he succeeded in doing. At no time was the issue in doubt and, taken on the whole, the fight was pretty clean and free from foul work on either side.

The opening bout between Joe Burk, of Brooklyn, and Eddie Morris (colored), of California, was to have been of ten rounds' duration, but was stopped at the end of the third round. The men met at 142 pounds. In the first round each scored a knock-down. It was anybody's fight up to the end of the third round, when Morris hit his opponent a very hard blow very low on the body. Referee White stopped the fight and disqualified Morris for fouling. Burk was declared the winner and he was cheered as he left the ring.


1898-08-27 The New York Herald (New York, NY) (page 10)

"MYSTERIOUS" SMITH AN EASY WINNER.

--------

Hits "Matty" Mathews When and Where He Pleases in Their Bout at the Lenox A. C.

--------

Fast fighting marked the battle between "Mysterious Billy" Smith, of Boston, and "Matty" Mathews, of New York, in the arena of the Lenox Athletic Club last night. The men fought at the welter-weight limit, 142 pounds. They were scheduled to battle twenty-five rounds. For seven rounds Smith clearly showed his superiority, using both hands effectively. His right frequently found a resting place over Mathews's heart. Smith's blows evidently hurt the New Yorker, for the latter clinched repeatedly to avoid punishment.

The work of the Bostonian was open to criticism at times, and he was cautioned by the referee to be careful in regard to the tactics he employed. Mathews slipped to the boards several times in avoiding Smith's rushes.

Smith was the favorite, at odds of 2 to 1 on. Many bets were registered at that price, and several wagers were made at even money that the fight would or would not last the limit. Smith's attendants were "Johnny" Gorman, "Billy" Needham, Harry Tuttle and "Jimmy" Gorman. Smith was in splendid condition. He said he felt just as well as he looked and was confident of winning. Mathews also stripped well, but his left forearm was injured some time ago. Matthews' seconds were "Gus" Ruhlin, "Jack" Doherty, "Billy" Hamilton and "Jim" Burrows.

MATHEWS DRAWS BLOOD.

In the eighth round Mathews made a really good showing. A well directed right hander cut a deep gash over Smith's right eye, and the blood flowed freely, making his vision indistinct. Mathews took advantage of his opponent's condition and landed many telling blows. Honors in the eighth and ninth rounds were easy.

In the eleventh round Smith hit Mathews when and where he pleased. Mathews was very weary and appeared to want to stop. He was considerably bruised about the face and his mouth was bleeding. In the fourteenth round Smith struck Mathews lightly on the body. Mathews pretended he was hurt, and the crowd laughed. He decided his bluff did not work and answered the bell on the fifteenth round.

In the sixteenth round Smith scored a knockdown with a left and right hander on the jaw. The New Yorker arose just as nine seconds were counted. Smith continued on the aggressive to the end and scored almost when and where he pleased. Mathews clinched or sprinted out of range all the while. In the twenty-third round Smith again scored a knockdown. Mathews struggled to his feet just before the time limit expired.

"DON'T KNOCK ME OUT."

In the twenty-fourth round Smith pleaded with Mathews to stop, but the New Yorker refused. Mathews was so weak and severely bruised that he could scarcely defend himself. He said to Smith, "Don't knock me out." The twenty-fifth and last round was all in favor of Smith.

"Charley" White, the referee, declared the Boston man the winner.

The opening bout, between "Joe" Burke, of Brooklyn, and "Eddie" Morris (colored), of California, was to have been of ten rounds' duration, but it was stopped at the end of the third round. The men met at 142 pounds, and banged each other during the first two rounds like the unscientific sluggers that they are. Each scored a knockdown, but it was anybody's fight up to the end of the third round, when Morris hit his opponent a hard blow very low on the body just as the gong sounded. Referee White stopped the fight there and then and disqualified Morris for fouling. Burke was declared the winner, and he was cheered as he left the ring.


1898-08-27 The New York Times (New York, NY) (page 3)

SMITH GETS THE DECISION.

--------

Matthews Is Defeated in a 25-Round Bout at Lenox Athletic Club.

"Mysterious" Billy Smith and Matty Matthews met in a twenty-five-round bout at the Lenox Athletic Club last night, and Smith was awarded the decision at the end of the fight. From beginning to end Smith had the better of Matthews, but could not put him out. The fighting at times was foul on the winner's part, and rough tactics were often adopted by both men.

Smith knocked Matthews down in the seventeenth round, but the latter got on his feet before Charles White, the referee, could count the prescribed ten seconds. Smith repeated the dose in the twenty-third round, and in the twenty-fourth tried his best to put Matthews out, but was unsuccessful.

The attendance was large and the decision was popular, although Smith's foul fighting at times brought forth hisses and groans.


1898-08-27 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 9)

SMITH WHIPS MATTHEWS.

--------

THE "MYSTERIOUS" PUGILIST OUTCLASSES THE LOCAL MAN.

--------

For Fifteen Rounds the Fighting Is Fast, and Then It Is One-Sided to the Finish--Smith Appeals to Matty and His Seconds to Stop--Burke Downs Morrison on a Foul.

It was rather an easy task for "Mysterious" Billy Smith of Boston to get a decision over Matty Matthews of New York in a twenty-five round battle at the Lenox A. C. last night. Smith forced the fighting from the start and so clearly outclassed his antagonist that the crowd found amusement solely in the local man's efforts to stay the limit. The contest was fast for fifteen rounds, but after that its one-sidedness was too apparent to hold the attention of the crowd. They were scheduled to meet at 142 pounds.

Joe Burke of Brooklyn faced Ed Morris, colored, of California, in the first bout of ten rounds at 142 pounds. In the second round Burke scored a clean knockdown with a right-hander on the jaw. Burke made the colored man's nose bleed in the third round and also had him in queer street. Morris continued to aim with wild swings at his opponent after the bell had been rung, whereupon the referee promptly awarded the bout to Burke on a foul.

In the principal bout the betting was 2 to 1 in favor of Smith. The latter's seconds were Johnny Gorman, Harry Tuthill and Billy Needham. Matthews was handled by "Doc" Dougherty, Billy Hamilton and Jim Burroughs. Referee White instructed the men that they could box with one hand free until ordered to break out of clinches. Smith was the aggressor from the first tap of the bell. He had the better of the mix-up, Matthews doing some roughing, for which the crowd hissed. Matthews slipped down in the second round, and the spectators believing that he had been back heeled, hissed. Smith did some more free-hand work on the body in the third round, and incidentally caught Matthews on the jaw with a hard right. After being ordered to break Smith continued fighting in a clinch, and as the round ended the referee warned him.

Matthews, although on the defensive in the fourth round, landed a couple of heavy left counters on the jaw that made Smith hanker for toothache drops. The "mysterious" boxer was still on the offensive in the fifth round and kept up his free-hand work with untiring persistency. Matthews took no chances and merely countered every time the Boston man rushed in. Smith had two to one the better of the sixth round, Matthews being slow in both attack and defence. Matthews was holding his man hard as the bell rang and the referee warned him. Smith was faster, more aggressive and the harder hitter in every round up to this point. Matthews landed one good left in the seventh round. The crowd hissed Smith, however, for supposed foul work, when in reality he adhered strictly to the rules.

As the eighth round started Matthews landed a heavy right swing on Smith's left eye and cut it open. Smith then bored in like wildfire, only to find his opponent strong and full of heavy smashes. Both fell in a clinch when the ninth round began. Then Matthews set the pace, with the result that the round belonged to him on points. Smith's best blow in the tenth round was a lefthand body punch that almost doubled Matthews up. The latter dropped twice in the eleventh round to avoid Smith's fierce onslaught, which was rapidly beating Matty into submission. In the twelfth round Matthews tried to land a heavy right on the jaw, as that appeared to be his only chance. Smith, however, blocked off his blows and also continued his assaults on the head and body. Matthews delivered less than half a dozen blows in the thirteenth round, as he was constantly taking good care to keep out of Smith's way.

Just as the bell clashed in the fourteenth round Smith landed a light body punch. Matthews doubled up as he sat down, and his seconds cried "foul." It looked like a bluff, or rather a case of quitting. When the next round began Matthews's seconds were still shouting, but the referee ordered the fight to proceed. Matthews's seconds then ripped off his blue silk sash and the battle went on. Smith immediately cut loose and fought his opponent all around the ring. Matthews was apparently unwilling to take a chance, although he was just as strong as the "Mysterious" pugilist. Smith tried hard to swing a knock-out blow in the sixteenth round, but Matthews guarded himself carefully and kept well out of harm's way. Smith opened the seventeenth round with a knock-down, the result of left and right on the jaw. Matthews took nine seconds before getting up. Then he stayed the round with leg work, and went to his corner tired.

The eighteenth round was all in Smith's favor, as he did all the work. Matthews continued his retreat around the edges of the ring. Smith mixed things up so earnestly in the nineteenth round that Matthews was busy guarding his jaw and breaking ground. It was quite apparent that he was trying to stay the limit. Matthews got out of a dangerous predicament in the twentieth round by good ducking. Smith had staggered him, and was bent upon finishing the job then and there. In the twenty-first round Matthews showed that he had no steam left to drive his punches in, while his rival kept on forcing matters with no let up. The twenty-second round was tame, for the reason that Matthews kept well out of the way. Smith redoubled his efforts in the twenty-third round, and with a right cleanly landed on the jaw he sent Matthews to the floor. The latter was groggy when he got up inside of the limit, but Smith could not finish him before the bell sounded. When Matthews came up for the twenty-fourth round Smith said to him:

"Why don't you quit? I don't want to hurt you." Then he turned to Matthews's seconds and remarked: "It's a shame to keep this man in the ring."

Then Smith made a punching bag of Matthews, the latter falling to the floor twice. Matthews asked Smith not to knock him out as the twenty-fifth round began. Smith scored another knock-down before time was up, and got the decision with ease.

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

--------

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.

--------

(Copyrighted by G. B. Underwood.)

--------

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.

--------

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.

1898-04-14 Joe Walcott D-PTS25 Mysterious Billy Smith [Park City Theater, Bridgeport, CT, USA]

1898-04-15 New York Evening Journal (New York, NY) (page 9)

WALCOTT AND SMITH GO A DRAW.
--------
A Rattling Battle, with Chances Constantly Changing.
--------
BOTH SURE OF WINNING.
--------
Negro Fighter Butts His Antagonist, but Referee Austin Says Nothing.
--------
ROTH KNOCKS OUT NEEDHAM
--------

The twenty-five-round fight between "Mysterious" Billy Smith and Joe Walcott was declared a draw. Sam Austin, an experienced referee, gave the decision. Joe Humphreys announced it.

It was at Bridgeport, Conn., last night, held under the auspices of the Horizon A. C., of which Jack Rose is the manager. Many of the spectators disagreed with the verdict of Referee Austin, conscientious as Austin is always, and capable as he is, as a rule.

It was a bout of longer duration than is on the carpet in the boxing events of the present day. Both contestants had faithfully trained for the fray. Each side was sure of winning. When gray-haired O'Rourke brought his black man into the arena, he was, apparently, so sure of winning that he took with him only one assistant--a able (sp?), but very old racetrack tout, who is known as "Papa Joe," and perhaps older than O'Rourke.

When Smith emerged from his dressing room he had four men with him. What they all were needed for it was not easy to see, but they were all there when Billy took his seat in a corner, fanning, sponging, rubbing, and whispering. It may be that Smith had two much help. Everyone remembers the saying about too many cooks.

Before these stars went on, there was a preliminary bout between Max Roth, of New York, and Billy Needham, a brother of Danny, lightweights, which ended in as clean a knockout as was ever seen. Needham cracked Roth in elegant style, at the opening of the bout, but only for a brief period. After that Roth sailed in, and after knocking his man down twice, let go a right-hander on the jaw, which sent Needham down and on his face, thoroughly sleepy, at the expiration of two minutes and forty seconds.

Walcott Uses His Head.

The Smith-Walcott affair was different. It lasted longer, and there were variations in the appearances of things. Smith had all the better of the first few rounds. In the sixth round Walcott used his head three times in palpable offence, but the referee tolerated it. It looked as though Austin wanted to give each man, both of whom have had reputations as foul fighters, a chance to redeem himself. If that was Referee Austin's purpose it was generous on his part. No doubt that if either one of these hitherto notorious foul fighters had been disqualified for foul methods, his career would have come to a comma, if not a period. Anyhow, the referee let Walcott continue.

At the same time it may be said that if the referee had disqualified Walcott in the sixth round nobody who had eyes on the black man's head and apparent intentions could have sincerely objected to a disqualification.

Billy Smith, this man who has the reputation of being one of the foulest fighters in the world, fought fair and square. In every clinch he used left and right for all they were worth at close quarters, but when told to "break" his hands were at two points of the compass so quickly that it was impossible to take exception to his methods.

It was a hard fight. Both men were trained to the hour, and both fought for all they were worth. It was a hammer and smash affair, and neither yielded an inch. Sometimes one would be ahead and then the other.

Smith Ahead for Six Rounds.

Smith certainly was ahead for six rounds. The crowd appreciated that, and let William know it. Then came the butting by Walcott, and the crowd said nothing. They did not like it, but preferred, perhaps, to let the black man have every chance.

From the eighth round to the fifteenth matters were very even. Walcott did land some tremendously stiff body blows, but in the clinches--and they were allowed to fight with one arm free--Smith did good work with his right on the face. Perhaps he would have done better by going for the wind, but as it was he damaged the negro.

In the sixteenth round Walcott planted a couple of beauties. One left hook on Smith's jaw was a rattler. Smith was hurt by it. After a mix-up in which Walcott used his head, Smith called the attention of the referee to the foul act, but Austin paid no attention to the claim, and the crowd laughed at Smith.

Later on Walcott razzle-dazzled Smith by half a dozen hard body punches. Smith stood them all well, and came out for the twenty-fourth round full of vigor. He crashed into the black man in that round and the twenty-fifth.

Walcott was always there, and ready with a return, if not the initiative blow, but he perceptibly weakened in the last two rounds.

It was great boxing, most of the spectators said. When Announcer Humphreys made it known that the referee called it a draw a great shout went up. There were a few hisses from the friends of Smith, who had fought as fairly as any man ever did, but it is impossible to please everybody. As the referee had passed over that sixth round and let the play proceed, he could do nothing else than make it a draw.


1898-04-17 Bridgeport Herald (Bridgeport, CT) (page 9)
"Mysterious" Billy Smith has demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is as fair a boxer as ever scraped the sole of a shoe in the resin of a prize ring. He did this Thursday night when he and Joe Walcott met in a twenty-five round contest in Bridgeport under the auspices of the Horizon Athletic club. Smith has made a great many friends by his ring work on that night. Sporting men had lost confidence in him in a great measure, fearing that he would foul and lose their money bet on him. But by his behavior in the ring Thursday night he has regained their confidence and in the future Billy Smith should have no difficulty in finding plenty of men to back him for any amount.

The contrast between this contest of Smith's and Walcott's and the fifteen round draw they fought in Boston in 1895 was so great as to be remarked by everyone familiar with the two fights. No more foul boxing contest ever occured than the one in Boston between Smith and Walcott and yet at the contest in Bridgeport Thursday night there was never a fairer fight. Smith went out of his way to be free from all semblance of doing anything like dirty work. Walcott was clean also, with the exception of one back heel turn he gave Smith and a few butts in the breast.

There was little money bet on the fight, and what little there was was even. The men began the contest warily for the first minute, each one realizing that there would be a hard fight ahead and each was cautious about making a mistake. Smith got in the first blow, a left on Walcott's wind. The colored man followed him close and Smith was on the defensive much of the time, but he acted wisely in doing this, for every time Walcott made a lead and came close enough Smith would come in close and plant left and right on his stomach and kidneys. At infighting Smith was par excellence. Walcott had no chance to turn an ace at this work with Smith. For fifteen rounds Smith landed two blows to one on Walcott, principally on his wind. They were not taps of affection either, many of them, but hard hooks and swings, for Billy is not much on straight jabs. And right here I want to note something which I think will be found true if ever the time comes to demonstrate it. It is this: Any man with a good stiff straight jab can put Joe Walcott out of business. With such a jab as George Siddons has with his left Walcott would be easy. Smith is more on the style of a full arm, swinging, knockout fighter, effective, and terribly so, if he lands but he misses frequent opportunities for straight leading that would assist him very materially in outpointing his opponent.

Smith was tired at fifteen rounds and then Walcott was sent in to rush him. He followed his instructions well and for eight rounds had the best of the contest. He landed a ripping right swing on Smith's jaw about the twentieth round that sent Billy groggy and it looked as if he would go out. But Billy showed great head work in this trouble and managed to keep away until the gong sounded and the minute rest brought him around all right, though weak. For two rounds he then danced around Walcott, the colored man being unable to catch him. There were those in the house who urged Smith to "stand up and fight and not run away," but Smith very wisely turned a deaf ear to such foolish advice, although the referee was inclined to push him into the center two or three times. Smith would have been an idiot to have followed such instructions at that time. He showed that he had a good head on him in keeping away from Walcott for the next two rounds, thereby getting his strength back. When the twenty-fourth round came Smith met Walcott half way and this round and the last one were his easily. In the last round Smith went at Walcott with only one idea in his mind, that was to knock the negro out. He landed a right on Walcott's jaw that nearly sent him to the floor and followed up the advantage so swiftly that Walcott clinched hard to avoid further punishment. The negro kept away from Smith after that as well as he could but received some terrific blows in the stomach before the gong sounded. I have not much doubt that Smith would have put Walcott out in about two more rounds if he had kept up the pace he set in the last round, for the negro was very groggy and winded when the gong sounded.

The decision of Referee Sam Austin, a draw, was the only fair one that could be given. It was received with general approval and not a hiss.

There was not the slightest trace of brutality about the contest, no blood being drawn except when Walcott backheeled Smith and hit him on the nose as he was recovering.

The preliminary bout between Billy Needham and Max Roth was short. Roth put Needham out after two minutes and forty seconds with a right hand smash on the jaw.

Joe Humphries officiated as announcer and Al Russell of Hartford held the watch. Johnny Pollock of the Evening World kept time for Billy Smith and Jim Lavalle acted in the same capacity for Walcott.

The exhibition was a most meritorious one in every respect and showed the "knockers" of legitimate boxing that boxing contests when properly conducted are as wholesome as football or any other sport. I trust we will have a rest now for a time from "knocker's" row on the terrible brutality and demoralizing effects of sparring exhibitions. People who witnessed the contest formed only one conclusion and that was that it was one of the best exhibitions of boxing ever seen in Bridgeport.

* * * *

I want to make mention of the fact here that seconds should be made to keep their mouths shut at the ring side while the men are sparring. This is meant for Tom O'Rourke direct, without any gloves or mittens on, who was in Joe Walcott's corner. During the first half of the contest he could be heard repeatedly calling to his man to do this or that and flinging out remarks intended to make Smith mad so that he would lose his head. I really think that O'Rourke cast those remarks out for the sole purpose of making Smith mad so that he would do something rash. But it failed. Smith was too much of a gentleman this time to give an ear to the remarks. Finally the referee told O'Rourke that it would be as well to stop making remarks. Smith's seconds did not have a word to say except on two or three occasions and they were promptly called to order by the referee. We do not want any partiality shown at these exhibitions. O'Rourke may be more influential in some respects than any of Smith's seconds, but when he is in a corner at the ringside he is on the same level and what governs one second should apply to all. We will not stand for making meat of one and fish of another in this respect, not in Bridgeport. It will be a good idea for referees to take a tip from this in the future for this little thing has caused more or less comment among sporting men and they want to know why O'Rourke was not called to order sooner.

Dick Howell.