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.
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Lights Go Out at "Parson" Davies' Entertainment.
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ONE BOUT IS STARTED.
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Gans and Roberson the Only Fighters to Appear.
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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

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Disgruntled Arc Circuit Spoils the Contests.

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THIS IN THE THIRD ROUND

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Spectators at Tattersall's Boxing Carnival Dismissed.

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

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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

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

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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.

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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

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Tom Tracey and Billy Smith Disqualified by Masterson.

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STAR BOUTS DISAPPOINT

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McPartland and Stift Are Forced Into Victories.

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

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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.

1903-05-13 Joe Gans W-TKO9 Tom Tracey [Pastime Athletic Club, Exposition building, Portland, OR, USA]

1903-05-14 Morning Oregonian (Portland, OR) (pages 1, 7)

GANS IN NINTH
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Lightweight Champion Beats Tracey.
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SECOND SAVES KNOCKOUT
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Martin Denny Tosses Up Towel as Sign of Defeat.
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PORTLAND MAN OUTCLASSED
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Fight Opens With Clever Boxing--Gans Wears Out His Game Opponent by Shower of Terrific Blows.
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VICTOR PRAISES LOSER.
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Tracey is a game little fellow, and I confess that I was a bit surprised at his cleverness. He is very shifty, but his blows seemed to lack steam. Tracey is very game and he took considerable punishment, but his age told against him just as I predicted it would.

  JOE GANS.

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I fought as hard as I could, and that's the best I could do. I worked my hardest, and I do not think anyone could have done more.

  TOMMY TRACEY.

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Joe Gans, the colored lightweight champion of the world, last night, before 2300 people seated in the Exposition building, beat Tommy Tracey, the local welterweight, in the ninth round. Only the towel that Martin Denny, Tracey's partner and adviser, tossed into the ring after one minute and a half of terrific fighting in this round, saved Tracey from a knockout.

The preliminary between Dick Memsic and Jimmy Reilly was an exceptionally fast battle. Both young fellows fought from the sound of the gong. Memsic showed himself to be the stronger of the two. The little Chicagoan received several stiff wallops, but they never seemed to distress him, and he always came back after more. In the fifth round he cut Reilly's left eye with a terrific left swing, and from that round to the end of the journey he made the sore optic a point of attack.

It was a Tracey crowd that paid its way into the building, but the clean-cut and decisive work of the colored champion soon demonstrated to them that Tracey was odds-on overmatched. The first two rounds brought out some of the cleverest and prettiest boxing ever witnessed in an arena in Portland. Both men are masters of the art that goes to make clean and fast fighters, and for those two brief rounds it looked as if Tracey had even better than an even break with the champion. In the third round, however, Gans cut loose, and, with right and left to the jaw, had Tracey in distress. Tommy was badly shaken up, but the almost superhuman gameness for which he is so noted showed again, and he came back and mixed it in clever style. During a lively exchange Tracey slipped to the canvas and took the count to seven. The great crowd present then began to realize that the local white man had met his master, and only the pluckiest kind of fighting on his part and a lucky punch could bring him anything but the loser's end of the purse.

Tracey Game, but Outclassed.

As the fight progressed it became clearer and clearer that Tracey did not have a look-in. He fought gamely, and always brought the fighting to Gans. He was still the same fast and clever fighter, and while his foot work was little short of marvelous, his usual cleverness in blocking seemed to be lacking, while Gans on the other hand had little trouble after the third round in blocking Tommy's body punches. Gans received three or four terrific punches in the stomach that made him wince, and Tracey, seeing that the colored lad had no liking for this sort of punishment, went after his man like a cyclone. Tracey knew after the first mixup or two that his only hope of winning lay in making it a whirlwind battle. This he did, and at close quarters he drove some hard punches into Gans' middle structure, but the stiff jolts and hooks which Gans sent to his jaw weakened Tracey in surprising fashion.

In the fourth round Tracey came back very strong, and twice he forced the colored man to the ropes. Gans seemed to be resting, and was content to send in a couple of punches to the head and jaw. In the sixth and seventh rounds Gans began to bore in.

After about 50 seconds of the eighth round Tracey stopped a straight left jab on the point of the jaw, and it made him rock like a cradle. His mind clearer instantly, and he was at Gans with a rush, landing lightly to the head and wind. In a rally in the center of the ring a left hook to the jaw sent Tracey back, and he slipped in trying to recover. The blow was hard enough to have knocked a less game man out, but at the count of eight he got to his feet. Both fought into a couple of clinches, and just as Gans had landed again to the head and jaw, and Tracey was in Queer street, the gong sounded.

End Comes in Ninth.

The one brief minute of rest was insufficient to bring Tommy back, and when he faced Gans in the ninth round it was clear that he had lost his steam and that his legs had gone back on him. He tried hard to keep Gans away. The champion was not to be disputed, and after a couple of clinches and some lightning exchanges Gans worked Tommy into a neutral corner and slammed his right to the jaw, then followed it with an uppercut that almost knocked Tom's head from his shoulders. Tracey recoiled from the force of the blow and was about to fall when Gans half straightened him up with a left uppercut. Tracey was defenseless and against the ropes, and Gans was sending right and left to the jaw, when Denny threw the towel into the ring.

When the towel fell to the canvas Referee Graney waved Gans to his corner, and Tracey's seconds helped the beaten man to his corner. He was bleeding slightly from the nose, and, although his mind was clear, he was in great physical distress. Gans was smiling when he returned to his corner, but when he saw the seconds working on Tracey he hurried across the ring and grasped the white man by the hand and said: "I hope you're not badly hurt, Mr. Tracey." Tracey took the outstretched hand and replying said: "It's all right, Joe, you beat me fair and square, and I have nothing to complain of."

Graney Takes With the Crowd.

Graney, with his customary Tuxedo, greatly pleased the crowd by his work. The men had agreed to break clean in the clinches, and once or twice when the men seemed loath to break the crowd thought it was his duty to break them. In speaking of the fight he said:

"Tracey was clearly outmatched by Gans. He is very fast and clever, but the champion was faster and could hit much harder. The men fought one of the cleanest fights I have ever referee, and their behavior stamps them both extremely fine fellows. On the whole I consider the battle a very scientific one. I consider Gans a wonder, and the man who beats him will have a hard task cut out for him."

Graney would not say whether he thought Gans could beat Britt.

Gans Shows No Distress.

In his dressing-room after the fight Gans showed not the slightest signs of having just come from the ring. He was not even breathing hard, and there was not a mark on his face or body anywhere. While dressing, he said that he was never in trouble during any part of the nine rounds and that with the exception of a couple of punches in the body Tracey had not hit him hard enough to hurt him.

"Tracey is a game little fellow," he said, "and I confess I was a bit surprised at his cleverness. He is very shifty, but his blows seemed to lack steam. I was confident that I was going to win, and I could have done so sooner, had I wanted to. Tracey is very game, and he took considerable punishment, but his age told against him, just as I predicted that it would. You know I'm still a young man and have not been fighting as long as Tracey."

"Joe is one of the most confident fighters in the ring today," said Al Herford, his manager, after the fight, "and he has never entered the ring yet that he has not felt that he was going to win. Joe never wastes anything, and it is his game to make every blow count. In his fight with Tracey he did not let himself out. He did not have to, and of course, while he showed fast, he could have gone still faster had he been forced. Tracey is a game and very fast man, and he showed himself to be a very gentlemanly fighter. The fight was clean and scientific all through."

Crowd Gathers Early.

Of the 2300 people who gathered at the Exposition building to see the great mill, fully 300 were on hand at the doors before 7 o'clock. Every car that passed the building brought its quota, and by the time the gates were opened up, there was a surging mass of spectators gathered around the ticket sellers' window.

The early crowd was not of the sort that put up any great amount of money on a fight, and the bets were accordingly limited to small sums. Four-bit here and a dollar there were to be noted, with the odds always in favor of the colored man. The Portland man was a prime favorite with those who had no money to put up, but the men who wanted to bet their gold chose fighting ability against popularity.

"Why, I've knowed Tommy for three years," said one old sport, without any teeth, "and if I had any money, it'd sure go on him. He is the finest feller that ever walked on those streets, Tommy is, and I'd sure back him."

"Huh," announced another admirer. "Tommy's me frien' too, but he don't get me money because the nigger is goin' to win. I'd like to see the Portland man got the mill, but it's temptin' fate to stack any chips on him."

A third spoke, and his "ricy Australian" accent heralded him as a native of the country Tommy came from.

"There was never an nayger livin' as could mike Trycey back bout. But I'm broke like the rist of thim," and the speaker slapped his jeans in a mournful manner, for there was no jingle therein.

By the time the most of the 2300 were seated, there was a buzz and a hum of voices, as the spectators talked over the chances of the two men.

Suddenly several dusky damsels came tripping down the stairs to the seats around the ringside, evidently implicitly believing in the ultimate victory of the colored man. They were brazen in their manner, and their appearance resembled a few black clouds on a clear sky.

Their entrance attracted universal attention from the impatient crowd, and by the time they had been safely landed in their seats, Tommy Reilly showed up with his seconds.

In another minute George Memsic, better known as Fitzpatrick, was in the ring with Reilly, and the crowd cheered vociferously for the little man who stood off Champion Young Corbett for four rounds a few weeks ago. He was a prime favorite from the beginning, and the spectators waited impatiently for the first gong to sound.

Preliminary Fought Without Resin.

"We won't start till we get some resin," announced Memsic's second, and the crowd groaned at the thought of sending down town for resin. A way out of the difficulty was found, however, and the boys went on without the resin.

The dusky lasses were not the only ones present. There were Councilmen, State Senators, a United States Senator, and even higher officials from Salem. The elite and bon ton were in full force, and glad they were to be on hand.

Young Peter Jackson was a great object of admiration for the multitude.

Peter's cranium is shaped somewhat on the pattern of a six-inch shell, painted black, with a bump on the top in the place for the percussion cap. "It looks like a chunk of cannel coal," observed one "gent."

"He ought to lick anything," announced another man. "Why, if anybody ever hit him, the blow would glance off. His head has got just three sides, like a pyramid." The rest of the listeners gurgled at the thought of Peter's head looking like a pyramid.

"It's more like an arc light at 3 A. M. from the way it glimmers," put in a third speaker. Peter worked his fanning towel industriously on Mr. Gans, and smiles wrinkled out all over the back of his neck.

Eddie Graney Arrives.

After Jack Day did the formalities of introducing the fighters to the crowd, and the little boys seated on the roof stanchions craned their necks till they nearly fell off the bars, Eddie Graney appeared.

He arrived as suddenly as a Prince in the Arabian Nights, and gave the impression that he had been plucked from space by some wandering magician. He was faultlessly attired in a Tuxedo, and, wonder of all wonders, a nice, clean, stiff white shirt.

Not that Eddie might not have the shirt at all, but it certainly was surprising that he should have one in the midst of a city tied up in a laundry strike. He probably knew beforehand that he was coming to a city of the Great Unwashed, and he came prepared, with a suit case full of shirts, nice, white, boiled ones.

The Tuxedo idea was catching with the crowd, and in all probability when another mix comes off the spectators will not be satisfied unless Messrs. Day and Grant show up in clawhammers. The fighters will also be expected to wear white duck to keep in style.

Portland as Prize-Fight Center.

It was evident at all times that the crowd was full of sympathy (and whisky) for the local men. Memsic was announced as "of Portland," and this was a good move. It won for him the loving applause of the local spectators, who are always glad to yell for a man who claims this webfoot city for his home. Then, when Tracey was announced as from Portland also, he was cheered to the echo. It seemed as though Portland was rapidly assuming a front rank as a residence place for prize-fighters.

Everybody was sorry to see Tracey lose, for he put up a good, gritty fight. He made no bones about the matter afterward, and his simple statement that he "put up his best fight, and he could do no better" won for him measures of respect. The fighting world is getting tired of being told that men were robbed in the ring and cheated of their laurels, and it was certainly refreshing to hear a man admit that he was not a match for his victor. Tracey did his best, and man could do no better.

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THE FIGHT BY ROUNDS.
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How Tracey Combatted Against Heavy Odds and Lost.

Gans, robed in a checkered bath robe, was the first to enter the ring. He was followed by Al Herford and Young Peter Jackson. A few moments later Tommy Tracey, Martin Denny and Fred Mueller, his trainer, entered. Jack Day acted as timekeeper for the club, Jack King for Tracey. There was the usual examination of the bandages. Tracey's hands were swathed in soft bandages, while Joe's hands were only slightly covered. The seconds lost no time in putting on the gloves, and they were fighting at 10:30.

The fight by rounds was as follows:

Round 1--Both men advance to the center of the ring and shake hands. Both are cautious and they spar and feint for an opening. Tracey sends left lightly to face and tries right for the wind, but is short. Gans tries right and misses. Tom sends left again to face. Gans cleverly blocks right swing. Tracey rushes and plants right to wind and they clinch. Gans sends right and left lightly to face and they clinch. Tracey hooks a left to wind and receives a right to jaw in return. Tracey lands light to face. They clinch. Just as they break the gong sounds.

Round 2--Gans opens with left to face twice without a return. Tom rips left to the wind. Tracey tries right and left to face. Both do some clever footwork and feinting and they clinch. Tracey leads with left, but misses, and lands right to Joe's face. The blows do little damage. Gans lands right to head and left to jaw. They clinch. Tracey drives left to wind and they clinch. Joe sends right and left to face. Tom shoves his glove against Joe's nose. Tracey tries right and left for body and stops a stiff jolt on the jaw. Joe misses vicious swing and hooks his right to jaw. The gong.

Round 3--The fighting is very fast and Tom is rushing things. Gans leads right to neck. Tracey plants his left to wind. Tom gets a left on neck that shakes him up, but he neatly ducks a right swing for the jaw. They clinch. Gans sends right and left to wind. Joe plants left again to the stomach. In a mixup Tom gets right and left to kidneys. Tracey gets his left to kidneys. Tom drives a hard left to neck. Joe crosses right hard to the jaw and Tracey falls to his knees. He is fighting at the count of six and they work into a clinch. Gans again plants his right to head. Tracey leads hard left to body. They mix it and both men land right and left repeatedly in the clinches. Tracey is badly shaken up, but is fighting gamely when bell sounds.

Round 4--Gans feints left to head. They clinch. Tracey rushes into a clinch. Tracey leads right to body. Tracey slips to his knees and Gans lifts him to his feet. Tracey leads left to neck. Gans plants right to neck. Tracey gets hard right to neck. Tracey sends a hard left to body. They clinch. Tracey jabs with left to ribs. Gans sends left to face and uppercuts with right. Tracey down on his knees, takes count of nine and up. Gans smashes left to the face and ducks a right swing. Tracey sends left to the stomach. Tracey gets in hard left to body. The gong.

Round 5--Tracey leads left. They spar for an opening. Gans goes in with left. Both lead right and left. Tracey leads hard right to jaw. Both lead left and right and they clinch. Gans blocks a left swing. Tom gets a hard right on jaw and a left uppercut to jaw. Gans rushes. Tracey gets a hard right, knocks his head back and Tracey goes in for a clinch. Tracey rushes. Tracey sends left to jaw and right to kidneys and follows it with another hard right to kidneys. Tracey is rushing, Gans laughing and blocking carefully. Tracey misses with left. Gans uppercuts and they clinch. Both counter lefts just as the bell sounds.

Round 6--They spar for an opening. Tracey misses left, and gets Joe on the nose with right. Gans sends a left to Tom's jaw, and gets a straight jab in the wind. Gans lands again on the jaw with his left, and they clinch. Then Joe gets in right and left to jaw, and pushes Tracey's head back. They clinch, and then Tracey leads left, but is blocked. Break in a clinch. Gans lands a hard right to face, and Tracey leads right and left lightly. Gans sends hard right to jaw and misses with a left swing, and they clinch. Tracey leads but misses, and he tries to hug. He sends in a light jolt to neck, but Gans blocks, and slaps Tracey with his right, laughing.

Round 7--They spar, both leading right and left, but both miss. Tracey sends in light right to jaw, and they clinch. Tom leads left and jabs right, and another clinch. Tracey leads hard left, but misses, and then jolts Gans in jaw. Tracey leads light left, and puts Gans on the defensive. Tracey gets a swift left in his face, and sends right and left to the body and clinches. Tracey runs in a clinch. Tracey leads right, but he is blocked, and he hugs. Break clean and Gans rushes Tom to ropes. Tracey sends left to jaw and right to kidneys, and Gans plants right to jaw and sends right and left to a block. Joe reaches Tom's face with left and reaches with his left.

Round 8--Tracey passed over Joe's head, and then they clinch. Tom shoves Joe's head back with left, and again they clinch. Joe smashes a right to the neck, and then reaches Tracey in the face with right swing. Tracey runs in with swings and slips to the floor, taking the count to six. Tracey reaches a left and hangs on Joe, who sends a terrific straight left to the face, and then another to the face. Tom goes half down and clinches, leads a weak left, and Joe plants a right swing and upper-cuts Tracey down, who takes the count to nine. Tom hugs, and leads left swing, sparring. Gans gets weak right and left to the jaw, and sends Tom down, but the bell saves him. This is Gans' round by large odds.

Round 9--Gans comes up very fresh and aggressive, and immediately puts Tracey on the defensive. Tracey leads a short to left, and Joe sends hard left and right to face. They clinch, and Gans reaches Tom's face with right and left. Gans backs Tracey around the ring, and then another clinch. Tracey leads his left, but fails, and then tries to make an uppercut with left, but is blocked. Tom uppercuts with left, but with no force, and Gans has him going; lands right and left jabs to the face, and then suddenly Denny throws up the towel, giving the fight to Gans.

AN EXPERT'S VIEW OF THE FIGHT.

About 3500 people--some dyed-in-the-wool sports, and others betwixt and between--journeyed out to the Exposition building, last night, to see what they thought were two of the cleverest boys of their weight that ever stepped into the roped arena mix things up. What they saw was a chocolate-colored veritable fighting machine, who made good the reputation that preceded him of knowing the game from A to Z. At no time, from the sound of the gong until Martin Denny threw up the sponge in the ninth round did the clever Australian, Tracey, have a look in. It was simply a case of his being outgeneraled and outclassed at all stages of the contest.

Both men looked to be in the pink of condition. Tracey throughout the entire nine rounds fought for the body and with a very low crouch, which Gans wasn't slow to take advantage of by using a left-hand uppercut to great effect. True, Tracey did most of the leading, but that was the colored lad's game.

But what's the use of going into details? Tracey was hopelessly outclassed, and there is no questioning the fact that no matter what kind of a battle he would have cut out, Gans would have outfought him.

  CHRIS BROWN.

1894-04-19 Joe Walcott W-KO16 Tom Tracey [Music Hall, Boston, MA, USA]

1894-04-20 Boston Evening Journal (Boston, MA) (page 2)

Walcott Knocks Out Tracy in the Sixteenth Round.
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THIS WAS A SURPRISE.
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Joe Walcott, the Negro, Knocks Out the Australian Welterweight.

Joe Walcott, the wonderful coal black negro welterweight, short, stocky and wearing a natural armor of skin, bone and muscle, against which blows from the fists of the hardest-hitting pugilists make little impression, won another battle last night. He knocked out Tom Tracy, a white man, and the welterweight champion of Australia, in 16 rounds. The fight took place in Music Hall and was witnessed by about 2000 sports and lovers of the fistic art.

It was one of the liveliest fights ever seen in Boston. Tom Tracy is a fighter from the word go, and showed himself to be not only a game man, but a good ring tactician, too. He was in magnificent condition, great knots of muscle showing through his pink, well-groomed skin, on shoulders, arms, body and legs. The young man was light and graceful on his feet, and avoided some stiff blows by clever dodging.

The winner, Joe Walcott, when he stepped out from his corner looked like a little ebony statue. His jet black skin glistened in the glare of the electric lights, while the top of his round bullet head shone like a billiard ball, evidently having been shaved. Joe is only about five feet in height, and his opponent was more than a head taller, and apparently heavier than he. But the little darkey's shoulders seemed broader than ever. A great ball of muscle appeared in the biceps of each arm when he curled them up, and his stocky, well-knit body was supported by powerful legs.

The referee was "Jimmy" Colville of Boston, and the timers were "Handsome Dan" Murphy for the Cribb Club, "Mike" Bradley for Walcott, and "Johnny" Eckart for Tracy.

Dan Creedon and Howie Hodgkins looked out for Tracy, while O'Rourke and Jack Havlin were behind Walcott.

It was give and take from start to finish. Walcott led with his right at the very start off. Then Tracy got in one on Walcott's head. The black man had the better of it and landed two or three heavy ones before the first round ended. Tracy did no leading.

But in the second round Tracy got in several stiff punches on Walcott's body. Walcott landed on his opponent's face and made some terrific swings with his long black arms, which were ducked cleverly by the white man. Had they landed the latter would have been out of it.

The crowd cheered Tracy whenever he did anything clever. He was undoubtedly the favorite with the spectators. In the third round he sent in a smashing blow on Walcott's nose, which maddened the black man so that he chased Tracy around the ring and thumped him on head and body.

Walcott stopped some of Tracy's blows well in the fourth, but Tracy was an adept in ducking and his tactics seemed to be to avoid punishment rather than to give it. Walcott got in a heavy swing on Tracy's face as the round closed.

In the fifth round Walcott rushed Tracy to the latter's corner and they clinched. When separated there was a lively exchange of blows. The sixth, seventh and eighth rounds were much alike. Tracy feinted with his left a great deal. He seemed to be waiting for a chance to send in a finish blow with his right on Walcott's face.

Both were very shifty. Tracy slipped to his knees once or twice. He was somewhat inclined to run away from Walcott, or to clinch. The referee found it a difficult matter to separate the two several times. The pair appeared tired in the eighth round. Walcott delivered some stiff ones in the ninth and Tracy went to his corner a little groggy.

In the tenth the referee got on to Tracy's clinching. He warned him to stop hooking Walcott, or he would be disqualified. In this round Walcott drew first blood, landing heavily on Tracy's nose. Both appeared rather tired.

Tracy continued game and landed some stiff ones on Walcott's stomach. But Walcott seemed to land several times where Tracy did but once. Tracy tried to rush Walcott in the thirteenth round, and showed up quite fresh. Walcott was ready for him, however, with a grin on his face.

The fifteenth round was a hot one. Tracy got Walcott against the ropes and tried to punch his little head off. It was impossible, of course, but he attempted it. As they broke away Walcott shot in a cyclonic uppercut. Then they clinched again.

Tracy led in the 16th round, but missed Walcott's face. After a short exchange of blows Tracy started to retreat and Walcott rushed him to the ropes. With a terrific left-handed swing the black man knocked his opponent out. The blow landed on Tracy's right jaw, and he fell forward on his face, unconscious. He revived a few seconds later, got up on his feet, and was knocked down again. This time he was counted out before he could arise, and the fight was awarded to Walcott amid the cheers of the latter's friends. Joe left the ring with a broad smile on his face.

Before the big fight exhibition bouts of four rounds each were given by Boyle O'Reilly of Cambridge and William Dally of Australia, and Jimmy Sweeney and Willy Driscoll. Both were rather tame affairs. Young Griffo of Australia was presented to the crowd from the platform. He is matched to fight George Dixon for $1000. Mike Harris of New York was also introduced to the crowd as the only man who had ever got a decision against Walcott in a fight. Harris challenged the winner of the Tracy-Walcott fight. Joe Walcott will probably accept this challenge.