1908-06-10 Philadelphia Jack O'Brien ND6 Jack Blackburn (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

1908-06-11 Fairbanks Daily News (Fairbanks, AK) (page 1)

JACK O'BRIEN WINS FIGHT
--------
Shifty Jack Shows That He Is Still a Whirlwind a Game.
--------
BEATS JACK BLACKBURN
--------
Was the Fastest Go Ever Seen in the City of Philadelphia.
--------

(United Press Service.)

PHILADELPHIA, June 11. -- Jack O'Brien was given the decision over Jack Blackburn at the end of a six round boxing contest held at O'Brien's club rooms here last night, the bout being limited to six rounds by municipal laws on the subject,

O'Brien clearly demonstrated that he had lost none of his old time speed, and he was up against a worthy opponent in Blackburn. The bout was a whirlwind affair from start to finish, with O'Brien holding the edge over his opponent by a narrow margin all the way through.

He got the decision on a knock down blow delivered in the sixth, though Blackburn was far from being out.


1908-06-11 Rockford Daily Republic (Rockford, IL) (page 3)

JACK O'BRIEN GETS DRAW
------
Former Champion Went Six Rounds With Jack Blackburn at Philadelphia Last Night.
------

Philadelphia, June 11.--Jack Blackburn gave away fourteen and a half pounds last night in his fight with Jack O'Brien, who was also taller and had a longer reach than the colored man, and with all this handicap, after one of the fastest six-round bouts ever seen in this city, the best that O'Brien got was a draw in the opinion of the spectators.

O'Brien had the best of the first round, and after that he held the negro safe for the next two. In the fourth Blackburn took a brace and he began to jab and feint O'Brien out of his cautiousness and he landed many telling blows on the white fellow. In the fifth round O'Brien was tired out and he had to clinch and stall to save himself from the punishment that the mulatto was raining on him with both hands.


1908-06-11 The Evening Press (Grand Rapids, MI) (page 6)

O'BRIEN BESTS NEGRO
--------
Philadelphia Jack Had Slight Advantage Over Blackburn.

Philadelphia, June 11.--In a six round bout that was marked by fast and vicious fighting Jack O'Brien bested Jack Blackburn last night.

In the first round O'Brien knocked Blackburn down with a straight left. In the fourth and fifth rounds O'Brien seemed to tire, but came back strong in the sixth and had Blackburn clinching to avoid stomach punches. O'Brien had more steam than Blackburn, but the latter put up a game fight against odds in weight and made a splendid showing.


1908-06-11 The Evening Times (Pawtucket, RI) (page 2)

JACK O'BRIEN TOO BIG FOR BLACKBURN
--------

PHILADELPHIA, June 11.--"Philadelphia Jack" O'Brien, once claimant of the heavyweight championship, outpointed Jack Blackburn in their six-round fight at the National A. C. here last night. O'Brien was too big and strong for his clever opponent. He dropped Blackburn in the first round with a right hook to the chin but after that there were no knockdowns. Blackburn fought a game and clever battle and in the fourth and fifth rounds he held his own with the one-time "champion."


1908-06-11 The Evening World (New York, NY) (page 12)

SOCIETY LEADER SECONDS O'BRIEN AGAINST NEGRO
--------

(Special to The Evening World.)

PHILADELPHIA, June 11.--After six hard and fast rounds between Jack O'Brien and Jack Blackburn, the colored boxer, a draw would have been about the right decision. However, so close was the battle fought by the men, there were many who thought that O'Brien had earned the decision, and an equal number favored Blackburn.

O'Brien started off at a rapid clip. In the first round a straight left sent Blackburn to the floor. After that the colored man fought back gamely. In the third and fourth rounds he hit suspiciously low, but was forgiven, as the blows did no damage.

In the first three rounds O'Brien waded in with rights and lefts, but in the fourth and fifth he tired perceptibly and his blows lacked steam. It was in these rounds that Blackburn got busy and, assuming the aggressive, carried the fight to O'Brien. The sixth was a rapid affair, O'Brien, waking up, sailed into Blackburn, but the negro was right there and put up a game fight. In this round O'Brien's speed only lasted for the first minute, when he was forced on the defensive by Blackburn, who whipped in a number of clean blows, and in the grand mixup at the conclusion showed himself to be stronger than was O'Brien.

A sidelight feature of the bout was the fact that in O'Brien's corner Anthony Drexel Biddle, the society man, who is a devotee of the manly art. Mr. Biddle was in working garb, with sleeves rolled up. Society was well represented at the bout, and Mr. Biddle was declared quite a drawing card.


1908-06-11 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 11)

BLACKBURN EARNS DRAW WITH O'BRIEN
--------
Latter Has the Better of the First Two Rounds, But Weakens After the Third
--------
Blackburn, Fourteen and One-Half Pounds Lighter, Makes Sensational Finish in Sixth
--------

Jack Blackburn by great work in the fifth and sixth rounds evened up the advantage Jack O'Brien had secured in the earlier rounds of the six-round bout before the National Athletic Club last night, and was entitled to a draw of it when the bell ended the bout for the night. The negro's sensational rally in the last part of the bout was as surprising to O'Brien as it was to the spectators. During the fore part of the bout O'Brien's big advantage in height and weight had enabled him to get to Blackburn often, and with telling effect, but he seemed to let up considerably in the last two rounds, and the negro by coming on the aggressive got to Jack frequently with telling lefts to the face and many a hard wallop to the body. O'Brien also showed signs of wildness, and his overanxiety to get to Blackburn during those last six minutes gave the cool and collective negro just the opportunity he was seeking. He managed to get to O'Brien time after time with his left and right, and Jack was forced on the defensive during the majority of the last six minutes.

Everything favored O'Brien before the bout. At the weighing in O'Brien tipped the scales at 162 pounds, while Blackburn pulled down the scale to 147? pounds. He also towered over the negro in height and his advantage in reach looked to be entirely too long for the negro to get away from. And during the first three rounds of the bout O'Brien used his weight to big advantage. He repeatedly rushed Blackburn off his feet and while the negro went to the floor a few times the knockdowns were the direct results of O'Brien's rushes and not his punches. Jack, however, missed many blows in his eagerness to settle the bout quickly, and as the go progressed Blackburn had little trouble in getting out of the way of many of Jack's intended sleep producers. O'Brien also lost considerably of his speed in the remaining three rounds, while his judgment of distance went wrong repeatedly. This was due in a way to the clever guarding of Blackburn, who managed to block many of Jack's swings and side-step his jabs frequently during the time the tide was starting to turn.


1908-06-11 The Sun (Baltimore, MD) (page 1)

A. J. DREXEL-BIDDLE A SECOND
--------
Millionaire Uses Sponge On Jack O'Brien, Who Outboxes Blackburn.

[Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.]

Philadelphia, June 10--With his shirt sleeves rolled up and minus a collar and tie, Anthony J. Drexel-Biddle, a young Philadelphia millionaire and society man, acted as Jack O'Brien's second in the pugilistic six round bout with Jack Blackburn at the National Athletic Club tonight.

The young millionaire between each of the rounds sponged off the dripping back of O'Brien and appeared to be as much at home in the part he was playing as he is at an afternoon tea in Philadelphia's exclusive set. The young millionaire seemed to enjoy the role, and received quite a reception when he clambered over the ropes. In the audience were a number of society people, and Biddle nodded right and left to his friends.

O'Brien knocked Blackburn down in the opening round, and in the final round had the negro hanging on to avoid punishment. The bout was one of the fastest ever seen in this city.


1908-06-11 Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, NJ) (page 11)

JACK O'BRIEN WON FROM BLACKBURN
--------

PHILADELPHIA, June 11.--Philadelphia Jack O'Brien outpointed Jack Blackburn, the negro middleweight, in a six-round contest at the National Athletic Club last night. The men put up a fast fight, but both lacked the steam behind their blows to be real damage. O'Brien's blows were the cleaner, and for that reason he was entitled to the decision.

Each landed often enough to settle half a dozen battles. Their judgment of distance was superb, for they seldom missed. There was but one knockdown, O'Brien sending the negro to the mat in the first round. There was a long wrangle over a pair of kid gloves that O'Brien intended to wear beneath his fighting mitts. O'Brien finally agreed to take them off.

O'Brien started right in and landed hard with his left. The negro shot out rights and lefts and O'Brien slipped to the floor, but immediately jumped up. Jack danced around for a moment and then sent Blackburn to the floor with a terrific left swing. The negro arose and clinched. O'Brien continued to jab the left for the face and to swing the right to the body. At the bell O'Brien got in an uppercut.

The second round was lightning fast. O'Brien opened with a lot of jabs. They finally came to close quarters and exchanged heavy wallops to both body and head. A hard uppercut near the end of the round made Blackburn wince. O'Brien hurt the negro with body punches.

Philadelphia Jack had the better of the third round, which was also fast. He continually sent in hard blows to the stomach. Blackburn hit low once and apologized. A lot of vicious swings for the head were missed by both.

The fourth began with clinching. Blackburn frequently aimed for the stomach, but landed on the chest. O'Brien scored more uppercuts and Blackburn again fouled him with a low blow. It was an even round.

The negro was the aggressor in the fifth, although O'Brien landed often. Once Blackburn slipped to the floor after an exchange of blows on the head. He was up like a flash and held his own to the end.

The last round was exceedingly fast and both landed nearly every blow sent forth. Blackburn opened by landing three in a row on the head, but Jack came right back on the wind and nose. The exchanges were rapid to the gong, and both were dead tired when they went to their corners.


1908-06-21 The Sunday Oregonian (Portland, OR) (page D7)

BLACKBURN CLEVER FIGHTER
------
Mulatto's Battle With O'Brien Brings Him Before Public.

From time to time the name of Jack Blackburn has attracted the attention of the fight fans. Blackburn's last fight was with Jack O'Brien and the Philadelphia Record has the following review of the fight, which will interest the fight fans, for there is a chance that this same negro will be heard from:

That six-round drawn fight with Jack O'Brien was a virtual victory for Jack Blackburn when the weight and reputation of the two men are taken into consideration. Very few thought the tall, thin mulatto had any chance with the clever O'Brien, and predicted that the men who twice boxed twenty rounds with Tommy Burns would win handily. This crowd felt doubly confident at the end of the first round in which O'Brien put it all over Blackburn, so to speak, but the farther the fight went the better the colored man seemed to grow, while the white boxed plainly showed signs of tiring. The final bell that ended the fight was much more welcome to O'Brien than it was to Blackburn, and all good critics agree that, had the fight gone to a finish that night, Philadelphia Jack would very likely have been defeated. At the beginning of the fight O'Brien seemed at his very best, but as the fight progressed it became evident that he was not as fast as he used to be, and also that he was not keyed up to the point of holding the fast gait set for any great length of time. Then, too, the jolts Blackburn gave O'Brien probably slowed him down some, whereas the punishment received by Blackburn only seemed to make him fight the faster. Should the men ever come together in a longer battle the negro will have backing, notwithstanding the 14 1/2 pounds difference in weight.

To the followers of boxing who have witnessed so many of O'Brien's frame-ups last Wednesday's contest was particularly interesting, for at last they were able to see what Jack could do in a genuine fight. To be sure the conditions were all in O'Brien's favor, for he was heavier and stronger, and more experienced than his opponent, and if he had been the man he has tried to make the public believe he is--good enough to hold the title of champion of the world--he should have proved an easy winner. But what was the result? Starting out with so great a lead in the first round as to make the fight seem all in his favor, O'Brien allowed Blackburn to so far outbox him in the closing rounds as to lead some to think that the negro deserved credit of a victory. For a fact, however, the contest was too even for a decision, particularly since neither man was able to do any particular damage to the other, so cleverly was every attack met by the defense. It was a rare sight, however, to see Jack O'Brien holding to save himself against the attack of an opponent weight 14? pounds less than himself. And this was the same Jack O'Brien who is credited with a victory over Bob Fitzsimmons, the best man of his weight with gloves who ever lived, but now known to be a faker. It was also the same O'Brien who fought Tommy Ryan, of unsavory reputation; Joe Walcott, the negro giant-killer, who is known to be susceptible to money inducements; Joe Berger, John Willie, Jack (Twin) Sullivan and Tommy Burns, who, after going through with one frame-up with Jack, exposed O'Brien's faking ways and practically ruined him. The last fight with Burns, which went 20 rounds, with the decision in favor of Burns, and last Wednesday's bout with Blackburn are two O'Brien's fights that were on the level, and in neither did Jack gain any glory. He is now considering Stanley Ketchell, the husky young Western middle-weight. If O'Brien fights Ketchell it should help his reputation for honesty, no matter what the outcome may be.

1916-01-01 Johnny Dundee ND6 Joe Azevedo (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

1916-01-02 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 19)

DUNDEE LANDED HARD ON AZVEDO
--------
Johnny, However, Could Not Stop Californian Who Made Strong and Game Finish
--------
Joe Malone Bests Eddie Wagon With Raps to Face, and Pal Moore Lost to Frankie Conifrey
--------

Johnny Dundee, of New York, the lad with hands and feet that exceed the speed limit at times, bested Joe Azvedo, of California, at the National's matinee yesterday. After having the Pacific Coast boxer all but out in the third round, Dundee was called upon to repel some very savage and effective attacks later in the bout. Azvedo showed that he cannot be beaten with a couple of punches. He took three to the mouth in the third that sure did make him very wobbly. The third, a right hander, came along just as the bell rang and that probably saved him a lot of inconvenience.

In view of the great recovery he made and the game fighting that he put up, especially in the last two rounds, it can not be reckoned that Dundee missed a knockout by the sound of the bell. The Portuguese exponent of the fistic art was certainly shook up some, but his gameness and ability to better fathom Dundee's lightning-like attack proved that he was far from being all in. When the final bell rang Joe was right there and ready to continue. He was easily holding his own and gave the crowd a great run for its money. Over a longer route the Californian, with his little panties, would undoubtedly give Johnny a lot more trouble than he did in six rounds yesterday.

Dundee's speed apparently baffled Azvedo in the opening rounds. Johnny landed his jumping punch, smashed to the jaw and was in and out to the body before Joe could determine just where his opponent was located. The result was that Azvedo missed many well directed blows and Dundee's cleverness in avoiding swings and rushes kept the fans gasping. When Dundee speeded up his attack in the third and smacked Azvedo so hard on the jaw, besides walloping him on the body at close range, you couldn't have got a 100 to 1 chance on the Californian's chances of anything but taking the count in the next round or before the sixth was completed. But Joe was more careful in the fourth, and in the fifth and sixth shifted his style to better meet Dundee's attack, with the result that he forced the New Yorker to clinch and, besides, handed out some punishment that caused the bout to end in a great and exciting rally. There were loud cheers for both men as they left the ring.

In the semi-windup Pal Moore was bested by Frankie Conifrey, of New York. There was only one round in which Pal had anything on the visitor. That was the fourth. In the other Frankie was there with the punch and soon had Moore's lamps puffed up like balloons.

Another Frankie, this one McGuire by name, hailing from Williamsport, hooked up with Sam Robideau and was bested. It was a slow affair, as Mr. McGuire did not show any particular disposition to start off the New Year by mixing it with the National's champion. In the third round McGuire punched Sam through the ropes, but after that Robideau succeeded in getting to the up-Stater and inflicted some punishment to Frankie's bread basket and headpiece. McGuire received a bump in the slats and he made signs that he did not relish steamy punches to his none too well trained middle section.

Joe Malone, of New York, planted enough straight arm punches and swings to Eddie Wagon's countenance to easily earn him the decision. Joe was entirely too fast for Eddie, who was unable to judge the distance, for his punches almost invariably fell short or wrapped themselves around Joe's neck.

Danny Fields, of New York, did not finish on the long end of the bout with Joe Hirst. Joe did enough execution in the first two rounds to win by a big margin. It looked as if Danny would not elect to continue until the end, but he stuck it out, and as Joe tired he grew stronger and made some kind of a decent finish.

Danny McManus, of Boston, so outclassed Mexican Ray Rivers in the opening bout that Referee McGuigan stopped the bout in the fourth session. It was becoming as gory as a bullfight.

1898-05-30 Jimmy Barry D-PTS20 Casper Leon (New York, NY, USA)

1898-05-31 New York Evening Journal (New York, NY) (page 6)

LEON LASTED THE LIMIT. BARRY DID BEST WORK.
--------
Bantams Put Up a Clever Twenty-Round Bout at the Lenox, Which Ended in a Draw---The Westerner Was the More Aggressive.
--------

At the Lenox Athletic Club last night there were three good fights, growing in cleverness from the first to the last. They were all similar in a way, too. In each bout one man was stronger than the other, and in spite of the cleverness of his opponent, managed to even matters up before the limit.

The bout of the night was between "Jimmy" Barry, of Chicago, and Casper Leon for the bantam weight championship. It went twenty interesting rounds, and although Barry was coming fast at the close, any decision other than a draw would have been an injustice.

The preliminary bouts of ten rounds each were both way above the average. The opener, between Benny Leon and Mike Lyons, looked to be first one man's and then the other's. It was a slash, bang go and ended as even as ever a bout did.

The second, between Jimmy Rose, of New York, and Jim Callahan, of Philadelphia, at catch weights, was a corker. Callahan was by far the more clever, and for the first part of it ripped it into Rose's face and body right merrily. But Rose kept coming and trying, in his strong, willing way, and before the limit was reached had not only tired his man somewhat, but had evened things up in the way of damage.

WEIGHED AT THE RINGSIDE.

Then came the bout of the night. Scales were brought to the ring and the two men weighed in, both going under 105 pounds. Barry came to the ring first and was greeted with a cheer. His seconds were William McGuire, P. Fitzgerald and Jim Franey, and his timekeeper Joe O'Donnell.

Leon appeared a moment later, accompanied by Charlie White, the Lenox Club's official referee, who manages Leon. James Leon and Angelo Napoli acted as seconds. Leon's timekeeper was "Honest John" Kelly.

As Charlie White could not, of course, referee the bout, John White was chosen for the position.

In passing it may be mentioned that Kelly Smith has declined to fight where Charlie White is referee simply because the latter is employed by O'Rourke, who handles Dixon. This seems a lame excuse even for everyday fighters, and a very bad excuse coming from Solly Smith. The management has decided that Smith may look elsewhere for a bout now that he has objected to White, and this applies to any others who do not care to box with White as referee.

The fight of the night was called at 11 o'clock. The boys agreed to break clean. The betting was two to one on Barry.

There are no prettier men in action than these two lads, Barry and Leon. Barry is a miniature of Lavigne, solid and strong through his chest. He is always coming to his man. His face is that of a sphinx. He works persistently into distance, feinting the while in a short, snappy way to draw a lead.

Leon, as graceful as a fawn, and moving shiftily about, breaks to the right, left or rear often, and then works with those tangling feints for the opening. He is wary, crafty and quick as a flash to avoid danger.

Barry began proceedings by missing a left lead, Leon going away from it like a shadow. A little later Leon sent a light left to Barry's face, and suddenly Barry was in action. The right crossed like a shot and the left swung in at the mark. There was a fighting clinch in which Leon demonstrated that he knew and had respect for Barry at close quarters.

BARRY TRIES TO "MIX IT."

As the rounds progressed, Barry seemed to grow impatient at his inability to land and attempted to mix it at every opportunity. It was then, in these fierce rushes of his, that Leon showed his study of the man. He blocked lead after lead, and when it seemed that Barry had him, he rushed to a safe clinch like lightning. They would break, and Leon, after shifting here and there, as Barry followed, would send his left to the head. It was the one for a rush and Barry's two gloves would whip over and around quicker than the inexperienced eye could follow them. But as fast as he was Leon was seldom in a position to be hurt. Those two sharp beady ones of his and his curious smile seemed to make Barry the more determined. He would follow his man to the ropes and then hook the left in savagely. It seldom landed fair, and as the right made its trial Leon would be inside.

In the fifth Barry started with a left. It missed, and, as if the two hands moved in sympathy, the right came over instantly. Leon blocked both, broke to the left, feinted and sent his left to Barry's head with a jolt. Barry crossed like lightning, but Casper ducked and was out of danger.

In the next Leon sent his right solidly to the body the minute he reached the distance. Barry swung left and right savagely, but again Leon blocked. The crowd yelled: "Go on, Leon!" Barry rushed and Leon's right just missed the spot as he whipped it in as Barry came. It stopped the rush, but Barry was in again instantly and no prettier ducking and blocking was ever seen.

WESTERNER WAS DETERMINED.

But Barry's face was as immovable as stone, with his two sparkling, starry eyes, following his man about. Again he tried--a right straight for the jaw. Leon got away, but Barry stuck to him and finally sent a left hook to the nose that left a mark. The bell stopped his progress for a minute, but he began the next round with his old time rush: left, right, left hook. They clinched, swung loose. As Barry worked in he landed a solid left hook on the neck. Again he tried, but Leon stopped the rush with a left, and the round ended with no advantage to either boy.

The odds of Barry seemed to be false at this point. Round after round followed with his same persistent effort to get in where he could do some good, but Leon blocked and ducked, with now and then a little jab which made Barry come the faster. It went to the sixteenth before it was understood why Barry is the favorite. It is true he had been trying for fifteen rounds, but he had yet to land solidly.

Leon led his left, and for the first time Barry right-crossed fair. Leon's head wagged and Barry was on him instantly. The left hooks, the right swings, bing, bang, biff, smash, but the foxy Leon was inside or had blocked or ducked every one. The crowd shouted at the fine exhibition of defensive work.

Barry never seemed to hear or see or feel. His pace gave no sign of success or failure. He tried again the same series of swings and jolts. Again Leon blocked, ducked and tried to get close, but Barry's right met him straight and he went to his corner a second later worrying.

LEON GETTING VERY TIRED.

They were back again, going even when the eighteenth came, but the strength of Barry began to tell, and Leon was clinching more often and led less.

They went on through the next at the same fast pace and to the end.

Leon will never show to a better advantage than he did last night with Barry, and the champion will never meet a more clever man.

Barry led a hundred times, and was blocked in this most savage efforts again and again.

Leon has not the strength. He is clever--wonderfully so. He anticipates his man at every turn and effort. At times he made Barry look next to ridiculous, but never at any time did he have more than an even chance for the decision.

Barry would have won with one straight right, and no more praise can be given a man than to say in twenty rounds the champion bantam of the world could not land that one blow.

The decision, a draw, was fair to both, and pleased the crowd. It was a clever fight. A case of one man who is able to do the trick could he land and the other able to land at times, but without the strength to make it decisive.

1913-07-01 Harry Wills D-PTS10 Joe Jeannette (New Orleans, LA, USA)

1913-07-02 The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, LA) (page 10)

JOE JEANETTE
------
Only Gets Draw With Local Black Boxer Willis,
------
But That Was Because He Wanted Too Long Before Turning Loose His Punch.
------

Joe Jeanette, who ranks as one of the first of the black negro heavyweights of the world, appeared at the Northside Athletic Club last night before an overflow audience and boxed ten rounds to a draw with Harry Willis, the Darktons slasher.

It was a gruelling fight from the start, with the local Senegambian leading by a pretty fair margin through the eighth round. Heavy blows were given on both sides, and the men stood bravely to the task of battering and smashing in half-clinches for the better part of the time consumed. Jeanette began to show some speed in the ninth, and put over a few rights to the jaw that had a rather depressing effect on the Willis. At the close of the tenth Jeanette was coming strong, and looked as though he would have won had he taken the aggressive early and fought at long range.

Zeno Green was a rather picturesque referee, and his draw decision was popular with the crowd.

The preliminaries saw the usual earnest and sure-enough fighting, so different from the fakey article handed out in some of the white clubs.

Kid Marshall and Little Nick were the principals in the first glove duel, and Little Nick went out for six minutes from a clout in the jaw in the sixth round. One-Round Charlie and Black Ben started in for ten rounds, but Black Ben found the going too fierce and did the laydown act in the third round.

There was the irrepressible rag-time band on hand to make murderous assault on melody, and between the bouts the white fighters who are to participate in the Fourth of July stag were introduced.


1913-07-02 The New Orleans Item (New Orleans, LA) (page 8)

JEANETTE STARTS TOO LATE AND DRAWS
------

Had Joe Jeanette, the negro heavyweight, who ranks as one of the best colored heavyweights in the country, started his aggressiveness in the early rounds, he would have easily beaten Harry Willis, the local negro heavy, at the Northside Tuesday night. Zeno Green, the referee, called it a draw at the end of the tenth round.

Kid Marshall knocked out Little Nick in the sixth round of the preliminary and Black Ben "laid down" in the third round to One-Round Charley. Black Ben found the going too hard.

1899-04-14 Joe Gans L-KO23 George 'Elbows' McFadden (Brooklyn, NY, USA)

1899-04-15 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page 7)

JOE GANS KNOCKED OUT
---
His Aspirations for Championship Honors Spoiled by George McFadden.
---

As a lightweight championship possibility, Joe Gans of Baltimore was relegated to a back seat and a new comer appeared on the scene in the person of George McFadden of New York, at the Broadway Athletic Club last evening. The men met for twenty-five rounds at the lightweight limit and Gans was looked upon as a sure winner, his admirers laying odds of as much as three to one on him. McFadden scattered their hopes to the wind by putting Gans out in the twenty-third round, and left the ring without a mark to show for his night's work, while Gans' face was badly damaged and his body very sore. Many said that Gans quit, but the blow that put him to sleep was a hard one, although Gans' fall was very stagey. The fight itself was one of the best exhibitions of defensive boxing ever seen. Gans has never before failed to find or make an opening for his blows with any opponent he has ever met, but with McFadden it was altogether different. As a defensive boxer McFadden is without a peer and his work last night made even the oldest followers of the sport open their eyes in amazement. Gans tried every trick and every blow he knew to land. All were unavailing against the wonderful defense McFadden put up, and from the fourth round to the finish Gans did not land half a dozen blows.

Both the men looked to be in excellent shape. Gans just making the required weight and McFadden tipping the scales at 127 pounds. Beside the weight, Gans had several inches the advantage of height and reach. Neither landed a blow in the opening round, but in the second Gans swung his left to the head. McFadden was a trifle nervous, but in the next Jabbed his left to the face and drove his right to the body, and Gans again swung his left to the head and followed it with his right on the ear. In the fifth Gans landed left swings in rapid succession on Mac's head, but they did not contain much steam and were too high to do any harm.

McFadden was very confident when they came up for the sixth, and immediately swung his right for the head. Gans blocked cleverly, but a minute later took a good right on the head that jarred him, but too high to do any damage. Gans constantly broke ground, and Mac forced him into his corner and swung his left to the face, and followed it with a stiff right on the body and then placed his left again on the head.

Gans opened the seventh with two left swings on the bead and Mac sent his right to the body and then brought the glove up to the head.

In the eighth Mac forced Gans all over the ring with hard rights on the body and left jabs to the face. Gans tried everything, but Mac blocked grandly and made Gans drop to his knees to escape punishment. They were mixing it up hotly when the bell rang and the crowd was cheering Mac wildly.

Gans was very tired when he came up for the ninth, and Mac never let up on him, punishing him badly about the body with both bands. The next two were much the same, Mac doing all the landing, and when Gans went to his corner at the end of the eleventh his face wore a very puzzled expression. A hard right on Joe's body in the twelfth made him grunt, but he came back with a right swing to Mac's head that only made the white lad smile.

Mac started the blood from Joe's nose in the next with a left jab and drove his right with terrific force to the body. A heavy right swing on the bead and a left swing on the wind almost finished Gans as the bell rang.

It continued on the same lines in the following rounds. Gans was constantly leading, but could not land a single blow, so fine was Mac's defence. George's body blows were telling on Gans and he was cut under both eyes at the end of the seventeenth.

Both were very tired when they came up for the twenty-first, but Gans was so weak that he was hardly able to hold his feet and it did not look as if he would go the distance.

Mac grew a trifle careless in the next and Gans swung his right flush on the jaw, the first clean blow since early in the fight, but he was too weak to hurt and Mac came back with right and left swings to the head and body and had him very groggy when the bell rang. McFadden walked right up to Gans in the twenty-third and after a little sparring drove his right to the body and, like a flash, swung his left to the chin. Gans rocked and hesitated for a second and then sank gracefully to the floor and was counted out.

Billy Needham of St. Paul and Sam Bolen of New York met in the preliminary for ten rounds, at 128 pounds. They made a hard and fast fight, which went the limit and was declared a draw.


1899-04-15 The Evening Telegram (New York, NY) (page 7)

GANS KNOCKED OUT BY M'FADDEN
--------
Baltimore Fighter Went Down in the Twenty-third Round at the Broadway Athletic Club.
--------

George McFadden, a local light weight pugilist, defeated "Joe" Gans, a colored boxer, of Baltimore, after twenty-three rounds of clever fighting, at the New Broadway Athletic Club, last night. A left hand uppercut on the jaw in the round named, after the men had been in action 1m 40s., sent Gans to the floor and supposedly out. Many persons questioned Gans' sincerity with regard to the knockout. He appeared to have found a soft spot and hugged it.

McFadden in the fifth round cut out the pace. He sent the left to the jaw hard and got away without a return, and followed this up with a right swing over the heart. Gans contented himself with trying to counter during the entire round.

It was the same story over again in succeeding rounds. In the twenty-first Gans was groggy when he returned to his corner. In the twenty-second round McFadden gave Gans a terrific thumping and had him wobbling when the bell rang. The call of time probably saved Gans from a knockout. In the twenty-third, and what proved to be the last round, "Mac" swung his left, uppercut fashion, on the chin and Gans went down, and apparently out, but there were many who thought the colored boy "quit." Time, 1m 40s.


1899-04-15 The New York Times (New York, NY) (page 11)

McFADDEN KNOCKS OUT GANS.
---
Baltimore Boxer Defeated in the 23d Round at the Broadway A. C.

George McFadden of this city knocked out "Joe" Gans, colored, of Baltimore, in the twenty-third round of their bout at the Broadway Athletic Club last night. The men were billed to go twenty-five rounds at 133 pounds. The crowd was the largest that has ever attended a fight at the Broadway Club. Gans was the favorite in the betting, his backers offering as high as 2 to 1 against McFadden.

Gans had been ill recently, and his weakened condition was apparent throughout the fight. The bout, however, was a good one from start to finish. McFadden generally was the aggressor, but the colored boy's superior defensive fighting and his work when he assumed the aggressive kept matters about even until the twenty-third round. In that round Gans missed a vicious swing at McFadden's head. Like a flash the latter sent in a right swing on the Baltimore fighter's jaw, and Gans went down and out.


1899-04-15 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 9)

JOE GANS PUT TO SLEEP.
--------
M'FADDEN DOES THE TRICK IN THE TWENTY-THIRD ROUND.
--------

The Clever Baltimore Pugilist Is Outfought After the First Half Dozen Rounds--A Big Crowd at the Broadway A. C. Enthusiastic Over the Lively Battle.

George McFadden, the local pugilist, fought his way to fame and fortune at the Broadway A. C. last night. In the twenty-third round he knocked out the clever Baltimore pugilist, Joe Gans, with a right hook on the jaw. At the start McFadden appeared to be outclassed, but by persistent attack, wonderful strength and splendid generalship he gradually forged ahead and won. Gans had been regarded as a possible lightweight champion, but McFadden is now the man to pit against the leaders in his class, Kid Lavigne, Spike Sullivan or Frank Erne.

The preliminary bout was a corker. The principals were Billy Needham of St. Paul and Sam Bolan of this city, who were expected to go ten rounds at 128 pounds. In the second round Bolan landed a heavy swing on the jaw and had Needham in trouble. The latter's nose began to bleed, too, and Bolan did his best to put on the finishing touches. In doing this he fought himself out a bit, for Needham managed to stay by adopting effective defensive tactics. In the third round Bolan's left eye was slashed, but he kept up his attack. Needham rallied just as the fought round closed and made Bolan reel with a couple of rapid swings on the jaw. The latter was placed on the defensive in the fifth round because of Needham's increasing aggressiveness. It was an even fight during the next four rounds, both men working hard. Needham's cheeks were both swollen and Bolan's eye and lips were bleeding when they came up for the last round. It was nip and tuck to the finish and the decision was a draw, creating general satisfaction.

There was plenty of betting on the result of the star bout. The crowd, which numbered close to 4,000 persons, was the largest that has attended the fights at this club since it was opened. Gans was a 2 to 1 favorite, his manager, Al Herford, and a big delegation of colored sports from Baltimore placing in the neighborhood of $3,000 at these odds. The men weighed in at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, McFadden scaling at 127 pounds and Gans getting just inside the lightweight limit, 133 pounds. When McFadden got into the ring he was greeted with wild cheering, which was an indication that his friends were on hand in force. His seconds were Billy Roche, Tommy Shortell, H. Bahr and Chip Morrison. Gans was taken care of by Al Herford, Jack McCue and Jerry Marshall. The articles of agreement called for twenty-five rounds at 133 pounds, Marquis of Queensberry rules. John White was the referee.

The men had not been sparring a minute when Gans's superior knowledge of science was apparent. He was cool, calculating, shifty, and blocked with consummate ease the few swings that McFadden aimed at his head. Gans appeared to have no trouble in landing a long left, but he did not cut it loose much, preferring to find out what McFadden had up his sleeve, so to speak. Gans began to do some real punching in the second round. He shook McFadden up with a couple of swings on the neck, and altogether outclassed the local man in such a way that the crowd laughed in derision. McFadden concluded that his only chance was to mix it. So when the third round began he rushed in with heavy swings. Gans was equal to the emergency, and at in-fighting surprised the talent with his quick blows, all of which were well directed. McFadden did not land a solid blow in the round, although he tried his best to do so.

Gans did some superb blocking in the fourth round, and also beat a tattoo on McFadden's face. Improvement was shown by McFadden in the fifth round. He began to use his right and got it several times to the neck. Gans, however, nearly scored a knockdown with a hook on the jaw. McFadden continued to improve in the sixth round and landed several hard drives on the head and body. He was Gans's master in physical strength, and his punches appeared to contain more steam. McFadden forced the fighting in the seventh round, and with a hot left hook on the jaw he made the Baltimorean take the defensive until the bell. McFadden had the eighth round, Gans receiving some terrific smashes on the body and jaw. The latter was warned for holding in the clinches. The crowd cheered in a deafening manner when the bell rang, and kept it up during the minute's rest.

The ninth round was McFadden's, too. He did most of the work, and did not allow Gans to rest a moment. Both did pretty blocking, but McFadden's blows were the harder. The tenth round was full of execution. McFadden walked right into his man in spite of left jabs and body blows, and sent back as much as he received. The crowd cheered McFadden when he was in his corner. During a rally in the eleventh round, both men swinging, Gans received a clip on the jaw that brought a clinch. The latter seemed to be a trifle tired when he took his corner. That he was not fighting up to his past form seemed to be the opinion around the ringside, while McFadden's showing was an agreeable surprise.

The twelfth round was uneventful, except that McFadden more than held his own. Gans's nose was bleeding when he got half way through the thirteenth round. His blows lacked force and he appeared to be tiring. McFadden was as strong as a bull. The fourteenth round showed that Gans still had stamina, for he did the leading and landing, McFadden apparently resting up a bit from his previous efforts. McFadden came back in the fifteenth round with his old attack, and ended the round by driving Gans to a corner and to a clinch. It was an even thing in the sixteenth round, McFadden's blocking being up to anything that Gans accomplished in the earlier rounds. McFadden forged to the front again in the seventeenth round. He bored in without let-up and had his man clinching and holding at the gong. It was the same thing over again in the eighteenth. Gans failed to land a square punch because of McFadden's defence, while the latter hammered away successfully at the stomach and neck.

Gans received three savage lefts in the mouth in quick succession during the nineteenth round, but he retaliated with a heavy swing on the jaw that took McFadden by surprise. Again in the twentieth round McFadden did the bulk of the work, and made Gans's nose bleed afresh. At this stage it looked like a defeat for Gans, and the latter's followers were blue. Gans was fought practically to a standstill in the twenty-first round. He was tired and could scarcely keep his hands up. McFadden kept at him incessantly, but did not hustle enough when he received the right opportunities. McFadden cut loose in the twenty-second, and had Gans in evident trouble throughout. The crowd was in an uproar when the bell rang.

When the twenty-third round opened McFadden lost no time in mixing things. Gans threw in a few weak counters, and then received a stomach punch that threw him forward. Quick as a flash McFadden brought up a terrific right hook. It caught Gans flush on the point of the jaw. The Baltimore fighter tottered a moment, and then fell flat upon his face, the blood gushing from his mouth. There was no need of counting him out for he was helpless, and had to be lifted to his chair. The referee declared McFadden the winner amid an unusual demonstration. Hats and canes were thrown in the air. Men hugged one another in their ecstasy and others yelled wildly for the money they had won. McFadden was embraced by his friends, and was cheered all the way to his dressing room. When Gans was able to leave the ring he was applauded generously, too. It was one of the best fights ever seen in this vicinity. The time of the last round was 1 minute and 48 seconds.


1899-04-15 The World (New York, NY) (page 8)

GANS KNOCKED OUT BY GEORGE M'FADDEN.
--------
The New York Boxer Beat the Baltimore Black in a Fast and Hot Bout.
--------
LOSER A STRONG FAVORITE.
--------
After the Third Round McFadden Had It His Own Way and Finished It in the Twenty-Third.
--------

Joe Gans, the Baltimore light-weight, was treated to a surprise party last night at the Broadway Athletic Club by George McFadden, of this city, who was a 1 to 2 shot in the betting.

The New Yorker had all the best of the fight from the third round on. In the twenty-third he completed his job, finishing Gans with a stiff right-hand punch on the jaw. The negro went down and was counted out. Fully 4,000 spectators were in the house.

McFadden, first to enter the ring, was given a rousing reception. Gans was well received, but it was evident the New Yorker stood ten-to-one over Gans so far as the well wishes of the crowd are concerned. They were scheduled to go twenty-five rounds, Marquis of Queensbury's rules, at 133 pounds. One of the club officials announced that Gans weighed 133 pounds flat, and McFadden 127. The Baltimorean was seconded by Al Herford and Jack McCue. McFadden's attendants were Billy Roche and Tommy Shortell.

The first round was slow, with both sparring and protecting their bodies well. Gans cut loose in the second round and landed several swings. He shook McFadden up by a right-hander on the jaw, bringing the New Yorker to his knees. McFadden planted one straight hard one in the solar plexus region.

Gans in the third and fourth rounds blocked about everything McFadden sent at him. Two vicious punches delivered flush on McFadden's jaw in the fourth round bewildered the New Yorker for an instant. Gans tried for a knockout, but McFadden cleverly avoided half a dozen punches intended to finish him. Gans took no chances to the fifth round. McFadden, on the other hand, fought with a great deal of aggressiveness. His work in the fifth and sixth rounds set his supporters to cheering wildly.

The fought for everything in sight all through the eighth round, Gans planting several left jabs on McFadden's face. The New Yorker came back with great gameness. The five rounds from the ninth to the thirteenth were McFadden's. He fought Gans all the time and brought an expression of dazed surprise to the negro's face.

The New York boy showed great cleverness in defense. Gans emerged from rally after rally, smiling and confident, McFadden forcing the pace all the time.

Gans appeared to be very tired in the twentieth round. McFadden saw his advantage and landed right and left hard and often on the negro's face and jaw, meeting with weak returns. The next two rounds were repetitions, with McFadden strong and confident and Gans growing weaker and worrying.

They were fighting one minute and forty-eight seconds in the twenty-third round when McFadden planted a right-hand swing on Gans's jaw. He fell like a log and was counted out by Referee Johnny White.


1899-04-17 The Sun (Baltimore, MD) (page 6)

BOXER GANS WAS SICK
---
Manager Herford Cancels His Engagements And Will Take Him To Hot Springs.

Al Herford, manager of Joseph Gans, in speaking of Gans' loss of his fight with George McFadden in New York Friday night, said: "The fight cost me exactly $2,800. I was not oversanguine, but I bet at the rate of 2 to 1. The $2,800 was not all lost on bets, but it includes the purse and expenses. In all I bet $1,200.

"How do I account for Gans' defeat? He wanted the match, but I did not want him to fight. He was not in fit health for a contest. The result is that I have had to cancel his other engagements. He was matched with Martin Judge in Baltimore on April 23 and with William Moore, of Syracuse, before the Monarch Athletic Club, of Syracuse, for May 1. On May 8 he was to fight Otto Seiloff before the Olympic Athletic Club, of Buffalo, N. Y. I lose $800 on two of these matches and $250 on the match with Judge.

"I shall take Gans either to Hot Springs, Ark., or Mt. Clemens, Mich., and keep him there until he gets thoroughly well. This may take three months, but he shall not fight again until he is in perfect form. I will wager that he can beat McFadden or any other 133-pound man. I am not discouraged, because I know that he was not in shape when he engaged in this losing contest. He has had things too easy and was overconfident. Gans made McFadden look like a novice, but the colored boy's blows had no power in them. McFadden simply caught Gans out of form. The finishing blow was delivered in a mixup and McFadden did not know he had landed until "Joe" went down."

"Is McFadden a good man?" was asked.

"Yes, and I will try to get Mr. Walter Schlichter to let me substitute McFadden for Gans in the fight with his man Martin Judge. I am to meet him at Prospect Park tomorrow and see what can be done in the matter. If he will not agree, of course, I will have to call the fight off and sacrifice my forfeit to him, also the forfeit I paid for the rent of Music Hall. I have one consolation. I know that none of my friends lost any money on Gans, as I told all who asked me that it was not a 2 to 1 shot and Gans had only an even chance and had a shade the worse of it on account of his being sick."


1899-05-01 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 4)

HAS FAITH IN GANS
---
Al Herford Tells Why Joe Lost to McFadden

Al Herford, manager for Joe Gans, the negro boxer from Baltimore, who was defeated by McFadden, still believes that his man is one of the best fighters in the world. Neither he nor Gans is discouraged over the result of the last fight. In regard to Gans, Herford says "My boy is the prince of his class. We lost. It was a fair fight, and I have no kick to make, at least on that score. We stood to win $2800. The winner's share of the purse was $1600 and by Joe's defeat I lost $1200 in bets. But few bets were made. The sports looked upon it as a selling-plater against a stake horse. Out of it all I have been taught a lesson. Never again will I bet 2 to 1 against any man--not even were Fitzsimmons matched to meet Joe Goddard. A chance blow can win any fight. Right here I want to say that the report given out that McFadden weighed 127 pounds is an untruth. He tipped the scales at 133. Both men weighed in at the same weight. Joe thought that he had a walkover and did not do the proper training. Besides, he was a very sick man.

"Believing himself unbeatable, he had come to grow careless. He did not believe he needed to train. As it was he put in only five days' work for the contest, and was far from being in shape. Although suffering from stomach trouble, he hid the truth from me. He thought the worst that he could get would be a draw, as he afterward said he wanted to save the forfeit money. His mistake he realized later. The fight itself tells the story of his condition. Though a long distance fighter, his constitution being broken down, he was unable to go the limit. Why, in the first six rounds he made a sucker of McFadden, knocking him about from side to side. But his blows lacked steam. He was weak. At the close of the tenth round he said that he felt himself getting weaker and weaker, and that his stomach was giving him great pain.

"At the end of the twentieth round he could hardly stand up owing to the pain, and he again said that he was very weak and doubted if he could stand on his feet. 'He's too strong for me in my weakened condition,' is the way Joe put it when he realized that he had no strength. He desired to keep away from his man, but was too weak to move about. Yes, he made an uphill struggle. Defeated, I admire him all the more. Why, after the battle he vomited for fully fifteen minutes. He was in a very bad way. He takes his defeat very nicely, and his only regret is that he was caught napping. No, he is not down hearted. He believes himself capable of defeating any man in his class, and will yet come out on top. Again I reiterate that he will be back. Money will work wonders, and Joe is the boy who will give battle with any of them, and I want to give it out here that Baltimore has the champion lightweight. Any one differing need but place his money and I will cover it." Herford also announces that Gans has cancelled all of his engagements. He was matched to fight Martin Judge at Baltimore on April 25, Billy Moore at Syracuse on May 1, and Otto Sieloff at Buffalo on May 8.

1904-06-13 Joe Gans W-TKO4 Sammy Smith (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

1904-06-14 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA) (page 10)

REFEREE STOPS GANS-SMITH BOUT
--------

Referee McGuigan stopped the bout between Joe Gans and Sammy Smith at the National Athletic Club last night in the fourth round, after it had become apparent that the local boy had no chance against the light-weight champion. There were those about the ringside who had small bets down that Smith would stay the limit, who took exception to the referee's action, but in the interest of square sport he could have taken no other course. Smith was practically helpless, and with another punch or two would have gone down for good. It was evident from the start that Smith would depend upon his clever stalling tactics to carry him through the six rounds, and had Gans been far out of condition he might have succeeded. But Gans, though not in condition to battle for the championship, was in fairly good shape, and was not to be beguiled into doing anything foolish.

Whatever there was to choose between the boxers in the first round was in favor of Smith, who landed left-handed jabs on Gans' face repeatedly, but there was little or no steam behind them. There was an interchange of jabs in the second round until about the middle, when Smith was floored with a short left-hander. Regaining his legs, Smith retreated toward the ropes, and when cornered fought back at Gans, and landed once with a swinging right good and hard. Both landed left-handers just before the bell sounded. Smith took the aggressive when they came up for the third round, but only for a while. Gans caught him with a right on the jaw, sending him to the floor for the count. From that on to the finish there was nothing to it. In the fourth Smith changes his tactics, trying a right for the body, which landed with some effect. Then Gans cut loose and rushed Smith, who invariably tied himself in a knot on the ropes. Smith went to the floor four times, and when he came up after the fourth, and it being apparent that he was unable to stall Gans any further, Referee McGuigan stopped the bout. Smith's best work was done when he was in the middle of the ring.

The bout between George Walker and Phil Logan was a whirlwind affair with honors in favor of Walker. Charley Jennings stopped Bob Kerns in the first round.

1899-02-07 Solly Smith L-TKO6 Oscar Gardner (New York, NY, USA)

1899-02-25 The National Police Gazette (New York, NY) (page 10)

OSCAR GARDNER MAKES SMITH QUIT
--------
Los Angeles Lad Was Never in the Fight.
--------
WENT ONLY SIX ROUNDS.
--------
General Opinion Was That the Beaten Man Was Not Knocked Out.
--------
DICK MOORE WON THE "PRELIM."
--------

Solly Smith not only lost his fight with Oscar Gardner on February 7 at the Lenox Athletic Club, but he also lost his reputation for gameness, and in doing so became an object of derision to the 4,000 spectators present. In the opinion of many good experts he deliberately quit when he realized that he was up against it. The punch which he took advantage of to feign a knockout landed well up on the side of his head in close proximity to his ear and was not sufficiently hard to do any damage, for Gardner had drawn it back somewhat to avoid delivering it foul, it having been started just as Smith was falling to his knees. There was a cry of "foul," but Referee White decided that Gardner won after counting Smith out.

The fight on the whole was quite the most unsatisfactory that has ever taken place at the Lenox Club, probably because an unusually terrific battle was expected. Both Smith and Gardner were known to be hard fighters and having met before the Omaha lad was eager to retrieve the laurels he lost to Smith on that occasion. He succeeded in not alone demonstrating that he is Smith's master, but that outside of George Dixon he is the best featherweight now before the public. The fight was a one-sided one, Smith appearing not to have a chance. He repeatedly went down to avoid punishment and it looked several times as if he were trying to win on a foul--a most despicable proceeding in itself--but when he realized that this dodge would not work he seemed to deliberately feign a knockout as the most graceful way to evade the consequences of remaining under fire.

Gardner was in splendid form and overwhelmed his opponent from the time the bout began until it ended. He outfought the veteran Californian and never gave him an instant's rest until he had him whipped clean and running about the ring to evade his sturdy punches. Gardner showed wonderful improvement over the form he displayed when he last fought Smith at the Broadway Club, while the latter's pugilistic talents have deteriorated to a corresponding degree.

Smith did not land a dozen blows during the entire fight, and if his energies were not directed toward an effort to win on a foul he gave the best exhibition of a man trying to do so ever seen in the ring.

The men weighed 122 pounds at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Gardner having some difficulty in reaching the weight, while Smith did not scale the limit.

The club house was nearly full when the bout was called. The betting was 10 to 6 in Gardner's favor. The bout was scheduled for twenty five rounds. Both men looked well and came to the centre for instructions at 9:45 o'clock. They agreed to box Queensberry rules and break clean.

Gardner started the battle in his usual crouching and aggressive manner, and soon had Smith on the defensive. Solly went to his knees several times to avoid Gardner's rushes. Once Gardner landed a left on Smith's eye and Solly sprinted hard for the remainder of the round.

Gardner gave Smith a terrific hammering in the second, Solly getting in but one effective blow--a stiff right on the jaw that made the Kid grin his widest.

Gardner usually waited until Smith cut loose with a left or right swing, and then, stepping in, peppered the body and ribs with both hands.

Smith did considerable holding, but he did not stave off the hard wallops that came in clusters.

Smith caught a fierce thumping in the third round, his face puffing up under the hard knocks sent in by the Omaha boy. Smith was compelled to do much sprinting in order to keep out of danger, and his hard swings failed to reach.

Gardner let himself out in the fourth and Smith got a terrific walloping. Once Gardner chased Smith into the corner and pounded him until Smith was glad to wriggle out of danger. Just before the gong sounded Gardner sent Smith to his knees with a fierce left hander on the chin. It was all Gardner's fight.

Smith showed considerable weakness in the fifth, and he flopped about the ring in a wild endeavor to keep out of harm's way. Smith landed one left-hander in this round, but he took more medicine, nevertheless.

Gardner floored Smith twice in the sixth, and once Smith went to the floor after making a hard swing. Then the Omaha boy made a rush and banged Smith on the mouth with the left.

As the Los Angeles boy began falling Gardner walloped him on the jaw with the right, and the jig was up. Smith did not appear to be unconscious, but he lay still until the referee counted him out, when he got up and began to fight with his friends.

George Basselle, of New York, and Dick Moore, of St. Paul, finished the opening chapter of the entertainment. They were scheduled to box ten rounds at catch weights, and Moore seemed to have the advantage by fifteen pounds. After ten rounds of fierce slugging the decision was awarded to Moore. Charley White was the referee.