BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 21 May 1910, Page 12

BOXING.

THE LAST ILL-FATED BOUT. (Br Meecobt.) Full particulars of last week's boxing .fatality in Sydney now to hand show that-tlio contest during which tho accident happened' was an amateur one —a preliminary heat of tho New South Wales amateur championships—lightweight division. The "Sydney Morning Herald" publishes the following account of the second and last round of the ill-fated bout: — Pathetic. The second round was commenced in the same easy-going fashion. For some seconds no blow was struck. Cleburno now seemed to bo getting a.trifle tired. Ho became slovenly with his guard, and left openings which in many cases his adversary was too slow to take advantage of. Suddenly Robertson jolted a short right, and Cleburne dropped. Rising to his hands and knees he remained smilingly in that posture till 8 seconds had been counted. Then he rose briskly , " to his feet and resumed the contest. A second right jolt dropped him once more. Once more he took tho count and rose after 8 seconds had been recorded. After a short interval ho went down once more. At this stage of the proceedings the audience commenced to regard the whole thing as a huge joke. They thought, as did tho reforeo and all the officials, that Cleburno was acting cunning—that ho was going down to light blowß in order to rest sufficiently to come with a spurt at tho finish. Ho was down three times for eight and once for nine seconds in the final round, and on each occasion he arose briskly and smiling. Just before the conclusion a half-arm right swing landed square. He sank wearily in a sitting posture to tho boards. Ho then foil backwards, the back of his head striking the padded flooring of the ring with considerable force. Ho was carried out of the ring unconscious. As he did not recover consciousness ho was removed to tho hospital. None of tho blows received by him were particularly hard ones. They would not havo greatly inconvenienced an ordinary well-trained man. Clcbiirno, who was tall, appeared to bo a triflo overtrained and stale, and consequently, may have boon weaker than usual, in which caso the blows would havo taken more effect. At tho time of tho fall he had not been sufficiently knocked about to warrant the polico interfering, although a representative of that body was seated at .tho ringside, and interfered in another contest later in tho evening. Was either Man Trained? Of the contestants, tha same authority snys: As spoil as the men entered the ring it could be scon that neither combatant was possessed of the physical development Mint goes to make tho successful boxor. E. ClobUrno, who

was fighting under tho name of Sloane, was fairly well known in other branches of athletics. Ho was the secretary of the Itoso Bay Swimming Club, and had a couple of fair pedestrian performances to his credit. He also was credited with having stopped under water so long st theßronte Baths that his club-mates dived in after him, thinking that ho was drowned. Last night he made his first appearance in public as a boxer. His opponent, who gave the name of G. Robertson, ie almost unknown in the athletic world. In point of height, weight, physical development, and reach, they were ovenly matched. Robertson, who is a carpenter by trade, had only once boforo appeared in a public boxing match, when he fought in the- Redfom Harriers' tournament, and was benten in his heat. Last night his fighting weight was 9st. 13Jlb. The Victor Arrested. The arrest of Robertson was a pathetic incident. _ Tho lad is only 19 years old; his birthday was the day before tho fight. He was going to his home at 93 Cathedral Street with some mates, when he suggested that they should make a detour and inquire how his opponent was getting on. When they arrived at the hospital and heard that Clebnrne was dead, the young men wore all staggered. Robertson almost fell with the Bhock, and his face went pale. He had never seen his opponent until they met in the ring, but the contest had been of the most friendly character, and had left behind no tinge of bitterness. The police told him he was under arrest, and he eimply bowed in reply. Together the party walked round to No. 1 Police Station, where Robertson was charged with manslaughter. "I can't remember anything about the fight," he Baid to his mates on the way to the station. "I .don't remember how I hit him. I don't remember hitting him at aIL It must have been an accident. I'm very sorry, though." The Verdlot: "Accidental Death." Wo have since been' told that the inquest resulted in a verdict of accidental death being returned. This, strengthened by the coroner's comment that the contest at which the injuries were received woe qmto a lawful one, i will tend to ally tihe uneasiness that such an accident muet cause in the public mind. Like Mark Twain's First "Death." "Morcnry" tarns to a far more congenial subject in referring to Reg. Midwood's affairs. It will be remembered that last week if was chronicled that tho popular Tasmania boxer was dead. That report has, like a previous one of a eimilar nature, been proved to have been exaggerated—Midwood, at last advices, was not only not dead, but well on tho way towards recovery. At one stage of his illness he collapsed and his condition was considered hopeless. In fact he sauk bo low that it was .thought ho had succumbed and news to this effect was telegraphed to the Sydney papers. Then he. ralßed —too late for the recall of the message, hence the disquietening rumour. Johnny Summers. More reassuring news ia to hand this week from Sydney anent the list of casualties published' last Saturday as happening to the boxing fraternity. Among these was the report that Johnny Summers had broken two fingers through a window sash falling on them. This has also been exaggerated. It now appears that t-ne fingers, while badly lacerated, were not broken and that instead of leaving AusJ tralia without being able to box again, "Johnny" will be fit, bo far as his .hands are concerned, for the ring again ; .in lebout,, six,,, weeks.

TTie "World's' Big' , Event,

The cabled intelligence that there was to be do State of municipal injunction against tho holding of the Jeffries-Johnson contest on July 4 was received here with much quiet satisfaction. As usual the American mail to hand this week has plenty of gossip, particularly the Ban Francieco portion thereof. Jeffries arrived in that city for tho final stages of his work early in April and on April 13 the sporting scribe of the "Weekly Chronicle" discourses; thus on the big fellow:—

"Jeffries looks old, mnch older than 40 years, although he ■ lays claim to but 35 summers and winters. as his friends say of him ; the fact that he has lost much' of hie hair has a groat deal to do with that; perhaps tho pictures taken have exaggerated to a certain degree. But when all is said and done, Jeffries looks older. There are lines in his face that denote ago, and the newspaper men who have been with him for the past four days, and have had a chance to study him carefully,,are quite well agreed on this point. On the other hand, he seoms to have plenty of life and snap. Ho lias taken to his work (with an earnestness that would be surprising, and with his trainers it has not been a case of inducing him to work, but to figure out Bohemes whereby he can be held down in. his self-imposed tasks. This same eagerness to work has been shown in everything that he has nndortaken. In his road work he has wanted to run when Farmer Burns has advised against it! In ba-seball and , handball he has played on long after the stage when his helpers have been tired and ready to call a halt. In the dressingroom —and I had several opportunities to see him stripped, as he was getting ready for his work —tho fighter shows in quito the trim that you might expect him to be a couplo of weeks before the match. Thoro is hardly tho suggestion of extra, weight _ about the stomach, although it is qnito possible that he may be ablo to take off flesh about the legs and arms. That lack of nt this stage in his training has not only caused comment among the onlookers, but quite evidently somo uneasiness in bis official camp family, for it has been remarked several times that Jeffries is doing too much work in view of tho long siege that is in front of him."

Is Jeffries the Man? A later file says (and this sliould give heart of gruco to thoso that havo found cause for lamentation in. the above): — , For the first time since he has beeli in tho Santa Cruz mountains Jim Jeffries did some boxing this afternoon, and it took place so quietly that a number of those at the camp werqnot aware of what was happening boforo it was over. After many delays, disappointments and postponements, Jeff donned tho gloves with Sam Berger for three fast rounds. His work was a revelation to the fans who jvitnessed it, and also a source of discomfiture to Borger, who was sadly out of condition.

It was in tho afternoon that Berger succeeded in coaxing Jeff to box, for Sam said: "If I get him started, ho will keep it up, and box every day."

The bout was of three rounds' duration, and filled with action froin start to finish. -Jeff did uot dovoto hirnsolf to any one stylo of milling, but fought all over linrger, until Sam was completely exhausted. Tho most noticeable thing, probably, was the marked improvement in ■ his wind. The wheezing and laboured breathing which characterised his work on the stage have disappeared completely. His nose, which bothered him considerably at that time, has beon fixed, so his breathing is in oxcollent shape. Berger waxed enthusiastic over Jelf's work.

"Why, ho lias improved a thousand per cent, since I boxed with him last. Tho big bear does not even breathe,

and in tho clinches his strength is such that it was like wrestling a stone wall."

Of course, tho above may hare been a little overdrawn, bnt oven the morf prejudiced would have to admit it'a truth to some extent.

Immediately after the boot &o fighter devoted ten nramtes to diadow boxing, punched the bag for six rounds and tussled with Farmer Burns and Bob Armstrong. In drubbing the punching bag, he sbxjwed that he is working up remarkable speed and aocuracy in hitting, and altogether" the resuit of hia day's work gave much encouragement to his camp followers, "I am in good condition right now," said Jeffries, after he had completed the rope skipping, the boxing bout, and the bag punching, "and if you don't believe it I will boat Bnb Armstrong playing handball to show you I'm not tired.' P So a game or so of handball witii Bob Armstrong finished out the day. Johnsonlana, • Of Johnson, who has been looked upon out here as being at least equally concerned in the coining fray as Jeffries, there is little, if anythliig, said. Johnson, - of course, is only champion of the world, and not the challenger, so naturally conld not be expected to have his doings and his condition apd the size of his waist-line and other intimate little dotails reported and noised abroad. v At least tbis appears to be the American sporting journalists' opinion, and, unfortunately we, at tMa distance, are at the mercy of the American sporting journalists in. this instance.