THE SMITH-SLAVIN FIGHT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2004, 6 February 1890, Page 4

THE SMITH-SLAVIN FIGHT.

Melbouehte, Jan. SO. The following account of the prize fight between the Australian, Slavin, and Jem Smith is telegraphed to the Argus from Albany : Lokdoit, Dec. 27. The long antic : pated fight between Slavin and Jem Smith for the Championship of England and £IOOO was brought off near Bruges on Monday, the 22nd inst. As you are already aware, the fight ended in a draw, after a most disgraceful exhibition by the English champion and his supporters. Until a day or two before the contest the utmost secrecy was kept with regard to both the time and place of the encounter, and only a few friends of the Then knew of the arrangements. Smith started for, the Continent on the evening of the 20th, and Slavin followed on Wednesday, the departure being delayed by the action of a police inspector who arrested him at i Margate, where The Australian bad trained, and took him before a magistrate, who bound him over to I keep the peace in England. However, on Sunday, the 22nd inst., the principals were both at Bruges. At \ an early hour next morning they , started for the scene of the battle, . which was the lawn tennis ground of ' an English gentleman’s house about ’ a mile out of town. The morning was raw and misty, and the party got safely out of town without exciting suspicion. About forty persons 1 assembled at the ring side, among them being Viscount Mandeville, ! Viscount , Royston, Hon. Michael i , Sandys, Mr Abington, and many welli known sporting men, while Smith’s | friends had brought numerous Birmingham roughs, whose partisanship ; was strongly apparent even before the , fight began. The referee chosen was ; Joseph Vizey, a retired publican, ■ who was, only selected after Smith’s 1 party had refused a number of impartial gentlemen suggested by ; Slavin’s side. At about half i past eight Smith appeared in the ring, accompanied by his seconds, Harper and Baldock. He was soon followed by Slavin, who was seconded by Coshett and Bob Kirby. After a few preliminaries the fight began. After the first two rounds everything went in favor of Slavin, who in the third round knocked Smith clean off his legs with a terrific right hander. He repeated the operation fo«r or five time subsequently. In the thirteenth round he doubled Smith up with a fearful blow under the left ribs, and the Englishman’s friends, seeing that Smith was almost beaten, raised a cry of “ Police.” Smith hurried from the ring, but Slavin and his friends refused to budge, and after time being called they claimed the fight. The referee appeared afraid to give the just decision. He was surrounded by the partisans of Smith, who had in the meanwhile come back, and he eventually ordered the fight to proceed, Prior to this Slavin had been repeatedly kicked on the legs and hit on the body and head with b ticks anc knuckle dusters. These gross anc cowardly outrages were committed in Smith’s corner, where all the fighting took place from start to finish. The next round, the fourteenth, was the last. Slavin fought in a moat determined fashion, and when he was punishing Smith heavily, the latter caught the Australian round the waist, and held on to the ropes, whilst the ruffians standing around beat and kicked him in a most cowardly fashion, and he fell to the ground. On the men taking their corners the referee said that he would act no longer, as it was perfectly clear that Slavin was not to have fair play. This caused immense excitement, during which the referee declared the fight a draw, and crossing to Slavin said, “I do not want to stay here and see you killed.” The battle lasted for twenty-five minutes. The combatants both got safe to England by different routes. Slavin had a tremendous reception at Margate and in London. He visited the Stock Exchange, where he was enthusiastically cheered, a subscription of £IOO being collected for him. He had a similar greeting outside the Sportsman office in Fleet street, the thoroughfare being filled with a mob of the great unwashed who shouted for Slavin and groaned for Smith to their heart’s content. A feeling of intense disgust prevails with regard to the behaviour of Smith and his party, and many of the newspapersdeclare that this will prove the ' last nail in the coffin of the prize nog It was stated several days before the fight that it was known that a gang of ruffians had been hired to go to the fight, and bets were being laid that Smith would not lose. The conduct of these roughs, however, was too much even for Smith’s most enthusiastic patrons, and during the fight Mr i Abington took off Smith’s colors : which he was wearing and put on < Slavin’s instead. This action he has endorsed by presenting Slavin with ' the £SOO with which he bad backed t Smith, and which the stakeholder held i together with Slavin’s £SOO, until the 1 backers reclaimed the money. The i Pelican Club is also getting up a sub- ] scnption for the Australian, and will i present him in addition with the 1 Champion of England’s belt, the Club I holding that Slavin has fully estab- ! lished his claim to the championship, i The Pelicans have now offered £IOOO i for a twelve-round match between < Jackson and Slavin, to be held in 1 March, To farther mark its disap. i proval of Smith’s action, the Pelicans 1

have suspended their master of ceremonies, Mr John Fleming, who had acted as Smith’s manager. Fleming, however, assertedthat he had nothing to do with the action of the Birmingham roughs, which nobody deplored more than himself. The . action of the referee in not declaring the fight won by Slavin, has caused some discussion in sporting circles. It seems that Vizey was too frightened to do this on the'scene of action, but it was expected that he would declare in favor of Slavin.on the ground that Smith had left the ring,' when he returned to London. Yizey, heweyer, made no new award, and in reply to enquiries has telegraphed that he is very ill and declines to have anything more to do with the matter. The London papers unanimously express disgust at the action of Smith and his corner. The G-lobe says:—“ihere is no doubt whatever that the Australian champion was deprived of an almost certain victory by the villainous conduct of an organised gang who surrounded Smith’s corner.” The Pall Mall Gazette says :—“ On every principle of fair play, the Australian ought to have been declared the winner,but the referee declared the match drawn, and the prize fighter who had come 16,000 miles to show the Mother Country that the muscles of the family stock had not withered under Australian suns was chiselled out of the victory he had all but won. This is a scandal which, for the honor of England, lew as the sphere may be in which the incident occurred —we keenly resent. Let us have fair play and honesty, and do not let us swindle the colonies, even in the prize ring.”