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the prize rixtg xv worth
qVEBHB&AXp.
Gallant Fight Betmia HariJ
Fleet aaa Jack tFBriim for £36
a-iide. ,
(Fbok a CnunonMR )
Croydon. S2od Ibnh.
This pair of aspirants for flstio fame net
on Sunday morning last for purpose of
deriding which was tbe better4 man. Tbe
place nf meeting wae a seblpded spot oo
Cork Tree Greek about six miles from
Croydon, North Queensland. r Hie nan
were taken to tbe vioioity of dm eonviiMing
ground about ten o'clock on the previous
evening acoompaoied by a goodly number of
. sporting men and their friends." Here they
were made comfortable for tbexight.
Iu the case of tbisOroyflon fight there was
nbt the slightest malicp oh either side. This
was not tbe first "appeanujoe bf either nan
within the roped area for a stake, and they
could both boast of an unbeaten record up
to Banday last.
Fleet baa tint ha«n lamr In fits Colonies.
bat before leaviogtbe old oouotry.hefoligbt.
for a wager inside the ropes at that hot
oentre of pugilism — Nottingham— and beat
bis man. Since bin arrival in Australia be
has met and beaten several puns with a
reputation above mediocrity. . Hs stands
5ft. 8£in., is 24 years of age, and polled tbe
scale at lOsr. I0|lbe. tbe evening before tbe
evmtr .
O'Brien is a blacksmith, working at bis
trade as a journeyman, in tto town,' .and
when in proper fettle, is aeman, lithe, active,
strung, and plucky youuir frjlow. He is
alto aboot 24, is brif an (nob:. shorter than
Fleet, and weighed on Sa'nrfay lOst. 21b.
His priuoipal perfovmanoa in' tbe ring was
.with Shannon, at Wiuton,
after a pmtraoced oontest. .He wae atoo
sueoeeeful in several other enoouoters. I
may menttou that the samn Sbaonon after
wards met Morley, a Port Meokay obampion,
in the neighbourhood of tbe 44 rain" capital,
whom he defeated with comparative ease.-
The men met little more than a month
ago, in the company of a few friends, and
thesnbieot of boxin? and "knoekinff.out"
wae discussed, and the performances of Jem
Smith and Greenfield, Sullivan and Demp-
sey, and other distinguished professional
bruisers trotted out and oommented upon.
This led to a chat 'on tbe present condition
of the P.R. in the Croydon cironit, and the
merits of local artists. The conversation
gradually drifted into personal matters, and
the result was that a match was made be
tween Fleet, and O'Brien. There and then
articles of agreea>fi&t wre drawn np. The
stakes were to be £25 a-ride, and Abe men to
fight, cach weights, in a month from date,
within a convenient distance of Croydon. A
substantial deposit was made to clench the
business.
Both men then (went into training, Fleet
under the experienced care of Ned O Neill,
while Jack Gray looked after the interests of
O'Buen.
It bad been arranged that tike fight should
take place as soon as possible after day broke,
so as to escape the fierca heat of the son, and
also the notice ot tbe police.
This Is the worst part of the wet season
in tropioal Queensland, and of late the whole
country has bren flooded for hundreds of
imSIaq trnnnd Tt. rainftd. tnn. the dsv before.
and at night the bnge blaok clouds were
anything bat assuring.
There were about 150 persons present at
the commencement of tbe fight, and this
number wae not enbefqaently increased.
O Brien was tbe first to strip and jump
into tbe enclosure, and was loadly cheered.
Some delay occurred through one or more of
Fleet' t- too zealou friends powdering his
fiets with resin. This was rightly objected
to, and warm water had to be got to remove, as
far as possible, the objectionable enbstanoo.
But everything bring ac last adjusted, and a
referee and timekeeper appointed, Fleet and
bis seconds entered tbe ring, amidst great
oheeriig. Ned O'Neill and Liverpool Dave
did th« amiable for Fleet, while O'ffrien Was
waitec upon by Jack Gray and a strange?
(who, however, waa no etranger to the prao-
lioea pf the P.R.) Tbe toss for ohoioe of
ooroera was won by Fleet, although, as it
happened, this gave bim no advantage.
Toe articles having been daly read by tbe
retiree, tbe fonr attendantajmd two principals
ahoik bands across; anfi, the eeoonds then
retiling to their eepeotive ooroera, the men
taon eaon otner zor
The Fight:
Round 1.— On toeing the scratch neither
mas appeared to have much (be advantage
of thi other either in physiqbe, height, or
length of limb. O'Brien looked the pioiore
of beflth and fitness, and carried a smile on
his fsos, full of confidence. His mneole was
well developed, and be hadn' an ounce of
anperfloons fiesta. Fleet' manner was at
first leas assured, and hie rather sallow
countenance appeared u> indioate recent ill
ness. Barring this, his oondition was good,
and told of jadiciooe training. The attitude
of tbe men was very much the eame, each
with the left well Is advance to open the bail
with, and tb right in reserve for counter
hitting and slogging in general ' No time
wae wasted in sparring. O'Brien at onos
led off with the left, reaohing Fleet's faoe,
but not heavily. Tbe latter returned like
lightning with bis left also, wbioh O'Brien
avoided by ducking. Heavy exchangee on
the face, give-and-take, the putifsbmeot
about equal. Fleet down.
Round 2.— -Another rattlinv round.
O'Brien again reiohed Harry's phiz »itfa
return. Desperate hitting on both sides,
each aiming for the faoe, and getting well
home, finishing with rather a staggerer from
O'Brien, which sent his antagonist to
graM.
Round 3 —Tbe last ronnd bad drawn
claret from O tirien's month— firat blood for
Fleet— bnt neither was yet seriously hurt.
Jaok again let fly with bis left in a seoond,
and Fleet slipped and felL
Round 4.— O'Brien led off as usual, get
ting home on the month, and receiving a
heavy return on tbe faoe from Harry's right.
Rattling exchanges followed, in which severe
punishment was administered mi birth aides,
Fleet haviog considerably the best of it.
Roucd 5 —Heavy all-round fighting, both
men thinking more of offensive action than
their guard Both were notably powerful
hitters, strikiug out mostly with sufficient
force to break tbroogh any ordinary guard,
and each took his uruel without flinnhinw.
In this round th advantage was decidedly"
with O'Brien.
Round 6.— The fighting had been " fast
and furious," and there was bellows to mend
on both aides. But there waa ho suoh thiog
as sparring for wind. O'Brien 'was as eager
as a two-year-old, and hia opponent wae,
like Barkis, 44willio'." Jack again on
Harry's month wilb his left, Harry getting
on the other's damaged faoe. Severe
fighting, Fleet gt tting it hnavy on the A-xter
eye, snd misting a return. O'Brien had the
.beet of this round, although, so far, tbe
punishment was abont equal, and it was
quite a toes up which would come out best.
Roan a 7.— Not a moment lost. O'Brien'
again visited Flet' a faoe at the onset, end
got a Hfee visitation in return. Heavy blows
ou tbe head and face on both aides, tbe
round beiog finished with a 44 hot un" from
O'Brien in front ot' Harry's left ear, which
knocked him clean off hia pine. (Cries of
" Bravo, Harry," and considerable excite,
ment amongst the active partisans of the
meo-)
Round 6. — The faces of both men by this
time exhibited striking «vid«-nod of each
others handiwork, O'Brien's month arfl
bolhoyes being sadly battered, bruised, and
swollen ; while Fleet's beauty had likewise
cruelly suffered, especially about the month
and one eye, and blood was ooting from the
region of the left ear, telling a of the
effect . of O'Brien's laet visitation there
abouts. Smart, telling exchanges again,
both getting it on their damaged frontis
pieces, drawing more of the . ruby, and
nearly every blow taking effeot. In the end
both down.
Round 9. — O'Brien forobd .the fighting,
and again eome heavy slogging ensued; both ,
getting it badly on the faoe, O'Brien patting
to his blows with telling effect, and follow '
1 tog op his antagonist around the ring, Fleet
being more than usually on tbe defensive,
and the O'Brien party's hopes of victory in
the ascendant
Round 10 —No sooner at the scratch than
-engaged, both getting home ou tbe faoe
withoat so far attempting body blows nod
rattling away all over the ringnutil O'Brien
fell.
Round 11. — One of Fleet's eyes dosing,
and O'Brien's bead and fees mnoh swollen ;
tbe latter gradually assuming a deep purple
hue, with many significant indentations.
Hammer and tongs again, without the loss
of a moment. Rattling exchanges ended
in a stunning bit froip Fleet on Jack's heed,
which sent the latter to the embrace of
mother earth In double quick time.
Ronnd 12 — Both winded. A light round,
and not mnoh damage done. O'Brien got
home a light one on toe month, which Harry
repaid with something equally ineffective.
Both men felt.
Round 13 — O'Brien showed signs of
weakness, and Fleet now evidently stood the
best show. O'Brien, as nenal, led with hie
left. Exchangee, and both down. A short
ronnd.
Ronnd 14.— O'Brien rashed hie man at
toe nail of time, hitting ont rather wildly
and taking Fleet's returns gamely, still fore-
tog the figkting until be got tbe other in
an awkward situation on the ropes, from
which, however, Fleet extricated himwlf fay
a vigorous effort. More exchanges and both
down.
Ronnd 15.— O'Brien's weakness beooming
more evident A light blow from Fleet and
O'Brien down. v _
Round 16.— In favour of Fleet. Tbe
figbttog still faet, allowing no breathing
-time. O'Brien fell, .weak.
Round 17.— Injuries to both beooming
more apparent Smart exchanges, and
O'Brien again down.
Ronnd 18.— O'Brien again appeared to
advantage to this ronnd, al trays leading off
and getting to some smart bits in exobange
for those he got. For the first time ha tried
for the body in this round, and got one or
two on the mark. Fleet was down at too
finish-, and evidently not over end above
strong.
Round 19 —O'Brien led with bis left, and
was countered on the eye ; a straggle for the
fell and both down, Fieet being under.
Round 20.— Both men weak, and short of
lung power, but O'Brien decidedly the
worst. Yet he led off, and both again
punched eaoh other aboot the faoe, bat
O'Brien had mnoh the worst of it.
Ronnd 21. — Heavy slogging, but short;
both down
Ronnd 22.— Fleet got in a heavy blow on
the neck. Mid struck another while O'Brien
waa falling. A cry of ''foal" was raised,
bnt not allowed.
Round 23 and last.— O'Brien came up
weak, etrook out with his left as usual, and
fell. Cries of "Take bim away." This
finished the fight. O Brien on44 time " being
called, came from bis corner, and acknow
ledged himself beaten. The fight lseted 37
minutes.
Remarks,
Tbe fight was welloonteeted, and both
men took their punishment like glattons,
showing plnok in an extraordinary degree.
O'Brien was overmatched, but not greatly
so, and should tbe men meet again, tbe odds
against bim will not be heavy, if anything.
Certainly, Fleet was not in his best form,
bnt he had more experience amongst pro
fessional boxers than tbe otber, and a better
show of 44 ecienoe" was expected from bim.
Bnt- in tbie respect tbey were both on a par.
As Wellington said of Waterloo. 44 it was a
regular pounding match, ' without any
attempt at dodging or strategy of any kind.
More hard fighting was dune in 37 minntes
than is usually done in three times that time,
and npto the last round the vrmqoiehed man
wae the first to bfcit-. I was one of the gam-
est,morit fqud.and moct fairly c mduoted con
tests evprrtcurdfd in rhe annals of the ring.
I ia said that arrangements are being made
for a second fwbt between the same two
men for £100a-side.
$