Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1902 — More About the Prize Fight Fiasco [ARTICLE]

More About the Prize Fight Fiasco

We have further details of the tribulations of the poor sports who went to Shelby to see the fight Wednesday night. A hall had been rented, but when they got there they found that a secret society was holding a lodge meeting in it, The “Royal Neighbors,” or Nabobs, or Swamp Angels, or something of that kind. Anyhow they didn’t close the lodge till they got ready and then, stayed in to have a free view of thefight. By that time the crowd willing to pay bad great diminished. About this time. Hennesy, the Frankfort man, began to “spar for an opening”—to crawl out of. He kicked, for a purse of SSO which was raised. Then he kicked about the Swamp Angels being in free, and finally demanded a purse of $75, instead the SSO he had first asked for. He was then invited to go to Frankfort, and the fight was called off. The purse money was 'refunded, and the Rensselaer contingent came home on the 11:30 night train.