A SAVAGE CONTEST.

JENKINS AND GOTCff WRESTLE FOR TiYS CHAMPIONSHIP. (New Yorlc Police Gazette.) Never in the halcyon days of public prize-fighting did anything more savage or brutal happen than happened in the ring at Madison Square Garden the other night, when Tom Jenkins and Frank Goteli wrestled for the title of champion oft America. Everything dirty and unfair was done that could be done, keeping within the strict limitation^ -Mt-ie rules, and at times the spectator^ goaded to frenzy by their sympathies for the contestants, were almost on the point of engaging in a free-for-all -which might have required the aid of the police to suppress. While both men were to blame for displaying.so much brutality, to Jenkins' credit it must be said tliat his opponent took the initiative in the foul work, and the Cleveland man was forced to resort to the same tactics or be at a disadvantage throughout the match. As one well-known critic said, it was more like a bare-fist fight under London prize-ring rules than a ' wrestling ' match. It was a grudge fight from start to finish, and "on the level" if .ever a wrestling match was. After an hour of butting, gouging, biting, kioking, pulling and hauling, Jenkins finally got ■ Gotch down with what the announcer called a " mug fall," but what to me looked like a clean quit quite justifiable, for it was only a question which cf the two men would "crack" first, as they sa3' in racing rtarlance. Long before the end of that first session both were fighting and fouling. Once Gotch bit Jenkins on the wrist-. Tom applied the strangle until Gptch's jugular stood out like a rope and his face turned the colour of a building brick. Referee Hurst was kept busy warning Jenkins and forcing him to loosen up. Then Gotch tried to throw the Clevelander through the ropes. In the next bout he butted Tom deliberately, and Jenkins returned the favour with interest a few seconds later. Tom was thrown through the ropes' and hit the floor with 'a thump, but he climbed back again. Later, he threw Gotch out.. Then Gotch picked Jenkins up and banged him against the top of one of the posts, knocking the breath out of him. . ' To the surprise of the crowd Jemkins, who is about six or eight years older . than Gotch, seemed to grow stronger as the hours passed. Gotch weakened under, the pounding. The second fall he won with a desperate effort after" wrestling about half an hour, but it was a dying spurt. After that he weakened again and never recovered his original strength and speed. A , Never was a. more spectacxilar finish to. 'r.'ii. : xvres_tiing_ mateKwitnefsed jn , this or any other country? 'J%xil£ins}iaki : now become the aggressor in the rough work, occasionally -taking a strangle hold and now and then jerking Gotch from his feet and banging him down head first on the floor. Bothmen had been repeatedly thrown out of the ring to fall upon the floor or scatter the reporters at the Press tables. Under the' gruelling, Gotch weakened suddenly. He staggered about the ring, reeling like a drunken man ac groggy as any fighter that ever received a right cross or solar plexus punch in the same arena. The men separated after a rally. Gotch _ staggered toward Jehkins. Suddenly, untouched, he fell to the floor. Jenkins was on top of him in an instant. Gotch managed to_ wriggle away. Jenkins pounced on him again, and the match was over. Jenkins got up slowly and turned to his corner. A moment afterward Gotch struggled to his feet, tottering, weakened. He turned in a dazed'manner, his glazed eyes failing to recognise his seconds, took two or tliree steps, and lurching forward, fell full length on his face. He was piqked up bodily and carried to the chair. It was over twenty minutes before the lowan could be taken to his dressingroom.