SMITH v. CROUSE

NZ Truth, Issue 579, 22 July 1916, Page 11

SMITH v. CROUSE

A Desperate Contest New Zealanders Towel Hoisted (By Special Cable) Dave Smith's popularity and drawing power were manifested at the Sydney Stadium on Saturday night last when fully 10,000 spectators gathered round' the ring to see the New jZealander do battle with the hefty, hard-hitting American, Biicjik Crouse/ The weights were, Smith, list lOlbs,. Crouse 'l2st. From the beginning Smith, who is a much smaller man than Crouse, very unwisely set In to force the fighting, with the result that a desperate encounter ensued. The first round was a very strenuous one, and m the second the American succeeded m re-opening a cut on the nose of the Mosgiel man. This was caused by Darcy when he met Dave a few weeks back. Notwithstanding that Crouse had succeeded m re-opening the wound, and thus made Smith's task a much harder one, the American got more than he had bargained for from the New Zealander, and at the end of the fourth round lie was very shaky. Smith continued to hold his own, and more than his own, up to the seventh roundfbut towards the end of that round, Crouse butted Smith over the eye, seriously cutting the smaller man, whose face was lathed with blood. ' These bumpfi and cuts seriously militated against Smith, who, however, continued to show great gameness, but he was having a bad time of it, and at the end of the round, "Snowy" Baker and the' police, though loth to intervene, consulted with the referee, Arthur Scott, and on Scott's advice, ♦ Smith's ; seconds decided not to continue, and amidst the greatest excitement the towel fluttered from his- corner. ' '. ■ .-';■ .■ ' . There was much betting on the contest, and some very large amounts of money changed hands. Smith was the favorite m the betting.