RUSH TO A FIGHT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11371, 2 September 1908, Page 5

RUSH TO A FIGHT.

ENORMOUS CROWD

MEN WAIT FOR OVER FIVE HOURS

Possibly no match tliat could be made between tSvo men at -any game other than boxing would attract anything like the great gathering of people that filled the 1 Stadium at Rushcutters' Bay yesterday afternoon (states the -Sydney Telegraph), and paid admission charges from £5 down to 10s, to witness the contest between Tommy Burns, champion of the world, and Bill Squires, champion of Australia, for a purse of £3000, of which £2000 was for Burns, whether he won or lost, and the balance for Souires. By the time the men entered the ring, there must have been at least 10,000, and possibly 16,000, persons seated within the roofless enclosure, and a more orderly crowd luis never been seen. As early as ten o'clock m the morning^ when tlie gales were throw-in i open, men began to take up special posfj tions m the cheaper-priced portions, and 'all day a steady stream (swelling m volume as the hour, fixed for the fight drew closer), poured through the gates, and just before 3 o'clock, when the sale of 10s tickets Avas stopped, as already there had been a great rush from- that section for transfers to- the £1 seats, and there, too, the . management were compelled to shut down a little later. The long wait many hundreds had endured piwed much more of a pleasure than waits of any sort usually are, for the mustering of spectators Avns a sight- m itself. All the arrangements were perfect. Strangely ; enough, members of the American fleet did not roll up m their thousands, as Avas generally expected and looked for by the management, only a- comparative few of them could be seen here and there. This is all the more puzzling because Americans encourage- boxing to a greater exent, and spend more money over it than 1 Britishers ever did ; and, further, one of, the principal actors m the show is an American. Great excitement preA*ailed at the finish and a squad of American seamen stood up m a body and cheered the champion. Neither was much the Avorse at the close of the struggle. Squires certainly had a very much puffed face, but treated it as trifling, and said he felt very Avell otherwise, avll things considered. Burns shoAvedi a discolored eye, which he sustained through a bump ii? the second round. [ The Aveathcr conditions prevailing were all m favor of successful photography, especially for biograph purposes. The fight avas successfully fctken from ''Shake hands'' to the knock-out Woav. showing the many exciting incidents which Avere started by Squires m the fourth round. At the Stadium next afternoon the stakes were paid over, Burns receiving £2000. and Squires £850 as the 'loser's end.