The Prize fight that came to Emmonsburg, (Stratford, NY) January 1894

 

         

  On a cold January day in the  year 1894, a prize fight was arranged at Ward's Emmonsburg Hotel, located in the Town of Stratford. 

The fight was between experienced boxer C.C. Smith of Utica, NY also known as the Cyclone and   Jack Slattery a new boxer to the ring from Rochester New York.  The stakes were to be set at $60.00 with one third of the gate receipts to be given to the winner. 

Those coming to view the fight came from Little Falls and neighboring towns and cities.  They traveled by special train to Dolgeville.  At Dolgeville long box sleighs were provided by farmers who traveled by way of Salisbury Center to Emmonsburg. 

The venue, the Emmonsburg Hotel, had a second story.  The room was about 50 by 80 feet long.  It was reported by local newspapers that 200 people assembled in this room.  Kerosene lamps illuminated space. Tom Henry, a Utica musician, played with a guitar accompaniment.   The ring was set in one corner of the room and was supposed to be 16 feet square. The mood was set.

At 3:30 p.m. someone yelled out “there they come” with Smith entering the ring first and Slatterly following him to much applause.  In Smith’s corner was Henry Bender, Arthur Christian and George Barber of Utica.  Teddy McMahon and Professor Hall of Utica at Slattery’s side.  With their gloves on the fight began.

In round one Smith came up confident and Slattery looked pale.  Smith landed on the jaw and breast and got in return a swinging blow on the head.  Slattery was knocked down and then fell when he failed to land the punch.  Slattery then clinched with smith and threw him hard on the floor, while Smith held his hands above his head.  Smith had the best of the round.

Round two.  Smith made a rush to Slattery and knocked him down.  Slattely was now very weak.  Both Smith and Slattery feel with Slattery on op, he rolled over and attempted a bulldog tactic by biting Smith on the breast.  Smith cried out in pain.  The action was claimed a foul, but it was not allowed.   Smith had words with the referee and the round ended.

Round 3.  Slattery kept falling to avoid punishment.  Smith asked him to stand up and fight.  Smith lost his opportunity to knock him out several times.  Slattery grabbed Smith by the leg and pushed him along the rope.  A foul was claimed but not allowed

Round 4.  Smith went at Slattery with several body blows. Slattery who seemed better at wrestling downed Smith and held his head on the floor.   There were cries of foul with this action.

 Round 5.  Slattery got in one or two good body blows but was badly winded and was knocked all around the ring.  He fell twice and while resting on one knee on the floor, Smith tapped him on the face.   The referee allowed the fall, and the fight was awarded to Slattery.

 The displeasure at the sudden decision was quite manifest, and most of the spectators expressed themselves forcibly.  There was no one present who would not admit that Smith could knock his opponent out in five rounds if he wanted to do it.  The rounds were supposed to be three minutes in length, but the timekeeper did not have the opportunity to call before Slattery would go to his corner and sit down.  The actual time of the five rounds did not exceed eight minutes.   Smith was the better fighter.But it was Slattery who won.   It was now perceived that the fight was rigged.  It was now known that if the fight occurred in a major city Smith would have won.   

 A case was opened, and when people who had been at the fight were interviewed, they denied that there was a fight at all.   A trial ensued to prosecute the principals of the fight. 

The men that managed the fight never had any intention of holding the fight in Herkimer county.  It was believed that Emmonsburg was a perfectly safe place to hold the fight out of the eye of the law.  Despite the evidence given at the trial,, the case was eventually dropped.

 An additional note:  The Emmonsburg Hotel where this fight was held burned to the ground a few years later.  There was another hotel built in its place.