A poster I know from another board found and posted this. I have never heard this before myself. Has anyone here heard this story?
I never heard this story before but here it is from the San Fran Call the day after the fight......
GANS BLINDED BY
A PUNCH FROM ERNE
Hard Blow Starts the colored Lad's
Left Optic From Its Socket.
Referee White Stops the Fight in the Twelfth
IX Round and Awards Decision to the Buffalo Boy.
NEW YORK, March 23.Frank Erne of
Buffalo successfully defended his title of
lightweight champion of the world
against Joe Gans (colored) of Baltimore
before the Broadway Athletic Club to -
night. Erne did moet of the heavy fight-
Ing, displaying greater judgment and
more skill than his opponent. Gans re -
ceived his punishment gamely until the
twelfth round., when his left eye was
started from Its socket by a terrific right -
hand swing from the Buffalo boy. Gans
was helpless and there was no alternative
for the referee but to award the decision
to Erne." . :.:V-."
The contest drew" an | enormous crowd
to the Broadway Athletic Club. There
were many
more money in. sight that Gans was
made a favorite at 100 to 90 a week ago,
and to-night the confidence of the.Mary -
land people was so well established that
they Det on their man at odds of 100 to
70. There was a strong money-laden
contingent from Buffalo at the ringside,
and every man of the party bet heavily
on the little lad from their city, taking
every bet offered by the Marylanders. One
hunaerd to seventy on Gans was the
price offered, and the Buffalo people
snapped this up so quickly that the price
rose to 100 to feO. . - '
Erne's seconds were Frank Zimpfer,
Joe Fitzpatrick and George Salter. Gans
was accompanied by Al rterford. Harry
Lyons and Caleb Bond. Before the men
were introduced it was announced that
George McFadden of this city would
challenge the winner. The men agreed
to have a return match, no matter which
won. Straight Queensberry rules gov -
erned. | ' ' ......
Erne Forces the Fighting.
Erne began rushing in the- opening
round, forcing Oans into his corner, but
was unable to land a telling blow. In the
second, third and fourth rounds Erne con -
tinued to force the fighting, repeatedly
driving the negro to his corner; but Gans
blocked cleveny and avoided heavy pun -
ishment. - .
The tirst hard blow was landed In the
fifth round, when Gans put a light left to
the face and Erne returned a jolting left
straight on the face.
In the sixth round, after Gans had been
forced to break ground, he stopped sud -
denly and swung his left to Erne's right
eye. cutting It. Gans then went in, send -
ing right and left swings to the head, and
Erne surprised everybody by replying
with similar blows. Erne continued to
slam both hands on the negro, reaching
tht latter's head half a dozen times,
stopping Gans' rushing and forcing the
negro to back away. Erne was bleeding
from the mouth and no#e at the bell.
At the beginning of the seventh round
Erne rushea and staggered Gans with a
right swing on the head and then stepped
in and shot his right up to Gans' chin.
Erne sent a hard left to the body, and
Gans planted a good right on the head.
Gans swung his left to the jaw and Erne
staggered but quickly recovered and
rushed back with left and right to the
body. The bell found them sparring, with
Gans on the defensive.
Erne jumped right to his man In the
eighth. He put a straight left to the face
and hooked It again to the ear. Gans
failed to counter, and Erne reached the
body and head with a left, forcing Gans to
break ground. Gans stepped In after fall -
ing short with the left and uppercut Erne
on the face with his right.
Erne rushed again in the ninth, sending
his right over to the head. Gans landed
right and left on the head. This started
Erne, and both men let their arms go like
windmills. Erne having decidedly the bet -
ter, of the mlxup. Erne hooked three lefts
to the ear, and Gans reached the body
with the left lightly. Erne had all the
better of this round.
Gans Loses His Speed.
Erne tried for the head in the tenth
and Gans slipped and almost went through
the ropes. Erne stepped in. sending a hard
left to the stomach, and Gans failed to re -
ply. Gans then swung a left to the head
and Erne countered. Erne rushed his
man across the ring and planted a heavy
left to the wind. Then he sent a straight
left to the face and swung his right to the
face, but too high for a knockout at close
quarters. Gans planted a left on Brne's
body. . '
Erne opened the eleventh with a right
hook on the head, Gans countering on the
ribs. Gans landed a light right on the ear.
Erne attempted right and left swings for
the head, but missed, and Gans sent right
and left to the body. Erne-Jumped in with
FRANK ERNE.
left to the body and right to Jaw. Erne
then came like a whirlwind, starting
Gans with a left swing on the jaw, and
both went at It hammer, and tongs until
the bell, separated them, with-Erne'hav -
ing all the better of it.
Erne opened the twelfth with, a ,*.left
smash on the eye and followed .with one
on-the.other optic. Then he smashed his
right to the stomach. and Gans started
toward. Frank's corner, staggering blind -
ly. He dropped his hands to his side and
Referee White, seeing that the negro was
in distress, caught hold of Gans, 'who
said: "I'm blind; I can't seo any more."
White threw ud both hands and told
Erne to go to his corner. He then led
the colored man to his corner, and for the
first time saw that Gans' left eye was out
of its socket.
"Erne-;wlns," shouted- White.|;as ,Dr.
Creamerf Jumped into, the| ring 'and'<| re -
placed the fnjiired optlc^ |.
"My right dldthe trick,", said .Erne ai
he left the rlnr. and the Buffalo; crowd
carried him to his dressing-room
I never heard this story before but here it is from the San Fran Call the day after the fight......
GANS BLINDED BY
A PUNCH FROM ERNE
Hard Blow Starts the colored Lad's
Left Optic From Its Socket.
Referee White Stops the Fight in the Twelfth
IX Round and Awards Decision to the Buffalo Boy.
NEW YORK, March 23.Frank Erne of
Buffalo successfully defended his title of
lightweight champion of the world
against Joe Gans (colored) of Baltimore
before the Broadway Athletic Club to -
night. Erne did moet of the heavy fight-
Ing, displaying greater judgment and
more skill than his opponent. Gans re -
ceived his punishment gamely until the
twelfth round., when his left eye was
started from Its socket by a terrific right -
hand swing from the Buffalo boy. Gans
was helpless and there was no alternative
for the referee but to award the decision
to Erne." . :.:V-."
The contest drew" an | enormous crowd
to the Broadway Athletic Club. There
were many
more money in. sight that Gans was
made a favorite at 100 to 90 a week ago,
and to-night the confidence of the.Mary -
land people was so well established that
they Det on their man at odds of 100 to
70. There was a strong money-laden
contingent from Buffalo at the ringside,
and every man of the party bet heavily
on the little lad from their city, taking
every bet offered by the Marylanders. One
hunaerd to seventy on Gans was the
price offered, and the Buffalo people
snapped this up so quickly that the price
rose to 100 to feO. . - '
Erne's seconds were Frank Zimpfer,
Joe Fitzpatrick and George Salter. Gans
was accompanied by Al rterford. Harry
Lyons and Caleb Bond. Before the men
were introduced it was announced that
George McFadden of this city would
challenge the winner. The men agreed
to have a return match, no matter which
won. Straight Queensberry rules gov -
erned. | ' ' ......
Erne Forces the Fighting.
Erne began rushing in the- opening
round, forcing Oans into his corner, but
was unable to land a telling blow. In the
second, third and fourth rounds Erne con -
tinued to force the fighting, repeatedly
driving the negro to his corner; but Gans
blocked cleveny and avoided heavy pun -
ishment. - .
The tirst hard blow was landed In the
fifth round, when Gans put a light left to
the face and Erne returned a jolting left
straight on the face.
In the sixth round, after Gans had been
forced to break ground, he stopped sud -
denly and swung his left to Erne's right
eye. cutting It. Gans then went in, send -
ing right and left swings to the head, and
Erne surprised everybody by replying
with similar blows. Erne continued to
slam both hands on the negro, reaching
tht latter's head half a dozen times,
stopping Gans' rushing and forcing the
negro to back away. Erne was bleeding
from the mouth and no#e at the bell.
At the beginning of the seventh round
Erne rushea and staggered Gans with a
right swing on the head and then stepped
in and shot his right up to Gans' chin.
Erne sent a hard left to the body, and
Gans planted a good right on the head.
Gans swung his left to the jaw and Erne
staggered but quickly recovered and
rushed back with left and right to the
body. The bell found them sparring, with
Gans on the defensive.
Erne jumped right to his man In the
eighth. He put a straight left to the face
and hooked It again to the ear. Gans
failed to counter, and Erne reached the
body and head with a left, forcing Gans to
break ground. Gans stepped In after fall -
ing short with the left and uppercut Erne
on the face with his right.
Erne rushed again in the ninth, sending
his right over to the head. Gans landed
right and left on the head. This started
Erne, and both men let their arms go like
windmills. Erne having decidedly the bet -
ter, of the mlxup. Erne hooked three lefts
to the ear, and Gans reached the body
with the left lightly. Erne had all the
better of this round.
Gans Loses His Speed.
Erne tried for the head in the tenth
and Gans slipped and almost went through
the ropes. Erne stepped in. sending a hard
left to the stomach, and Gans failed to re -
ply. Gans then swung a left to the head
and Erne countered. Erne rushed his
man across the ring and planted a heavy
left to the wind. Then he sent a straight
left to the face and swung his right to the
face, but too high for a knockout at close
quarters. Gans planted a left on Brne's
body. . '
Erne opened the eleventh with a right
hook on the head, Gans countering on the
ribs. Gans landed a light right on the ear.
Erne attempted right and left swings for
the head, but missed, and Gans sent right
and left to the body. Erne-Jumped in with
FRANK ERNE.
left to the body and right to Jaw. Erne
then came like a whirlwind, starting
Gans with a left swing on the jaw, and
both went at It hammer, and tongs until
the bell, separated them, with-Erne'hav -
ing all the better of it.
Erne opened the twelfth with, a ,*.left
smash on the eye and followed .with one
on-the.other optic. Then he smashed his
right to the stomach. and Gans started
toward. Frank's corner, staggering blind -
ly. He dropped his hands to his side and
Referee White, seeing that the negro was
in distress, caught hold of Gans, 'who
said: "I'm blind; I can't seo any more."
White threw ud both hands and told
Erne to go to his corner. He then led
the colored man to his corner, and for the
first time saw that Gans' left eye was out
of its socket.
"Erne-;wlns," shouted- White.|;as ,Dr.
Creamerf Jumped into, the| ring 'and'<| re -
placed the fnjiired optlc^ |.
"My right dldthe trick,", said .Erne ai
he left the rlnr. and the Buffalo; crowd
carried him to his dressing-room
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