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Show O'ROURKE IN LONDON Manager Claims Heavy Damages For Defamation Defama-tion of Character London. Feb. 8 Tom O'Rourke. the well known American fighting promoter nnd manager and AJ Palter his ' White Hop " arrived in London todav. O'Rourke declared that he intend? in-tend? to make an effort to complete : anaii:;i Mcnts for a match between Palzer and Jack Johnson, to take place at the Cirques de Paris, in Paris beforo returning to tmerica, but he admitted r'.iat his real purpose for coming across the Atlantic was j to personally prosecute his suit for libel acainsi the Weekly sporting! paper. c;ille,) Boxing. The cae comes to trial next Tuesday, Tues-day, February 11. The alleged libel charges the veteran fight manager With being Implicated in a number of I quest lonable transactions having to do with the deciding as to who would' bo the winner of a big boing contest i in which one of his fighters was to : he a principal, before the battle wafl fought, often saeriticing his own 'man to the beterment ol his. O Ro'irke's pockethonk Denies Charges. O Rourke Indignant 1) dcni a'l 'these charges, declaring that It they wre true he would not be fit to as- ' soclat, with honorable sporting men. Boxing enthusiasts on imth sides 'of the Atlantic are watclunc the en?.-with en?.-with interest O Rourke has been known fS a handler of champions for j cails. mill lor that reason alone, is one of the biggest figures in the' game At one ttme or another during dur-ing his long career O'Rourke Ins managed such men as George Dixon. Joe WolCOtt, Kid Lavigne, and Tom Bharkej Defendants Cite Cases. The defendants assert that the xvoids complained of are true In substance sub-stance and fact. Thej cite the tol- I lowing easel of O'Rourke's alleged dishonest dealings 'When loe Wolcott fought Kid Lavigne. La-vigne. at the National Sporting club of San Francisco In October 1897. 1 the plaintiff made a secret agreement with the referee whereby Wolcott was to loe and the plaintiff placed his bets against Wolcott O'Rourke,: acting a9 manage! for Tom Sharkey In November 188, made an arrenge- ment, unknown to Sharkey, where bv the latter was to win his bout with Jim Corbet) and O'Rourke b-t heav-J U on Sharkey He made a similar arrangement in the Sharkey -Kid McCoy Mc-Coy tight at the Lenox club, New ork. lsfJ O'Rourke contends that unless the; defendants can prove tlie?e charges i he is entitled to heavj damage:, fo-detamation fo-detamation of character. |