A two page Articles Of Agreement which is dated June 7, 1898 and
signed on the second page by Joe Choynski, Kid McCoy and Homer Selby
(McCoy’s brother) for the Hawthorne Club. The fight was agreed to
take place on or before August 31, 1898 under the direction of the
Hawthorne Club and to be held in Buffalo, New York. It was agreed
this would be a 20 round fight. The winner was to receive 75% and the
loser 25% of a total purse of $7500.00. Marquis Of Queensbury Rules
did apply and the fighters would fight at catch weights. The fight
did not come off under the contract. The two did meet the next year
in San Francisco with McCoy winning a 20 round decision. Choynski
shed some light himself writing on the back of the contract, Tom
O’Rourke played me a dirty trick. Had me call it off to make McCoy
fight before his (O’Rourke) club in N.Y. I did so and O’Rourke
immediately matched McCoy and Sharkey and I held the hat? The
contract including these signatures is very rare and more interesting
with the Choynski explanation. Legal sized document with original
folds and some edge chips which do affect the text. LOA from Craig
Hamilton of JO Sports, Inc.