Jeffries Vs Sharkey II, who deserved the decision?

The Sun (New York)- 1899 Nov 04 (page 1)
True it is that in the last five or six rounds of the battle Sharkey was the under dog. He was on several occassions during tat time in groggy shape, for the reason that Jeffries cut losse his attack and landed tremendous punches on the sailor's jaw and stomach.
Jeffries because of this marked advantage, received the decision of Referee George Siler, and it was considered fair by the majority; still there were those who thought that as Sharkey forced the fight in almost every round, and during the first half of the encounter had a pronounced advantage on work, blows landed and strength he might have received a draw.

The World (New York)- 1899 Nov 04 (page 1)
Jim Jeffries, after the fastest and hardest heavy-weight fight ever fought in any ring, was declared the winner oveer Tom Sharkey at the end of the twenty-fifth round.
It was a marvellous display of endurance.
All the first rounds, however the Sailor had the better of it. It was only in the last few round that Jeffries evened up matters. Sharkey proved himself a little wonder. He is billed to a return match.

The New York Times- 1899 Nov 04 (page 3)
George Siler's decision was satisfactory to the great majority of the spectators present.
Sharkey did most of the leading during the early partof the contest, but the Californian had the sailor almost out at the finish.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle- 1899 Nov 4 (page 6)
Siler's decision seemed to be an eminently fair one. Sharkey would probably have had a draw out of it if he had been able to keep away from Jeffries right in the last few rounds. But, aggressor to the last, he ran into jabs and uppercuts that even he, with his iron jaw and muscle clad body, could not withstand. He was in poor shape when the final tap of the going came, and it was evident to all that in the long run height, reach and weight were plaining showing their superiority. No prize fight like that at Coney Island last night will be seen again for many days, unless the principals in it are Jeffries and Sharkey.

The Brooklyn Daily Times- 1899 Nov 4 (page 4)
A hollow victory was achieved by James J Jeffries over Tom Sharkey in the arena of the Coney Island Sporting Club last night. It was not a clean cut, decisive champion's win, for his oppoennt was on his feet and fighting hard until the end of the contest, and fully one half of the vast throng in the club house took exception to the ruling. Out of the twenty-five rounds fought, the ex-sailor had the better of twenty, and they too, the very heart, life and action of the encounter. How a referr could give him, under the condition which obtained, worse than a draw is a problem that none but the master mind of George Siler could fathom.

The Brooklyn Citizen- 1899 Nov 4 (page 5)
The "sailor" put up a splendid fight and was still with Jeffries when the gong rang at the close of the twenty-fifth and final round. Had he made as good a showing in the last four rounds as he did in the first twenty-one, Sharkey might today be King Pugilist and Jeffries a diposed arena sovereign. At the least, Sharkey would have won a draw. Even as it was, many of his admirers though he was entitled to one, though the majority of those who were at ringside agreed that Referee Siler was fair was could not well have rendered a different decision.

New York Tribune- 1899 Nov 4 (page 9)
James J. Jeffries, the pugilist, retains the heavyweight championship of the world. George Siler, the referee, gave him the decision at the end of the twenty-fifth round over "Tom" Sharkey, at the Cony Island Sporting Club last night. It was one of the most remarkable fights that have taken place for years, and the attendance was the largest that ever gathered in the Coney Island Club House.
In five rounds Jeffries had the better of the fight, in the first two and in the last three. During the other twenty rounds Sharkey forced the fighting, and was at his man with both hands unceasingly. In those twenty rounds Jeffries's weight and brawn helped him to hold off the sailor. In the twenty-second round he swing two vicious uppercuts that made Sharkey groggy. Sharkey came back in the twenty-fourth and the twenty-fifth, but he was weakend by Jeffries's heavy blows.


The Standard Union- 1899 Nov 4 (page 13)
James J. Jeffries retains the heavyweight championship of the world, George Siler, the referee, gave him the decision at the end of the twenty-fifth round over Tom Sharkey, at the Coney Island Sporting Club last night. It was one of the most remarkable fights that have taken place for years, and the attendance was the largest that ever gathered in the Coney Island Clubhouse.
In five rounds Jeffries had the better of the fight, in the first two and in the last three. During the other twenty rounds Sharkey forced the fighting, and was at his man with both hands unceasingly. One minute before the gong sounds to end the fight Jeffries left glove came off and the contest was practically over.

The National Police Gazzette- 1899 Nov 18 (page 3)
Jeflries "won in the stretch," as they say in racing parlance, for up to the end of the twentieth round Sharkey had been the aggressor in the majority of rounds, and based upon a comparison of scientific work, leads, counters, etc., would have been entitled to the verdict. Jeffries, however, to all intents arid purposes had been playing a waiting game and tried to do little more than stand oft the ex-man-o'-warsrnaun's terrific onslaughts. He was on the defensive all the time, subsequent events demonstrating that he was allowing Sharkey to wear himself out. The correctness of his judgment in this respect was conclusively proven, for Sharkey tired rapidly after the twentieth round and Jeffries took advantage of his reserve strength to take up the running and doing the most fighting in the concluding rounds. Although Sharkey fought back like a demon It was apparent that if Sharkey had been able to keep up the pace to the end he must have won, but the exertion of fighting so hard at the beginning began to tell as the fight neared its end, and Jeffries was able to force matters to an Issue in the final rounds.

 

For Jeffries
The Sun
New York Times
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The Brooklyn Citizen
The National Police Gazzette

For Sharkey
The Brooklyn Daily Times
New York Tribune/The Standard Union
———
The World is pretty ambigous so I left that out. New York Tribune/The Standard Union is cleary one report rep, so I lumped that together. I'll list that with Sharkey but It's not an unambigous vote for him, it states Jeffries won 5 rounds, but doesn't actually state Sharkey won the rest, and scoring wasn't always so much round by round back then. The Police Gazzette isn't entirely unambigous, but it's a more clear support of the decision, than the Tribune/Union one is a critisism of it.

Overall I think it looks like what you'd expect for a hard fought fight, with a pretty good censensus that Jeffries was the deserved winner. I'll see if there's more reports I can find though.

 

Yet there's also accounts of Sharkey dancing around the ring, fighting off the back foot, and countering.

Plus him and Jeffries were both said to have come on leaps and bounds between their first and second meeting.