The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-17
He WAS A CHAMPION.
Best Feather Weight in Eng
land Forty Years Ago.
NOW SELLS LEMONS IN SEATTLE.
Abls 70 Protect Himsslf Yst-He Tslls
Of Battles Of His Youth-His East
Fight and Victory.

A little man with face that il scanned
by the experience of threescore years,
but with keen, bright eyes, An erect form
and quick, nervous movements that contra
uict the story of age told il, his counte-
nance. The little man carries basket Of
lemons and he goes in and out of the many
places of resort in the business part Of the
city offering the fruit He is known by
nearly al in the crowd in which be mingles,
and each one has : kindly word for .'Davy."
Not many know his story, but all who have
seen him often. and he 10 Q familiar figure
on the streets of Seattle, recognize him 20
one who pursues his business quietly and
respectfully and deserves fair treatment in
return.
Occasionally some quarrelsome individ-
uai. relying on his greater Size, attempts to
impose upon Davy, but before the friends
OF the lemon peddler have time to interfere
the old man shows that he needs no pro.
tector. The basket goes down. two ready
hsts come into position. and two eyes that
have not begun to fade CLEAN out danger
Dusty from under the heavy eyebrows. If
the piece OF impudence was only q silly
blum matters end Immediately, but il the
foolish meddler still believes he il safe in
stirring up maliciously an inoffensive, little
old man. and continues in his course, there
10 sharp, short conflict. The old man
steps forward quickly. his left arm straight
ems Itself, and rs the bully before him
guards OF the blow there Is another from
the right that finds its mark somewhere
about the 6gurehead of the aggressor. An
other and another come SO quickly that
there is no time for anything nut defense,
and before he knows it the big rufaan goes
down. dizzy and weak. Davy picks up his
basket, turns on his heel and disappears.
and the individual who has been punished
Justly realizes that it is not safe al ways to
attack men who look old and small and
weak.
Several times this incident, with slight
variations, but the same ending, has taken
place in this city. and Davy Jones still car
ries his basket fearlessly from door to door
on the busy streets. A Posr- IHTELLIGEN-
Ger reporter. by dint of much persuasion,
gained the story OF the old mar from his
own lips, and it explained the swift move
ments so mysterious to the casual specta-
tor of one of his stands for self-defense.
Il was born on the 18th of March, 1928"
said Davy, IAN if it had been two DAYS
later I'd have been an Irishman. Ye re
right by gum! From the time / was Ii
years old till was IS worked in the
mines in Staffordshire, England, for I'm q
Upton man, an know every bit of the
black country There's where they have
fighters. Why, man, there's boys there
who know more of heavy blows in the ring
than half the men that are advertised from
n and nf mo To- ho 9th
lists, an yet they don't go about talkin' of
1t. Ye re right, by guml Fightin' comes
as naturally as eatin' there. Why, had
Is. an 1t was about three ha'p'orth o. oys-
terA The officers stopped us, or We heard
EN- acomin' an run of an hid ourselves.
but I'd lost my front teeth first, an he had
some marks that put on him.
Yes. I've had seven fights in the ring
for money, an never was whipped, but
that was years ago, an I'm no good now.
They called me the best man o. my weight
in England, an was open to anything. I
weighed Ito then, when I trained down,
feather-weight, you know, an no chance
to make great reputation. but l was in
some good ones. Twice fought over two
hours. Backers in plenty for me always.
Ye re right, by guml They knowed I'd
STAN it even if was beat, but wasn't
beat.
II fought Ike Turns twice, the first time
. draw, but the second worried him. l
fought Joe Wilson three times in all. He
it was struck me first about the three
ha'p'orth o. oysters, an there was bad
blood between US till it was settled. The
first time the officers stopped it, the next
time it was draw. after an hour an three
quarters, but the last time beat him.
There's story in that fight. an 1t was
my last one. You see was married then
II was "a years old-an' our baby was in
the cradle. Well. knew my wife wouldn't
hear O. my fghtin' then, but when my old
hacker come to me an says. They re
willin' to put up two pound to one agin ye.
Davy. an the mans Joe Wilson, l could
not help thinkin' of it So / agreed to 20
in the ring agin, for there was fl0O up agin
the fifty my hacker had. an he said half
the winnin' should be for me. Fifty pound
was deal o. money in those days; it
would buy q home for poor man.
.Well, went to trainin', an every night
I'd black my face when ! went home to
make my wife think was sti II workin' in
the mine. When the day come says to
her the night before, i must be up early In
the mornin. There's q hard Job afore me.
but I've got to do it So / got up afore
day almost an away to the ring.
well, we were at it two hours an TWEEN.
ty minutes, an when it was over of course
l was marked up some. But when went
home my wife says, You've been fightin'.'
You're wrong says /; I've been hurt in
the mine' But she knew better AM aha
picked up the baby out o. the cradle, an
at the door she says, IN beg my bread
from door to door before I'll live with
lighter and then off to her mother.
81 had the fifty pound in my hand had
won, an threw it on the table and sat
down. The money was all right. but it
warn't worth wife and baby. But soon
here comes my wife's mother. My daugh-
ter's left ye,' said she. We'll, We can keep
your daughter says /. No child o. mine
shall ever live with fighter says she.
All right says /, we can take ( he furni-
ture an I am off, An got up an made
a great show o. sweepin' the fifty pound,
all in gold, of the table into my pocket
Then the old woman began co soft
en-. ] knew she would. Ye're right,
by gumI Don't co. says she,
the girl will forgive ye.' i don't want no
forgiveness says /. But she runs away
home an soon my wife comes an takes
hold o. me. i wantye to stay, Davy, says
she, but wouldn't show how I liked to
hear her say it purtended to pull away.
but / wasn't pullin' at all. Don't go,
Davy,' says she. holdin' me back. Then,
says /, We'll, if yen say no more about it
p..t