The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-24
THE MARINE FLUNKS.
La Blanche Would Not Spar
With Mike Lucie.
AT THE TROY MANS BENEFIT.
But He Asserts His Readiness to Meet
Any Middle Weight Clever Exhi-
billions OF sparring.

The 800 sports who attended the benefit
gwen Nike Lucie under the auspices of the
Sea tie Athletic Club at Turner hall last
night, we're nightly pleased with the en-
tertainment afforded them by the dozen or
more professional athletes who were down
on the bills. One thing tyanspired, how
ever. that proved disappointment to the
audience. and that was the failure of
George La Blanche to wind up with the
beneficiary. and Billy Smith kindly took
his place.
When the various sparring and wrest-
ing exhibitions had taken place, Lucie
and Smith came on and were introduced
by lick Abrahams, master of ceremonies.
Before time" was called, 1.-THE Marine
stepped through the ropes and made q
speech. Said he:
Gentlemen, I'm down on the pro-
gramme to wind up with Mr.. Lucie, but
I've got sore hand and can't do myself
as much justice as professional should
and you'll have to excuse me, as Pm look
Ing out for George LaBlanche. But if Mr..
Lucie thinks I'm afraid of him, Ill meet
him in any public place for any number OF
rounds"
sLucie can do him." shouted one OF
Mixes admirers.
What's the matter with Dempsey 2"
cried another. The audience took it up,
and the "Nonpareil's" name echoed
throughout the hall. Mitchell's name also
figured prominently. When the hubbub
subsidized. La Blanche continued:
Yes, / am willing to meet any middle
weight in the world" and with this he
bowed himself off the stage.
I.ycio and Until. than o,,cacoJ 10. Is~~lxx
four-round set-to. Mike was in the pink
of condition and the exercise caused rich
glow TO mantle the Troy mans cheeks.
The Australian was much the bigger man,
and while he had the advantage, Mike
demonstrated wonderful cleverness, and
when the set-to ended both received three
ringing cheers.
The Seattle Athletic Clue directors had
made perfect arrangements for the affair.
The ring was set up on the stage and
ushers showed the audience to their seats.
Spider" Gallagher. OF San Francisco,
and Young Strong, of Boston. were the
first to appear. Strong was the heavier
and in the first two rounds banged his OPP
ponent freely. But the Spider" was
gauging his man. and in the wind-up he
shot q dozen straight crunters into the
Boston lads face that brought tears to the
latter's eyes and ch GERS from the gallery.
Paddy Carroll, with the build of her.
cules. and Mike Ross next came on. For
nine minutes the crowd was convuIsed, for
neither man knew how to spar. They
swung their arms like so many wind-mills,
and if either had landed fairly the result
would have been awful. Fortunately the
morgue was spared a victim.
Ed C..ffee, the big San franciscan de-
feated at Los Angeles little more than
| year ago by Pete Mccoy. then spared
four rounds with Billy Smith, but was
fairly smothered with the Antipodean
who generously refrained from making
show of his opponent
kid" Mclaughlin, decidedly clever
youth. spared with Harry West, of Port
land, and then George Whistler and Tom
Cannon gave pretty exhibition of Gr@co-
Roman wrestling. Whistler winning two
straight falls, gaining the last by terrible
strange lock.
After the performance La Blanche said
to Posr-INTELLIeEYcER reporter:
81 would have been foolish to go on with
Lucie. He is in perfect trim while am
completely out of shape, having knocked
around the country for a month or more
Under the circumstances 1t would have
been poor judgment TO let him make -
dummy out of me. A few days training
would alter matters"
1.-The Marine" evidently remembered
the close shave he had with Lucie in Cali
fornia last year, when, for the first nine
rounds the Troy man made chopping-
block of him. Lucie became careless and
s'the Marine" male a left shift and land
ing terrific left on Mixes jugular, won
the battle.
When asked by the reporter If he would
give Lucie ''go" if the local club hung up
q s., coo purse. be shook his head.
81 will not engage in another contest
short of So co.," said he. The club at
Buffalo and the one at New Orleans will
donate that sized purse for young Mitchell
and myself, and the Pelican club, London.
will even do better for me and Ted Pri,ch-
ard. / would prefer to meet either of the
latter than Lucie.
The club directors are much disap-
pointed at LaBlanche's refusal TO wind up
With Lucie. They claim he wired his ac-
cep,ance from Portland. LeBianche also
informed PosT-IYTELLIeENcER reporter
on the dav of his arrival that he came here
for that purpose.