The morning times., 1895-09-22

lightweight champion of the world, had
q common weakness. Dempsey could not
be persuaded to tackle the easiest kind of
mark unless he had those celebrated black
tights with which he had fought and won
over fifty battles. With them ON Jack
felt that he was invincible. Poor fellow!
They did not save him from the sledge-
hammer blows of "Lanky Bob"
Jack McAuliffe had a pair of dark
blue tights which he wore in all his bat
ties One night they were pretty well
burnt up in a slight fire in Jacks house
and the young champion was incunsolable.
A bright idea seized him. He collected
scraps of what was left and had them en-
grated in a new pair of trunks. He wore
them in his famous fights with Jem Car
ney, of England, and Young Griffo, of Aus
tralia.
Charley Mitchell, the English champion,
had a mortal terror of meeting a cross
eyed woman ON a day or night Oh which
he was TO box limited number of rounds,
or battle 10 a fir -. He looked upon such
a woman as sure precursor of evil. 1
remember well tie night he was TO meet
John L. Sullivan for the second time in
Madison Square. Garden Walking up
Ohllh mt "a Ni'1' ~ NNf
red-haired woman and he almost tainted.
He ran back around the corner like a mad
man ''she's nailed ne with her bad
eye" he walled, mournfully, land I'm
houdooed. sure"
That night sullivan was sick and could
not go on. Charley laid the disaster at
the door of the cross7eyed woman.
Jake KiiraiD, sullivan's old rival, and
Peter Maher, the Irish champion, look on
Arrests or sisters of charity as mascots.
a would like to meet either one or
~ thcr when on their way to battle.
Thcv rega rded such a meeting as highly
suspicious, 20 say the least .however angry
tie priest or sister might have been, If
apprised of this feeling.
Big Joe McAuliffe, of California, would
be delighted il he ran across horseshoe
when training for a battle. He regarded it
as q most propitious sign and he would
Invariably throw the shoe over the left
shoulder. Both he and poor Jack Ash
ton, who has passed away, would be in
mortal terror of meeting funeral pro-
cessioD on a day set for battle. They ex-
pected to be whipped to a certainty if such
q casualty happened to them. McAuliffe
met a funeral cortege the night lie fought
Paddy SlaviD, of Australia, at the Ma
tional Athletic CLUB of London, and he
was whipped in a round and a half.
Jack Ashton, too, ran fouisof funeral
the day he fought Geurge Godfrey. the last
battle of his life, and he was badly tn rashed.
The majority of fighters fear Friday,
and ''Jonahs." Principal among these are
Tommy Ryan, Mysterious Billy Smith,
Frank Craig, the Harlem Coffee Cooler"
Young Griffo and Cal Mccarthy, once George
Dixon's peer. Nome of these boys will
sign any articles of agreement on ''hang-
mars Day, nor will they have a second
who has ever been behind loser. They
would even preferinexperienced men to such
e handler. OF course this is unjust, but
JoU can't combat superstition. Clever
eec experienced generals like Billy Mad
demand Mike Donovanhaveb been looked upon
as ''Jonahs'' because they have been be-
hind a couple of losers. They were not
credited with the hundred or more vic
tories they had as seconds helped their
principals TO gain.
But to return to the greatest of fighters
now in the ring who has the stoutest of su-
perHtitions, "Lanky Bob Fitzsimmons.
Bob's great hold on the occult realm lay In
dreams. Bob has had a dream about every
great fight he has ever engaged in. Bob's
dreams do not go by contraries, either, as
b generally the rule in such cases He
creams TO win. The big Australian actu-