Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-02-04
LOOKED LIKE A LIAR.
BUT THIS WAS A CASE WHERE LOOKS
WERE MISLEADING.

A Little Irishman Who Claimed Acquaint.
Rnce With Champion VueiIist--H His
Employer. Who Was Used 10 the Giovea,
Disputed the Claim.
Il was reading clever little sketch
the other day about a man who told big
stories which were not believed 10y his
! acquaintance, and it reminded me of
an experience / had once when was
considerably younger, remarked Rob
ert d. Wilson, the active Orleans county
politician, when in "a reminiscent mood
the other day.
1t was like this: About the first
contract i ever took was one TO build "a
church in small town III western New
York near Lake Ontario. My partner
and l employed "a good force of men.
and among others good natured, rather
dapper little Irishman, who applied for
work shortly after we got the walls
started.
He was not skilled workman, bu,
good, active helper, and h struck me
at the time as being one of the most en-
tertaining and cheerful liars il had ever
been my pleasure 10 meet. One Of his
favOrito tales was 20 the effect that he
was for three years trainer and boxing
partner of the famous pugilist Jom
Mace and had seconded the one time
champion III two Of his most notable
battles. He ratified off names, places,
dates and incidents i'll the most offhan0
manner imaginable, which, as we had
no means of verifying his Statements
he was perfectly safe i'll dong. @.
course we took what he said with
large grain OF salt and enjoyed drawing
him out.
"One thing about tho Old follow
struck me as peculiar-we could never
induce him under any consideration to
join in any Of the friendly little spar
ring contests which we occasionally III.
dulged in at the little country hotel,
after our days work was done. by 10
subterfuge could we induce him to stick |
his hands in the big mittens. although |
he was always present at our exercises
ana took delight i'll making sighting
comments np0n our skill.
This got rather monotonous after |
awhile, and we set about devising a |
plan for teaching tho old fellow Is les
SON. When he was sob8r, we knew there !
was no chance Of getting the gloves OF
him, but he usually got moderately full
on Saturday evenings, and we concocted |
~ scheme 70 give him an earlier start
&c Saturday afternoon, SO that by the
time supper was over he was consider
ably eXhilarated. | was just out Of
tl,n e
siGerCd q pretty clever boxer. The boys
ali went to work at him, and after
good many drinks and a lot Of coaxius
and cajoling they finally got him to put
on the gloves and spar bit with me-
Sail in, Larry, l said. Don't he
afraid to hit me-. And l winked at the
boys and went ut him. He was easier
than | expected. His guard seemed very
poor, and several times l raped him
harder than | should, but ii seemed
good plan to teach tho ole blowhard
good lesson. After awhile | got biz
tired Of the one sidedness Of il. regis
tered about every time | found an open
ms, while the lrishman s punches were
III wild and Of no account. Finally i
decided that we had had fun enough !
md made up my mind TO give him
good chinchOpper, lay him out and quit.
so l watched for an opening, and when
saw one minute later, aimed az
leavy blow as ] could strike and let
10. {
well, say, don't know even to this
lay what became Of that punch, for at
hat moment something struck me On
he neck and for the next 80 seconds I
experienced all OF the sensations of Don
euixote when he had the mix up with !
he windmill, for that little Irishman !
vas dancing around me and delivering I
ndelcuts, oyercuts. chm choppers, side :
7indcrs, earmulfs, straight drives and
ong arm body blows faster than l coulc
eel chem, while paved the air in az
tempt at defeuse.
Il think tle boys said it was az sec.
nds before ] WAS lying in the corner, :
mp and entiieIy out. but it was three
avs before l was oat---at work again. J
was sorry 70 find that the ggile little
rishman had disappeared Immediately
fter l dropped asleep. He evidently .
Jared trouble, but l never would have .
lade any. In fact, I'd have liked to IL
Ike few lessons from him, but I've o
ever had the mitts on from that day IL o
lis. @
Il don't know now whether that lit &
G Hishman was telling tho truth or @
OF, but have my suspicious about the f
latter. Medina On. " Cor. New
ork Press.