The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-25
lNDIANA'S PRIZE FIGHTER
..IzIDv MCCOY, WHO Is MATCHED To
FIGHT CORBETT IN OCTOBER,
And Hopes to Win Enough Money to
Enable Him to Secure a Medical
and Surgical Education.


SARATOGA LAKE, Sept al visited
Norman Mccoy to-day. He is best known
perhaps as kid" Mccoy, the pugilist who
is training for a contest with Corbett in
October.
Mccoy has the distinction of being the
handsomest of all the pugilists as well as
the youngest. He will not be twenty-four
years old until Oct. Is, two days before the
date set for his meeting with Corbett
Mccoy is boyish looking and slim and IS
not built like pugilist, except that he has
wonderfully long arms. They measure sew
enty-sx inches. which is three inches mora
than the length of Fritzsimmons's arms.
Fitzsimmonss arms are longer than Corr
belts, so that if this is an advantage in
the pugilistic ring Mccoy will be specially
favored. In fact, some OF his most enthusi-
astic admirers declare that this three inches
of arm, taken in connection with his ex-
traordinary quickness, will place him in the
lead Of all the fighters of the day.
Mccoy has remarkably small hands for q
pugilist, and. while he is of athletic build
he has none of the weight or the breadth OF
his adversary, Corbett. When he meets the
ex-champion in October he expects to weigh
only 100 pounds. But the most remarkable
fact about Mccoy is that his object in arr
ranging for this contest with Corbett is to
earn money enough TO carry out a purpose
which he has had in view for several years.
He wishes to take a six years surgical
and medical course in the Buffalo Univer-
sity. He is anxious to take up the career OF
a physician as life work. He is thoroughly
in earnest in his purpose, and. while he is
| not much of a talker, he becomes interested
in the subject when he talks about his ann
bition.
HIS REMARKABLE AMBITION.
Certainly it is one of the most remarkable
pugilistic ambitions on record. Many of the
fighters are anxious to leave their profess
sions. but most of them want to own hotels
or engage in some business which win stin
keep them in contact with the sporting fra
ternity. Mccoy, however, wishes to step
from the pugilistic ring into one Of the no.
best professions in the world. He admits
that the reason he is a fighter at present is
because it promises a quicker and larger re-
turn in the way of money than any other
occupation offers.
One reason for McCoy's ambition is the
fact that he has recently married a pretty
girl who is not an admirer of her young
husbands present vocation. She sympa-
thizes with him in his desire to enter the
ranks of the medical profession. and has
urged him on in his purpose to leave pugi-
lism behind him if he succeeds in the com-
ing contest.
Doughrey's where Mccoy is training, Is
about six miles from Saratoga. 1t is pleas
antly located, almost on the very banks OF
the lake, across which one can see the first
foothills of the Adirondack range. On the
other side the road winds through apple
orchards and meadows ablaze with golden
rod.
1t is an ideal spot and seems more suited
to the meditations of poet than the bag
punching and body punching exercises of
pugilist in training. But everything about
Mccoy seems to take on a pastoral and
poetic atmosphere. He is sort of comic
opera fighter. His hacker is a writer of
songs, and his principal trainer, Doc
Payne, delights in going out before break
fast and gathering four-leaved clovers
They seem to spring up as he goes along the
road and he comes in always with three or
four of these usually unattainable objects.
FOUND HIM RESTING.
I found the entire Mccoy menage upon the
piazza. Norman Mccoy was resting after
run upon the road in the rain, Mrs. Me-
Coy sewing and Payne was mending his
bathing tights The operation could hardly
be called sewing, although he used needle
attached 10 thread with which he pune
tured the garment at intervals.
Then there was the brindle bulI-dog. who
ehews up any other dog who ventures into
the neighborhood of the training quarters,
whether he be big ST. Bernard or a black
and-tan. This dog has a standing challenge
out for all the other dogs in Saratoga, but
he has no takers.
Mccoy has a pleasant voice and an in
genuous manner Of talking. He does not
seem impressed with his Importance
and is somewhat diffident in talking about
his plans for the future. But l finally in
duced him to tell how his ambition to be
doctor first seized upon him.
II hope to begin six years course at the
Buffalo University If l win the fight with
Corbett in October. l am lighting with that
object in view. 1t takes lot of money to
take a medical and surgical course, and
thought the quickest way TO get It was to
earn it by fighting One can make more
money in a shorter time in the ring than in
any other place in the world.
II know Drs. Haight and Macbeth. of the
Buffalo University, and have been assoc
ciated with them quite constantly. have
been encouraged in my ambition to be a
physician by both of these men and have
also been allowed the privilege of their IL
braries. 1 have witnessed many delicate
operations and have followed the progress
of interesting hospital cases. In fact, 1 am
deeply i'm earnest in my desire to take up
the study of medicine.
OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDY.
eff / should be able to begin course OF
study next winter / should be able to finish
by the time / was thirty years old. This
may seem too late to begin to some people,
but many physicians do not begin to prac-
tice until they are older than that.
Then, a doctors life Is always study.
He keeps on learning all the while / knew
many of the Buffalo physicians and have
always been fond of hearing them talk
about their different cases and operations.
ut may seem strange that fighter
should have an idea of this sort. but I
cannot see why it should be strange. First
of ALL a fighter has to learn considerable
about the body in his training and sparring
He knows all the vulnerable spots-where a
blow will tell the most-and he knows
more about the muscles and their develop
ment and their condition than lots Of ply
sicians who dissect bodies in order to learn
all about this particular subject.
"A fighter gets to know his muscles and
his bodily condition and what affects his
speed. strength and quickness. much more
thoroughly than the average man. A train-
err is often the best kind of doctor. Doc
Payna here can Drescribe for anvfhfrc