The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-24
KENNEDY AND COLLIER.

September 2. no
KENNEDY AND COLLIER. J.
Great Local Interest in the Approach
ing. Battle at the metropolitan
Club is in Evidence-Tickets Have
Been Placed on Sale. &
No fight within the year in Wheeling
has created such general and genuine
interest as the coming twenty-round
contest between Eddie Kennedy, Of
Pittsburgh, and Frank Collyer. the
crack New York fighter. coilyer has a
record that inspires confidence In his
ability to negotiate most anything that
comes out of Fistiana, and 1T is conced-
ed that in Kennedy he runs up against
proposition that will give some mo-
ments for anxious thought next Mon
day night. when the pair clash in the
arena Of the Metropolitan Club to the
extent of twenty rounds. unless one Of
the pair shortens the engagement with
the Knockout. Collyer continues his
training earnestly and faithfully every
day at Gardeners place. and he has a
host of the local sports who will pin
their faith In the New Yorker next
Monday. night. 20 9. IS
The tickets went on sale yesterday,
and the Indications point to O. crowded
house. y
Kennedy. has the prestige Of being
an unbeaten man, and this will prob
ably make him the favorite next Mon
day night when the paid put up their
hands. The following sketch Of the
Pittsburgh fighter has been furnished
the Intelligencer by his manager.
Jimmy" Mason:
It is a generally admitted fact that
Pittsburgh has never developed more
elective pugilist. SO far as his amateur
and professional record goes at this
time. than Edward Kennedy, OF the
North Side. In the vernacular OF the
street "the woods are full" of alleged
glove-fighters, but Kennedy is one OF
the very few. in any class who entirely
fills the bill. He, is essentially q fight
er. and incidentally q very clever box
er. after the fashion OF the Sharkey
and McGovern class of glove-men. This
is reversal Of the form of most Of the
local professionals, who prefer. spar
ring for points to fighting for a finish.
Yet the, young man Is rs diftident and
mild-mannered outside the ropes us he
is aggressive and relentless In the
ring, and the short order OF the great
majority Of his contests tells the story.
OF his slashing methods. "A,
When Kennedy was q year old his
parents removed to Pittsburgh, from
Camden. New Jersey, where he was
born on the Goth OF November, 1873. He
redity has nothing to do with the young
mans bent for boxing, Us the senior
Kennedy thinks little Of that sort. Of
thing and has yet to see one OF the en-
counters in which his son Is SO success
full. An uncle on the mothers side of
the house OF Kennedy, one Oscar Lind
say, was an oarsmar OF more than local
repute in Pittsburgh twenty years ago.
and won many local races In the later
'70's. &
Young Kennedy was born with Wig
orous physique. and his athletic quail
tiles cropped out early. He got a good
common school education In Manches-
ter, and then went to work In the Office
OF the Manchester Traction Company.
During his services there in 1891 and
1886 he paid considerable attention to
boxing. FOR the fun OF IT, and suisse
luently, while In the employ OF the
Schocn Milling Company, he partlcipa-
ted In several OF the amateur boxing
tournaments that cut such a figure in
Pittsburgh n few years ago.
His first formidable opponent was
James Lavelle. with whom he fought
three battles--loslng the first. drawing
the second, and winning the third. This
experience Mt the outset Of his percor-,
mances as an amateur, gave an index
OF his persistence of'purpose. and the
clean strain of grit that he always
displays In his encounters, Then he
knocked out Johnny Murphy, OF the
South Side, Pittsburgh, In four rounds,
and Mt the next tournament. given by
the Woods Run Escort Club, he put
away Pat Moloy, of McKeesport, who
Mt that time was rated with JACK Ben
nett, and the boxers OF that class. This
was n trying battle. After the usual
three rounds the referee ordered
fourth, and Kennedy won by knocking
his man out. r
James II. Mason was then conducting
q gymnasium on Fifth avenue, Pits
burSh, and he was Impressed by Ken
nedy's remarkable hitting powers.
Many OF the wise men In such matters
objected that the youth was no boxer,
that lie lacked Style" and that his
courage was an unknown quantity. But
Mason took charge of Kennedy, kept
him busy Mt gymnasium work or In
boxing anybody who. was anywhere
near the boys class, and lot the know
it-alls take 1t out In talking. In the
interval Kennedy has developed Into
one OF the most successful glove men
Pittsburgh has ever turned out, and Is,
doubtless the most popular man among
the professions OF that city.
The showing made by his established
record is the best evidence. of his pow
ers, and physical prowass Is always I'D
mirablc, even In the eyes OF those who
profess to abhor It's use In pugilIsm.
Those who have seen Kennedy In nc!
tlon, when tho issues OF the combat
was still nm onen question. can under
stand why nobody In able to write n
satisfactory description OF his hurri-
cane tactics. They are indescrlbabe.
But they always win the engagement.
Since he became professional, this 10
tho record. remarkable alike for the
fact that nil but two of his battles have
ended In n knockout, md that only n
few Of them hive been long enough 10
let the other fellows friends feel that,
their man might have chance. A list