Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-01-17
ROOSEVELT ON PUGILIsM
Vice President Elect Gives Siler
Tips on Fighters.
THINKS jim JBRRRIEs IS GREAT.

Fitssimmons, Rubin and Jer Hon
est, hut. He Believes Mccoy Sold
Out-Discu.ses In an Interview mt
Chicago the Shortcomings of the
"ManIy Artv In New York.
Vice President Elect Theodore Roose-
welt was in Chicago recently for a few
hours on his way to Colorado for his
health" though If / ever looked at a
healthier man / do not recall it, says
George Siler in the Chicago Tribune
There was vigor and there was energy
in his every moyement-in every tone
and accent of his voice. / saw Mr..
Roosevelt in the lobby of the Audi
forum Annex, and he consented to talk
with me about sports and the tistic
situation in the state in which he has
just left the gubernatorial mansion.
You love clean sport, and SO do T."
commented the ex-governor. Now, on
that basis and understanding l viii
begin our chat by asking what you
think of Jeffries as a fighter"
81 think he is great" l replied. And
so do IT, he said. Don't you know,
Siler. that boxing might have been go
ing on in New York right now il the
men who had charge of the clubs had
handled 1t with care? They made
mistake by not stopping contests when
they became brutal or when it was
manifest to all that one of the con-
testants had no possible chance of
winning. You know that as well as
do. don't you?'
OF course l answered in the affirma-
tive.
Look at that Mccoy Choynski con-
test Wasn't that enough to kill the
sport:"
/ told him l thought Il was.
''I liked Mccoy" he continued. "and
thought he would best Corbett He
is equally as clever as Corbett land
harder hitter. He has the right idea
of hitting. too, has he not?
told him l was sure he had.
well, then. il he is equally as scien-
tific as Corbett and n harder hitter he
should have defeated Corbett. l guess
he sold himself out, so I've lost all
respect for him."
Now, there's Fitzsimmons,' Mr..
Roosevelt continued. Hes a good.
honest fighter. don't you think so? And
Rubin is another honest fighter. and so
is Jeffries; but I'll tell you. Siler. there
are only a few of them, and you know
it just as well as l do.
Now, about that fight between JEFF
fries and Sharkey. You know that
should have been stopped before the
end of the twenty-fifth round. 1t be-
came brutal after the twenty-third,
and. as Sharkey had no chance, you
should have stopped it."
1T was n championship fight, Mr..
Roosevelt" I said. land If had stop
ped it In either the twenty-third or
twenty-fourth round the crowd would
have jumped into the ring and torn
me limb from limb"
''Torn you limb from limb, would
they? Well. tell you. Siler. il 1 had
been referee and stopped it they would
not have torn me limb from limb" he
said. gritting his teeth.
when / was ut the head of the po-
lice department in New York, l did
things some persons did not like. A
man must have the courage of his
convictions, and / know you have.
Siler, because Professor Mike Donovan
told me numerous stories about you.
But let us so back to the boxing.
When was in charge of the police, 1
witnessed the Maher-Choynski fight.
That was hard fight, but it was SO
evenly contested I could not stop it.
/ did, however. stop one of the pre-
iiminary bouts, not because it became
brutal. but because one of the con-
testants was covered with blood, and it
looked bad"
You box and wrestle, Mr.. Roose-
welt. don't your
Not at present. Siler. 1 boxed a
great deal with Jimmy Dime and had
professional wrestler named Dwyer
q think that was his name). who called
on me several times a week, and l
usually made it warm for him. He
left Albany after working with me
several months, but sent a substitute,
big, husky fellow, but 1 knew more
about wrestling than he did. so l let
him go. / am getting too old for that
sort of sport. but still like it, especial
ly boxing. Oh. by the way, Siler, do
in New York;"
Because they could not handle me.
suppose"
That's just it, Siler. They could
not handle you. and they could not
handle me, and that is why they did
not want either of US.
MY time is limited. Siler," lie said,
grasping my hand. $50 I'll bid you
goodby and trust you will keep in the
same old path. I'm going to Colorado
for an outing and to do little shoot
ing and viii return the latter part of
February and attend to business"
And with another grip of the hand
which I'll remember for many moons
fe come I left Teddy to prepare for
Iits tourney west