The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-09
SCO0T RYAN'S LUCKY FIGHT,
a BATTLE or THE RING THAT
WASN'T A FAKE.
Attempt OF Some Chicago Promoters ot
Prizenghts to Swindle the publlc
Their Plans Upset by Dragging Their
Man Too Heavily Had TO Walk Home.

Man Too IIeayfly-Had TO Walk Home.
W rave been treated 80 often Of ate
10 stories Of how the public has been sxilA.
led by promoters Of prizefghts that IL
will do me good to tell of one instance.
OF quite recent occurrence. in which the
would-be swindlers got 30 much the worst
OF IL that they had 10 walk home" sad
the man from Chicago.
We have in our town a fighter named
Scoot Ryan. He is what you might call
a first-rate second rater. He never NO.
champion Of anything and never will be.
but you can bet o u last cent that when
he ia down TO fight he will fight just as long
as there is breath and strength left in him.
Now, while he is honest enough him
self, Of course he has had TO depend on
men less scrupulous than himself 10 pro-
mote his interests. SCOTS CORPS OF
trainers, bottle holders and rubbers made
a lot of money out Of him last summer.
and Scoot didn't do so badly himself.
But unfortunately for his value as an a.
traction, he knocked out so many good
men in such short order that his manager
had great difficulty after awhile making
matches for him. and it was obvious to all
concerned that something must be lone.
In Detroit there was a fourth-rate scrap
per. known TO local fame as Bug House
Keeney. He was about the same weight
as Scoot Ryan. but he never would fight
Scoot. He was afraid Of a licking.
1T was TO Bug House Keeney that Scoot
Ryan's manager went one afternoon with
a suggestion that he fight Scoot. Bug
House politely declined. But SCOTS man.
ager unfolded TO him a plan which soon
made him change his mind.
Briefly il was this. Scoot would come
over for the fight after the proper amount
Of newspaper putting had been arranged
| for, and Of course would be a big ~favorits
in the betting, SCOTS manager and his
friends would bring over a barrel of money
and bet it all on Bug House against their
| own man.
But Scoot can lick me an day. protested
Bug House.
Amy day but this one said sooot's
manager calmly, and then he made ii quite
clear to Bug House thai he would win the
fight, and hat in addition to rs per cent.
of the gross receipts he would also get .
share of the money TO be stolen from the
public in bets.
This was the beautiful game which was
planned for the people Of Detroit. It would
nave worked beautifully but for one little
mistake.
There was a certain amount OF rugged
honesty about Scoot Ryan. which, combined
with his pride in his prowess. made IL ex-
tremely unlikely that he would consent 10
throw a fight, even when there was big
money in il. His manager knew about this
popularity Of his man, and so he Just didn't
say anything TO Scoot about his plans, save
that he arranged a fight for him over in
Detroit with Bug House kenney.
"Scoot went ahead and got in shape for
the affair, and while he was conscicntious.y
training his manager was fixing it up with
one of the retinue who usually acts as a
second for Scoot to give him a big dose OF
drugs just as he entered the ring. 1t was
planned to fix Scoot so that the first crack
In the jaw he got would come about the
time the drugs were beginning TO act. Then
when Sooot went down and out everybody
would think IL was the result Of the blow.
Well. the night Of the fight came, ard
SCOTS gang went around the house and Just
bet all the money they could on Keeney.
They had brought every cent they could beg,
borrow or steal from Chicago, even failing
to buy return tickets, so that they would
have so much more TO bet on the sure thing.
They took Scoot 10 a hotel just before
the fight and jollied him along in great
| shape. They told him they had hired the
| room for a week. and he could come back
| there after the mill and sleep as long as he
pleased. All Of which was perfectly true.
as they didn't NOW just what the effect Of
tho drugs would be on their man, and he
MIGHT need medical attendance.
pug House Keenev entered the ring
with a smile of confidence Scoot leaped
over the ropes, took his seat in the corner
and looked Indifferent, while the crowd
howled its approval, for so dexterously
had the thing been managed that all Detroit
was betting on the Chicago man, as against
their own product.
-The bell rang and Bug House leaped
lightly to the centre Of the ring, Scoot
started forward, too, but just as he did so
one Of his seconds called him. Scoot looked
around and saw the man holding out a
bottle to him.
Take a drink, old fellow, and then
go In and p~aralyze him. said the second,
and used TO obeving the men in his corner
Scoot grabbed the bottle and took a long
1T was n fearful dose, enough 10 knock
out three men. II il had been a little less
severe it might have rolled Scoot over
on the spot. Instead, however. II sent
him raving crazy.
-He threw down the bottle and leaped
10 the centre of the ring. There stood
Bug House Keeney. Scoot saw him dimly,
for his sight was getting uncertain. With
a rush he was al him and before the De-
troit man knew just what had happened
Scoot had hit him a lick on the point OF
the law that spun him around like a top.
aAs the Detroit mans jaw came into
view on the third turn, Scoot up with his
left and sent him spinning In the other
direction. Mr.. Bug House keeney spur a
few times more and then slowly sank TO
the floor. He was dragged out Of the ring
by his seconds, but before they had him
half to his dressing room a remarkable
thing happened. With a whoop and a yell
Scoot Ryan jumped over the ropes and
plunged through the crowd to the box Office.
= Gimme my IS per cent he cried.
sSome one handed IL TO him, and then.
without voting TO dress or speak TO any
body, he dashed out OF the building and
fell into a cab. The cabman was the one
who had brought him over from his hotel
and he took him back there.
THE clerk helped get him out Of the
carriage and up TO his room. Then ne
took the wad % money the scrapper had
tightly clutchcd in his hand and put II In
the hotel safe in the name OF Scoot Ryan.
For a week Scoot Ryan slept. The
doctors could not bring him to, but they
managed to save his life. because they loon
discovered hat had happened 20 hlm;
And Bug House Keeney, IN a moment q
irritation at what he regarded as his lnIa
fr,nat pnapt uaNa tho snan oxay