The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20

Fighters can relate many experiences
we'll worth hearing. Johnny Regain and
philadelphia" Jack OBrien, who have
both fought nearly hundred fights. talked
shop for awhile here, says a st. Louis
exchange.
II suppose you never heard about the
time l was to meet Young Corbett' for the
featherweight championship" said Regain
MY home is in Brooklyn, and there is not
a place on the Bowery or in Chinatown or
Coney Island where 1 not perfectly at
home and have plenty of friends. Well 1
was not fighting any too often several
years ago and was at my home in Brook
lyn 1t was soon after Young Corbett had
put Terry McGovern out in two rounds at
Hartford, Conn, and won the feather
weight championship. Jack McKenna float
ed into town about that time with Abe At
tell, Sam Harris, McGoverns manager, was
also in town and crazy to get match for
Attell. About that time McKenna and Har-
ris began TO knock each other and L got in
terested. Finally, Tim Sullivan, who is it.
called Harris UP before him one day and
asked what all the trouble was about Har-
ris replied that McKenna was trying to get
a losers end by matching .Atteil with Nc
match. McGovern is almost worshiped by
his Eastern friends and Sullivan told Har-
ris that he would attend to the matter all
right. He then sent for McKenna, with
the evident purpose of telling him to stop
trying to interfere with McGovern or get
out of town. Sullivan asked McKenna what
was the trouble between Harris and him.
self. McKenna told him there was no
trouble Sullivan asked him what he was
knocking Harris for.
Because L need the money Mckenna
replied. He has plenty of money and so
has McGovern. All l want is to get on d
fight and get a chance to make some SUI
liVan told him that was pretty good logic
and he would not interfere, and to go ahead
and get match IL he could. CorDett prom
ised Mckenna that he would give Attell
the first chance at him. When | saw how
Mckenna had bested Harris L instantly
told him, and if Corbett meets him there
will be murder / wanted to put on the
gloves with Attell just TO show him up be-
fore Jack. He would not allow us, how
ever, and never willingly let us. box to-
gether until the time we met at the West
End Club several months ago before $4,000
house Well, finally Corbett went out to
Denver. Mckenna managed TO scrape to-
gether three tickets, and went right after
him. When we reached Denver, Corbett told
Jack that he did not like Attell and would
not meet him, but willing to take me
on Jack consented, as COrbett was not
nearly as heavy then as he rs now. L start
ed training for the fight, and at that time,
considering that most everybody thought
Corbett was not much of a fighter and had
bested McGovern by ffuke. | thought had
a good chance to win. L don know whether
il was lucky or unlucky for me, but the po-
lice interfered and stopped the boxing game
i'm Denver before the bout took place. At
tell is right after Corbett all the time. now
for match, and when we were out in Den
yer thought he was the boy that was going
to meet Corbett,- hut he wasn't.
."When Attell was in New York some time
ago. when he was matched to night Terry
McGovern, he went TO theater one day
and tried 10 get passed through. Who are
your said the ticket collector. Abe Attell,
he answered. L never heard of him, satd
McCiovern' said Abe in a dignifed tone.
We'll. if you are nervy enough TO think you
have any chance with McGovern. L suppose
we will have to let you through. said the
doorman, and the crowd Uttered, but Abe
brooklyn is certainly a great place. .
said Regain. II had some of the funniest
fights there and have to laugh when | think
Of them | remember one night | was fight
ing a fellow with quite a reputation. and
who was considerably heavier. During the
first part of the fight l did considerable
mixing with him, but he could hit like a
piledriver. so | saw that plan would never
do when | was almost ont. Then | started
STAYING away from my opponent, jabbing
him with my left continually | kept shoot
ing my left at him steadily, and l saw he
was getting madden each minute | was
to get by my guard and put me down. He
made a rush at me and | sent his head
back and what do you think the fellow
did? He stops still for a second, looks al
me and then turns to the referee and says
Il can't hit that fellow and walked To his
corner pulls off the gloves and jumps out
of the ring. Well, II ever ] felt happy and
surprised | did then.
.'StiIl | had hard luck previously TO that
I wa. only a kid at the time. but was
ambitious | found boy of my own weight
and we agreed 10 fight. We had some
tickets printed. and one Sunday pitched q
ring in an Enclosed vacant lot and started
at il. We had sold enough tickets between
us 20 bring the total purse to a considera bic
figure Well started after each other
i'm the dirt ring with skin-tght gloves. My
left hand was then. as we'll as now my
main reliance. This fellow had a counter
for my left down to perfection, however
Every time | woe,d lead with my left h.
would slip the blow and nearly cave in
my ribs with his right. He kept doing chi:
until 1 did not know whether / was deaC
or alive.
THE bout was TO have been a ten-rounC
affair In the tenth round he slipped my
| left. but I whipped my right up To his CHR
and caught him coming in with his RICH