The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-06-29
SPORTS

=
~e<e>e>s<e<e~e~o>e>e>e\o<s
Many strange things have taken
place in the ring" said Ben Benton of
Boston, to a coterie of friends gathered
at hotel in that city, but the strang-
est thing l can remember happened in
a fight in England some time in 1887.
The affair in question came off at Bob
by Habbijam's club, known as the
West End School of Arms, London.
The club was a sort of developing
school for a number of noted English
pugilists. Dick Burge, Billy Plimer,
Charley Mitchell, Sam Blakelock, Jem
Smith and Pedliar Palmer all got
their first experience there. 1t was a
sort of exclusive organization, seating
at best about 500 persons, and from
this club the idea of starting the Pei
lean A. c. and the National Sporting
club, London, was suggested.
Dick Baxter and Jim Kenrick were
the principals. They were matched for
eight rounds and a crowd turned out
to see the men perform. From the
very first round the encounter was a
hot one and everyone expected to see
the battle go the limit. In the third
round the fun began. Leading with
the left, Baxter caught Kenrick on the
jaw with a vicious right swing. Ken
rick went down in a heap and fell flat
on his face. For all the world it look
ed like a knockout, but Kenrick sud-
denly got up and began to square off.
Both Men in a Daze
TT was evident that ne had been hit
preston in mis- eyes and he looked as
if another punch would settle him for
keeps. But before the spectators were
aware Kenrick let fly right and floor
ed Baxter. The latter Topped as if
he had been struck with an axe. He
fell as Kenrick had, right on his face.
The referee started to count him out,
but he suddenly arose and continued.
Kenrick mad not recovered from the
blow his rival had given him and Bax-
ter was in a muddled state himself
from the blow he had received. But,
there they were fighting away like mad
men, Keeling all over the ring. Despite
their grogginess, they did not fight
wildly. Both men We're clever and ex-
ercised all the skill they knew. Mind
you both were dazed, yet they fought
each other with science and care.
After a few seconds Baxter drop
ped Kenrick and the latter toppled
with such force that the thump could
be heard all over the house. He lay
there as if dead and it looked as if
nothing short of a miracle would
bring MIN to. But he got up in just
nine seconds and staggered all over
the ring. Baxter rushed, but Kenrick
swung and dropped him. Baxter was
down nine seconds also. He got up
and flew at his man viciously. Both
came together with a headon collision
and, countering each other with the
right, both went down and clean out.
1t was nearly ten minutes before they
revived, both scrambling to their feet
at the same time.
Nither Remembered the Fight
'"The crowd remained to hear the
referees decision, and naturally ne de-
cided it a draw. A peculiar thing about
it was that neither man remembered
what had happened after he was
knocked down the first time. Their
brains were so bewildered after the
final knockout that when they recov
cred their senses they were ready to
begin hostilities, thinking that they
had not as yet fought. The two pre-
vious rounds were forgotten and it re-
quired the best offices of their friends
and hackers to convince them that the
encounter was over and that they had
been engaged in one of the most SEN
sational battles ever decided up to that