The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-12
4LCOTT LUED on ICE.
How the Giant Killer" Made the weight
TO Fight Kid LaVlgne

10 flgnl hlu laNlgne.
A dispute between sporting men as to tn,
weight scaled by Joe Wacott and Kic
Lavigne in their memorable fight at Mas.
peth in 1875 has been settled by Tavikne'4
old manager, Sam Fitzpatrick, who handled
the former lightweight champion on tina,
occasion This i the way Fitzpatrick
explained the details at the scales
La vigne and Walcott were to weigh in
AZ q o'clock in the evening Of the battle
at 1873 pounds each or less. They weighed
in az a we'll known Turkish bath house
and neither scaled 1873. After each had
been weighed, Tom O'Rourke, who was
Walcotts manager. said
Joe, step on the scales and show them
what you really do weigh
-Walcott jumped back on the scales and
be tipped the beam at exactly 1871 pounds
| then said TO Lavigne:
Step on the scales, Kid and as he
did 80 It was seen that he too weighed
1910 As soon as they had been weighed
Walcott dashed into a BOwery hotel and
threw a good square meal into himself
1t was the first hearty meal that he had
eaten that day. The Kid had consumed
two good meals ON the other hand. while
Walcott. IN his eageTness to keep down to
l33 pounds. had not taken even a drink
Of water. but had sucked chopped ice all
day.
Two hours before weighing in time
saw Walcott going about his hotel carrying
a pitcher NJ cracked ice. O'RourSe who
was with him. laughed and said
A both boys are here now. we might
ms well weigh in without further delay
To which / responded
We will weigh in at exactly O. Tom
No earlier O'Rourke smiled, hut Walcott
did not, A short time previous ! had
written 10 Jim Kennedy. the manager Of
the Empire A. C., which pulled OH the fight
81. I 4 l.a. 10 Vol
make the weight. We had 800 forfeit up
TO make 80 pounds. and notified Kennedy
that II Walcoit did not scale under those
figures we would claim his forfeit and
there would be no fight still have 3 letter
from O'Rourke in my possession Offering
to forfeit the $500 II I would lei Wnlcoti
weigh in al 1875 pounds. concluded thai
II il was worth 500 10 O'Hourke IT was
worth 500 70 me 20 keep NalcOtt down,
so I declared that 1t would have 10 he 1874
pounds or no fight.
There was no purse offered. The men
fought for N per cent Of the gross re-
ceipts. | had put up my $500 against
ORourke's 81 900 that Lay-igne would stay
the fifteen rounds. which was the stipula-
ton p j. Dwyer handed me the 800
when he heard O'Rourke make the crack
that he was willing 10 make such bet.
As is the usual thing with Dwyer when he
stakes u friend that way, he took down his
$500 after Layigne won and gave the $1,000
to me TO spnt up win lne ma. ~ was
very cold night and the house had turned
ont 10 be below expectations, but the fight
was the hottest thing that was ever seen
in ring. | have seen nearly oil OF them,
and | still maintain that il was the best
glove fight that ever took place in this or
any other country.
II has often been set mp as q fact that
Walcott and Iavigne We're never the same
pugilists afterward. For year at least
both men we're aiiing. Walcott narrowly
,aca ped a knock out in the last round, hut
i has alwaysd Q n the contention Of sport
ng men who sLw the mill that the colorrd I
,ugilist was greatly weakened by the
weight limit. to reach which he was COM
Delled 10 practically starve himself.