Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-11
RING SECONDS
ARE VOLUBLE
0FTTIMES THE CORNER MEN
PROVE HINDRANCE
Cool and Experienced Handlers Realize
the Critical Moments When Advice
Is Necessary--Too Much Talk
ing Prevails Generally

Someone has said, more or less APP
propriately, that strawberries may
come and Strawberries may go, but
prunes are with us always. An appro-
pirate paraphrase on this would be,
Boxers may come and boxers may go,
but the slant-head handler" etc, etc.
Some men have no more idea of how
to second q boxer than a rabbit. First
Of all, they are totally ignorant of the
duties OF a handler so to alibi them
selves, they make a lot of noise, throw
sponges and towels around promiscu-
ously and spout water like q whale.
They do more harm than good and are
only in the way To second a man
properly Is pretty nearly a science and
requires vast knowledge of the game.
1t isn't necessary to have six or eight
men in a corner-three, or possibly
four are enough. One with the sponge,
who advises and Is the main boss man,
bottle man and couple of men to
handle the towels. You don't see
whole army in the corner when Tom
ORourke, Sam Fitzpatrick, Joe Choyn-
ski, Billy Delaney, Billy Madden or any
other noted handler Is behind man; 1t
isn't necessary
Coaching from the corner, at times,
is beneficial to the man fighting, but
continual bowling of silly and senseless
things is like shooting at the moon with
toy pistol. M a hard fight a manls
time and thoughts are pretty well taxi
en- up looking after his opponent, and
he hears but little of what Is shouted
from his corner.
1t takes his mind off his work when
he tries to listen and oftentimes results
disastrously, as he is liable to be
copped at any moment. The night Am
by McGarry boxed Hook Keys. the
Australian, at Essington, one of the
Co., L.. 10 IAa fftr1
hibition of sane, sensible work in cor
ner.
While every one of the twenty rounds
was being boxed he did nothing but
shout in loud rasping voice, "Knock
him out, Amby." Probably fifty times
to the round. with grand aggregate
of 1000. 1t did absolutely no good and
annoyed everybody in the ring, includ-
ing McGarry himself.
Joe Choynski, one of the greatest Sec
onds who ever handled man and who
is given credit for saving Bob Fitzsim-
mons from defeat in the first round Of
his battle at New Orleans with Peter
Maher, has the right idea. He doesn't
believe in spectacular pyrotechnics
when he is in a corner.
He works quietly, but with rare judg-
ment, and after he has minute to
work with man between rounds he
generally sends him out fresher than
when he came in. Seconds who do
not know their business are detri-
ment rather than benefit to a man
fighting" said the veteran ringster.
ITO start off with, a man who is win
ming doesn't need any handling or ad-
vice.
80 long as he is going along strongly
and nicely, all you need to do is to
sponge off his face and head; (, let him
rinse his mouth with water, and fan
him a bit. For advice, You're doing
| finely or You'll get him sure will
suffice. It is when man is being pun
ished and his brain is added that he
needs attention.
"At those times a cool second who
knows just what to do can be of incal-
culable benefit to a man. First, let
him sit down, give him plenty of fresh
air and help him physically in every
other way possible, using the smelling
bottle when necessary.
after he is in pretty fair shape, say
during the last ten or fifteen seconds,
give him a few instructions that your
cool judgment suggests. At this time
his mind is tolerably clear and he can
understand what you say. When he
first comes to the corner he is groggy
and can't. Occasions have arisen where
an army of seconds, after a fierce rally
in which their man was bested, rush
into the ring like a wild horde, grab
their man, slam him in his chair, souse
water all over him until he could not
catch his breath, pull him and mess
him and haul him about in a frightful
manner, not even having sense enough
to give him what he needed most-a
momentary rest and little fresh air.
"As a natural consequence, instead
Of benehting. him, he was in worse
shape when he left the corner than
when he came to IT,"