Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-23
HOW BURNS BROKE
INTO THE FIGHT GAME

Now they say that Tommy Burns was
an accident. 1t seems that Tommy was
pretty big card when 1t came to play
ing lacrosse, and Noah Brusso. which is
Burns real name, made Gait, Ontario,
famous with his dashing playing. Down
in Detroit they were wild about the game.
and the Detroit team, having a lot OF
hard games ahead that they simply had
outside talent that they could slip into
the fray. They hit upon the plan of i'm
porting Burns. They had heard of the
great ability Of the Canuck. and they
figured that with him in the ranks they
would be about the smartest thing In the
lacrosse line.
So Tommy packs his little grip. leav-
ing his famous lacrosse sticks behind,
that he might not cause the anti-De-
troitite to become suspicious when he
doomed up on the horizon. He slipped
into Detroit on his toes. but his fame
tity became known. The amateur as
ISOLATION put it's thumb down upon poor
Tommy in flash. They barred hin,
on the spot, and Burns was about ready
to repack his old carpet bag and go back
home.
A quick council of war was held and
so was Tommy. They sailed him away
and then came along a great set of
games with London. Then the willy De-
troit managers got busy They took
walked out Of the place fifteen minutes
later he had grown a large dark mus
tache. Burns took one peek in mirror
before going on the field and he failed
to recognize himself. Nor did any Of the
other players.
Tommy Plays in Disguise.
Then the game was on. and the mys-
terious gentleman with the beautiful silky
mustache was the bright particular star
of the game. He was here, there and
everywhere. Oh, then an awful thing
happened! In a particularly hot. scrim-
mage the rambunctious stranger got a
clodt alongside of the face with a lacrosse
stick and off flew the mustache.
Then there was a rumpus. The opposite
team recognized him in flash. They
bounced upon him like pack of human
wolves and dragged him off the field. A
big athletic scandal followed and Burns
found himself barred from the games for
good about that town.
I'll ever play the blooming game
again. said Tommy, as he walked into
the Detroit Athletic Clubs gymnasium.
The first man he ran into was Jack Col
Inns. the athletic director. Collins had
been something of a boxer in his day,
and he liked Burns makeup the minute
he spotted him. Look here. bub, why
don't you take up boXing?" said Collins.
You have a magnificent build and you
are in superb condition and you're nat
urally fast"
He dug up set of gloves and Burns
had started on the career that has ended
in his becoming the kingpin Of the whole
world Collins taught him the game step
by step, and Burns gradually learned to
be Il rather shifty sort of pupil. He COM
menced to meet outsiders in the suburbs
of Detroit. His first real battle was with
Ed Sholtreau, a Frenchman. at the De-
troll: Athletic Club. about six years ago.
Champion Wanted to Quit.
In the fourth round Burns lost his nerve
completely. and began to set up an awful
howl to the excited Collins every time he
returned to his corner. He had received a
goodly number of jolts, and he insisted
that he wasn't cut out for a pugilist after
all Collins allowed that he was, and
threatened to give rim a thrashing IL he
didn't go back into the fight.
Burns thought that he might as we'll
take one beating instead OF two, so he
went after the Frenchman, and managed
to earn a draw. 1t was quite an accom-
plishment for Burns at that time, as his
experienced opponent was hard man to
beat. Later they sent him after the same
man. and Burns beat him handily in eight
for that first fight. He had numerous
bouts after that, his share of the re-
ceipts being less than SO He liked the
sport and stuck to it. He got a match
with Mike Schreck. and although he lost,
he jumped into fame in one night. He
drifted to Indianapolis, and changed his
name to Tommy Burns. He fought his