Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-07
FATAL BLOWS IN PUCILISN
BsrsrI Who Have Dealt Them Seldom Quit
from Rsmorgs,
EFFECT or FATAL KNOCKOUT ON WINNER
FitHsimmons, Lavtgne, Gardner and
Root After killing Opponents
All DID Remarkable work
In the Rims.


Some followers OF pugilism have eH-
pressed the opinion that when a boxer
IL dhluclSy enough TO kill an opponent
I In a Elove contest he becomes 30 dis
heartened that he can never display the
old spirit and dash In the ring again
Yet this IL not always the rule. Fight
Ing with the average puEilist Is a profess
sion, not q pastime. Once In awhile there
IL a contest in which the men show a bit
terness Of feeling due to the prevalence
OF bad blood, and deliberately try TO in
fict harmful injuries, but on the whole
fighters box strictly on their merits for
the money there IL IN Il and the reputa-
tion that goes with a victory. There are
cases where a puEilist who has landed
a fatal knockout punch has lost heart
thereafter and has quit the game, but
they are comparatively few at that.
When Leslie Pierce ended the life Of
Bill Vernon with a heavy blow on the
Jaw he soon retired from the ring Jimmy
Barry, the former bantam champion. went
on with several battles after he had
killed walter Croot In England, but he
was never the same and soon got out
Of the game 1t was In 1889 that Barry
came east and Joined sharkey, Dixon,
Eddie Connolly, Lavigne and others at
their training quarters on staten island.
He intended to ft himself there for sew
sral important fights, but he began TO
brood over the death of Croot and con-
cluded after a weeks stay that he had
had enough. Frank Mcconnell IL am
other boxer who was never the same after
his fatal bout with Jim Franey These
are the exceptions to the rule, however,
for on the other hand there are numerous
instances OF boxers who have killed OPP
ponents in the ring doing better work
than ever before when they have resumed
operations.
It was after Robert Fitssimmons had
killed his sparrinE partner, Con Riordan,
in a friendly bout at Syracuse that he
earned a greater part Of his fame, for he
defeated Peter Maher. Jim Daily, Gus
Rubin, Sharkey, George Gardner and
others, to say nothing of capturing the
heavyweight title when he stopped Cor
bett at Carson City.
Oscar Gardner also did some remark
able lighting after a fatal bout with
George Stout in Columbus nine years ago.
Since that Gardner has taken part in sixty
fights, the best OF his opponents being
Tommy White, Harry Forbes. Tim Gaia
han Marty MoCue, Jack Hamilton, Billy
0'Donnell, Martin Flhherty, Jack o'Brien,
solly Smith. Tommy Hogan, Dave sulli-
van. George Dixon. Sammy Kelly, Sam
Bolen, Terry McGovsrn, Jerry Marshall,
Patsy Haley Joe Bernstein. Eddie San
try, Kid Broad. Billy Barrett Eddie Len
ney, Jack McClelland, Gene Bezenah. Joe
Hopkins and Joe Fairburn.
vigne struck Andy Bowen q fatal blow that
many believed would wind up the career
OF the Saginaw puEilist. For several
months Lavlsne worried over the affair
and remained in retirement. but he was
finally induced to meet Jerry Marshall.
Then he got back to form without further
delay. He beat Jack Everhardt and Jimmy
Handler, after which, he fought draws
with Marshall and Young Critic, the Aus
tralian. After that he beat Walcott in the
memorable battle at Maspeth. Laytgne
then went to England and defeated Dick
BurEe, following which were victories over
Everhardt, Mcfarland, Connolly, Walcott
and Tracey, and draws with Jack Nc
Auliffe, Tommy Ryan, Charley McKeever,
Owen ZieGler, Jack DAILY and Frank Erne,
to whom Lavigne lest the lightweight cham
pionship at Buffalo in a twenty round
bout
Jack Root Of Chicago was instrumental
in bringing about the death of Tom Lam
sinK, yet since then he has taken part In
ATTY ring contests, meeting Such men as
Australian Jim Ryan, Billy suft Frank
Craig, Aleck GreEEains, Tony West, Dick
O'Brien, Dan Crsedon, George Byers, Kid
Carter, Marvin Hart, John wilt and
others
II is a peculiar fact that some Of the
hardest hitters never have been mixed UP In
a fatality. II probably Is because they have
been extremely lucky. In many cases It
"a not the blow on the jaw or over the
heart or in the pit Of the stomach that
causes death, but It Is the fall which in
svitabIy follows when a man Is In groggy
state and is practically "out' on his feet.
Then in nine cases out OF ten his head
strikes the floor, which, II not sunoiently
well padded, brings on a fracture of the
skull and conclusion of the BRAIN Wide
awake referees can often prevent fatal ao-
cidents by stopping fights when one or the
nrinclpals Is in bad shape, but such ot1-
cials are few and far between. Such slug
GERS as Jsffrtes, Maher. Waieott, Wild Bill
Hanrahan, MeGovern, Cans, Ryan and Mo-
Gov never indicted injuries that even. APP
preached being fatal. But other heavy
nunohers have been on the anxious seat
more than once when beaten Opponents
have been unconscious In hospitals for
hours