Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-20
THE PUGILISTS
JACK O'BRIEN
 WORLD BEATER
Not in Fighting But in Excuses What Dr. 0rdway Says of the
 Burns.Moir Contest


 one thing, and that is his originality in offering excuses. We all know that Jack is commercial man" for he has said so himself and good ness knows that Philadelphia Jack" would not say anything about him. self that was not strictly true.
 After his fight with Bill Heveron in Philadelphia last week, O'Brien decided that he could not keep an en- gagement to fight Jack Johnson, so the day after the Heveron battle he sent word to Sam Fitzpatrick, John sons manager, to that effect, adding that he would be around later with a feasible excuse for calling off the bout.
 OBrien knows that Johnson can beat him easily. He admitted this as fact on one occasion when John- son held his little entertainment with Sailor Burke as partner.
 Why shouldn't he be able to beat me?" were O'Brien's very words. "He is every bit as clever and as fast as I am and he has the advantage of be- ing about twenty pounds heavier. So what chance would I stand against him?" But of course this thought never entered his head nor had any thing to do with his recent actions in regard to his match with Johnson
 Now it happened that Sam Fitz- patrick had been seated at the ring side when O'Brien gracefully bowed his acknowledgements to the Quak' lyn terrible Heveron cold in the tirs1 round. The fight was so short thai Sam decided that he had not received his moneys worth, so he visited O'Brien's dressing room.
 Philadelphia Jack" was laughing and chatting the while he arrayet himself in his street clothes, tied hi shoe laces and otherwise testified hi ambidexterity by standing before ; tiny mirror and tying his necktie Now anybody that has ever seer OBrien knows that Jacks necktie i a most complicated affair, and ex ceedingly difficult to tie. Neverthe less, Jacks valet being absent tn commercial man" finally arranged it immediately himself.
 True to his word, as he always is IO'Brien waited upon Fitzpatrick tn next day and when they met "Phila delphia Jack" wearing a gorgeon , tie and a most pitiful expression c pain, mutely held forth his righ hand, showing it heavily coated wit iodine and allowing it to plead for il self. But Fitzpatrick demanded fur ther explanation by asking what all meant.
 "Tt means" said O'Brien and hi voice trembled with suppressed pair "it means that my hand is broken an that I cannot possibly fight again fo several weeks or months-I shous say, months. I sustained the injur in the battle with Heveron and tn pain was so excruciating that l coul hardly stand after the fight"
 But Fitzpatrick is not aesthetic a all, so he bluntly demanded:
 How the-er-did you succeed i tying your shoe string last nigh And above all how did yop manage | wrap that bib around your neck i that artistic style if your hand wa broken? Answer me that, will you saw you do it last night after tn fight, for as you know l was in you dressing room."
 And then came the answer tha stamps MT Philadelphia Jack O'Brien as individually supreme a champion excuse maker.
 .Why. Mr Fitzpatrick said h you see. in the excitement of bein yindicated in the eyes of my cOur trymen. as l was by winning las nights battle. I never thought of m injury"
 Is it any wonder that Sam thre' up the sponge?
 Dr Ordway. the well known an wealthy American sporting mar who is a member of the Nationa Sporting club Of London, has r6 turned home. and gives some insid facts about the Burns-Moir battle He tells the Boston Globe that Burn made a bad impression on the men hers of the club by his roughshO manners, and that it is doubtful the club will offer him anothe purse.
 When Burns reached his col ner." said Ordway. he yelled in rasping voice to the referee, askin if the money was in his hands. Whe the referee said it was not, Burn said:
 Well. I want to see that none l aF h1 hnfnw I put up my hands. Now tha goes
 The president of the club wante to give the seat holders their none back and call the bout of. but LOT I,ousdaIe and other members of tn club persuaded the president not take such action, and Lonsdale pT up the money
 It has been the custom of Jh Britons to treat the victor in a bOT in that club with the greatest COT sideration. and that without refer euee to whether he was an Englisf man or an American. but after th Burus-Moir battle not a member ( tbe club went near Burns. who va permitted to retire from the buiI' , ing accompanied only by his maj ageT.
 Before the night of the batt5 when there was a meeting to seles A referee. Burns shocked the OHeial of the club by his talk
 Now. have been done all I al going to be done said Burns. Eit , a warning look st the cluster of cal itslists who were listening to th hzrrsngue in sms1ement- n . American chzmp5On evidently meal if as a notice to them that the l ---ra =. -E- hs-- --s E.- -.-----