Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-11-06
THE PuaulsTs.
Supentitions That Take Hold of the
 Best Boxers in the Country.

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 Best Boxers in the Country.
 It Is often said that pugilists. like gamblers and sailors, are supersti- tlous. The colored fighters are par ticularly so, for some of them have been known to back out of contest at the last moment because they ran up against some bad omen. Big Jack Johnson, who is matched to fight Tommy Burns, never enters the ring before hiding rabbits foot In the colors he wears around his waist. Joe Cans always put lucky pocket silver piece, which he won in his
 first mill, in his belt just as he climbed through the ropes, Joe Vol colt, once giant killer. never failed to have a miniature horseshoe tuck ed away in his breechclout.
 John l.. Sullivan in all of his bat ties wore pair of green trunks, in the belt of which was talisman which his mother gave to him when he first entered the professional arena. Game Jack Dempsey, the Nonpareil, would not agree to tackle the easiest kind of mark unless he had on his famous black tights in which he won some 60 battles. But the tights lost their magic charm the night that Fitzsimmons knocked Dempsey out and also broke his heart.
 Charley Mitchell, the former Eng lish champion, had mortal fear of meeting crosseyed woman on the day or night of a fistic encounter in which he engaged. He always in- sisted that such woman meant sure defeat. The night he was to meet Sullivan for the second time in Mad ison Square garden. Mitchell met crosseyed red haired woman in Fifth avenue and almost collapsed. He dashed back around the corner at top speed, crossing his fingers sev- eral times.
 'She nailed me with her bad eye" he walled. "and I'm under bloom in spell, I'm sure!"
 Sullivan, as 1t turned out, was in no condition to go to the Garden and there was no fight.
 ll WdS tH4 NlobeTyCu wv man that queered the whole show" exclaimed Mitchell as he left the Garden in disgust, for he believed that he had John l.. out of shape and was ready to beat the big fellow down and out.
 When Jack McAuliffe was light, weight champion he always wore a pair of dark blue trunks. One night they were partly burned in a small fire at McAuliffe's home and he was heartbroken. At last he decided to have what was left of the trunks made over into new pair, which he wore in his memor- able battles with Jem Carney. Young Griffo and Billy Myer, the Streator Cyclone.
 Bob Fitzsimmons is a believer in dreams. Long before he won the championship form Corbett at Carson City he predicted the victory. He said he had a dream in which he won decisively. Fitz has since declared that he never won a fight in his life without first having lucky dream. Fitz also had what he said was charm that protected him from in- jury. It was the tip of kangaroo's ear, and the Cornishman wore it beneath his belt in all of his ring battles.
 There are great many pugilists who refuse to sign articles of agree ment or to fight on Friday, hang mans day" they call it. Among them them are Tommy Burns, Dick Fly land, Jimmy Britt, Abe Attell, Billy l Kid Goodman, Sailor Burke, Packey Mcfarland, Owen Moran, Bill | Papke, Hugo Kelly and Battling Nell son.
 Some fighters are superstitious in | regard to Jonah" seconds. They | dodge the handlers who have been | behind losers. Some seconds seem to | have a streak of bad luck, and as a result they find it a difficult matter to get job behind good man. In | some cases inexperienced seconds are preferred to "Jonahs'.' John l.. Sullivan seldom acted as an adviser ! or second that his men did not lose. He was behind Dempsey when F1tz licked him; behind Mike Cleary when Mitchell bested him; with Joel | Skelly when he lost to George Dixon; with Joe Lannon when he was de- feated by George Godfrey; with the late Spider Weir when he was knock ed out by Australian Billy Murphy, and behind Peter Maher when Fitx | put him away the first time at New Orleans. Sullivan, like many other | lighters, is poor picker of winners. |
 Tommy Burns likes nothing better than to find horseshoe when train ing for battle. The horseshoe has made hit with other pugs, too. who usually nail one over the door of their l training quarters.
 Meeting funeral Is always re- garded as direful thing by pugilists Sullivan met funeral the day he was beaten by Corbett at New Or | leans and he said then and there that he would meet his Waterloo. Other boxers are superstitious about l lucky and unlucky corners in the ring. Some of them always try ,to enter the ring first so that they can secure what they believe is the | lucky chair" It has often been the | ease that in dispute over the favor