Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-27

men too dangerous for his small size.
Once In the Pennsylvania lumber re-
gions a strapping big fellow came TO
the show one afternoon and wanted to
box Dixon that night. He was six feet
high and a powerfully built man.
O'Rourke met him and said that before
he could be expected to box in public
with the champion he must first show
that he was good enough for such a
high honor by defeating some man of
less reputation, and Tom arranged for
him to box Joe Walcott, the giant kill
err as he was then beginning to be
called. Walcott knocked the lumber
man out in three rounds, and the big
fellow, who had never seen Dixon,
went away remarking: "If a second
rate fighter like Walcott could knock
me out so quickly, what would have
happened to me had l been put in the
ring with the real champion?" And
he went back to the woods, thinking
himself very lucky man that he had
gotten away without having been
killed, and O'Rourke was counting
himself lucky in getting rid of a big
fellow who would have been hard
one for Dixon to handle, and a man
on whom George might have broken
his hands in trying to save the money
which he and O'Rourke were offering
to any one who could stay four rounds
with the little colored champion, who
only weighed out of condition about
100 pounds, and who would have looked
like q midget in front of the ambitious
big woodchopper.
O'Rourke Went Broke
Dixon was making so much money
that he found it hard to get rid of
and he became o reckless spender He
was fond of champagne and liked to
buy great quantities of it for himself
and his friends. He became a heavy
7rinker and was on the down grade, in
spite of all the warnings of O'Rourke,
when he was defeated by Terry Nc
Govern at Madison Square garden jan
uary 8, 1900. After that O'Rourke
fitted up a fine saloon for him on the
east side in New York, and he could
have had the most prosperous place OF
the kind il that city had he taken
care of it. But he continued drinking
heavier than ever, and the place was
finally sold out. O'Rourke then took
hold of Dixon and actually kept him,
while he retained his hotel on Broad
way. But Dixon fell so low that he
became a detriment to the place and an
injury to the business and Tom was
forced to part with him. In the mean
time Dame Fortune began to froWn
on O'Rourke himself. He became in
volved in stock speculations and sew
eral business ventures which turned
out badly and he finally went broke
and had to start out again making a
living for himself. He wrote series
of articles for a New York paper or
the great fighters he had handled and
started {. private boxing club on the
membership plan. The place was only
moderato success, and, as the graft
ing of the police officials began to gel
very burdensorne. O'Rourke interested
himself in a big young fellow named
! Joe Rogers, who had fair knowledge
of boxing and wrestling, and deter
mined to try his fortunes in England
The pair ara at present in that coun
try. Rogers has done considerable
work in tn, music halls, but 1t is no
klikely that the trip has been a bis
money maker for them. One o.
| O'Rourke's principal objects in taking
Rogers to England was to get figh
with GunneS Moir, with the hope tina
| if Rogers wop he could be brough
back here to be matched with jim
Jeffries, whom O'Rourke thought HI
could fore back into the fightint
game. Bl the scheme did not g
through as scheduled, for Tomm,
| Burns beat Rogers to 1t and secured
fthe match with Moir, whose easy de
feat robbed any further matches o.
| interest and Left Jeffries still in retire
ment, where he is likely to remain fol
| the rest of his DAYS