Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-22
GETS STATEMENT
FROM RLNGSlDE
Chicago Boy Big Favorlte at Milwau-
kee Fight--Sentinei Man Says
Sier Stretched Statements
In Criticism

So many arguments have come up
over the recent contest between Packey
Mcfarland and Freddy Welsh, the
clever Englishman, held few days
ago in Milwaukee, that Otto Floto of
the Denver Post was obliged to get
statement of Tom Andrews, the well
known critic OF the Milwaukee Sentinel,
who was at the ringside, to give out his
version of the match. He says:
"a great deal has been written and
various opinions expressed about the
recent McFarland-Welsht ten-round con-
test in Milwaukee, but the fans must
be considered, too. The fans are pretty
good judges. and they are not always
wrong, no matter whether 1t happens to
be a home boy on the losing end or not.
In this case both We're outside boys, and
consequently the fans had little pref
erence; in fact, Mcfarland was big
favorite in Milwaukee and was well
backed Welsh was admired for his
manly behavior and splendid fights he
put up against Charlie Neary and Maui
rice Sayers, both home boys. 1t was
natural, then, that Mcfarland, being
a Chicago boy, and Welsh foreigner,
that the fans should be about evenly
divided in their selections of favorite.
However, after the battle there were
fully forty-fve out of every fifty of
Milwaukee fans who openly said Welsh
ndu D6eH lOultd NY 4htf oAiohNB Niio
also that q draw would have been fair
to both. And the fans judged very
closely. The Chicago writer's naturally
favored Mcfarland, and they surely
made a native SON out of him. A fair
criticism is all right, but George Siler.
the we'll known writer, certainly
stretched it when he penned his criti-
cism. If Mr.. Siler had been present to
witness the battle 1T could be over
looked, but he was in Florida at the
time and did not even see the men. He
says Packeys victory was decisive
enough to meet the approval of ALL
which is the reverse of the feeling of
Milwaukee fans. He says: 1T was
good thing Welsh recovered his feet in
the fourth round after being knocked
down. as otherwise Mcfarland would
not have received full credit for his
victory Welsh and his seconds claimed
foul but the blow was fair, as was
denoted by Freddie's actions directly
he perceived he could not hoodwink the
referee. Some fighters get away with
such plays at times Well, the blow
was foul, as DR.. Frew claimed, after
examining Welsh, but Fred made no
play whatever to win on a foul, but he
tried to protest McFarland's tactics.
Mr.. Siler says further in his articles:
The collision of heads in the eighth
round, which resulted in Packey receiv-
ing cash over his left eye, was more
or less intentional on the part OF the
stranger, although considered acci-
dental Such was not the case, and
Mcfarland himself said the cut was
received from one of Welsh's chop
blows 1t was said Welsh could not
break pane of glass with his blows.
but in the eseventh, after partially re-
covering from the effects of the blow in
the groin. ne sent Mcfarland stagger-
ing across the ring with a right to the
jaw. Packey Mcfarland put up good
battle and deserved lots of credit
against such clever man as Welsh.
He was lacking in just one thing to
make him a great fighter-lack of a
knockout punch. Welsh offered to
make a return match with Mcfarland
for any number of rounds, winner take
all, and offered TO back himself for any
amount. In fact he made such an i'm
preston on the Milwaukee public as n
good, game sport that they are crazy
to see him In action again and have
plenty of the coin to back him.