The Washington herald., 1908-01-07
Last Battle Fought by Negro
Feather-weight.
WORLDS CHAMPION FOR YEARS
HLittIe Chocolate" Earned Thou
sands of Dollars in Ring, bat Lost
All i'm DissipattOn-Death Occurs
in New York Hospital OF Heart
FaiIure-His Ring Career.

former feather-weight champion of the
world, died in Bellevue Hospital this aft
ernoon from an attack of heart disease,
supernduced by acute alcoholism.
Dixon was taken to the hospital last
Saturday night in bad shape. He ap-
peaTed to be suffering from infiammatory
rheumatism, and told the physicians that
his condition was due to a long battle
with John Barleycarn.'
He became dangerously i'll Sunday night
and passed away at > o'clock this after
noon. Dixon was conscious to the last
he was practically penniless and had
been deserted by former friends some
time ago.
Probably no greater pugilist ever lived
than Little Chocolate" as ring followers
used TO call him. lie was always on the
square and never took part in a fake
fight. He was undisputed champion in
his class until Terry McGovern stopped
him in eight rounds at the Broadway
Athletic Club in 1890.
Dixon was born in Halifax. Nova SEQ
tia in 1870 After taking part in many
small ring contests he was picked up by
Tom ORourke who is in England at
present. and was finally matched to fight
Cal. Mccarthy for the feather-weight
championship in 1891 After a fierce battle
Dixon beat Mccarthy in twenty-five
rounds. That was the beginning of his re-
maTkable ring career.
Won Title In 1891.
Before 1891 ended, he had beaten such
fighters as Martin Flaherty, Marcellus
Baker Eugene Hornbacher. Nick Collins
Abe Willis and Frank Wall His most
important mill in 1892 was with Fred
Johnson, the Englishman, who was
stopped in fourteen rounds.
The following year Dixon knocked out
Eddie Pierce at COney Island i'm three
rounds and Solly Smith at the same place
in seven. But he was outponted by Billy
Plummer, OF England in a four-round
bout
In 1894 Dixon fought a twenty-round
draw with Young Griffo, the marvellous
Australian boxer. with whom he fought
another draw Of twenty-five rounds in
1879, which was followed shortly by a
third draw of ten rounds II was in this
year that Dixon beat Johnny Grimm on
a decision in twenty 1--WE rounds, and also
rounds.
jerry Marshall, tough negro. was
stopped in seven rounds in 1856, after
which Dixon fought a six-rond draw
with Pedlar Palmer the English cham
piOn. He also got a decision over Mar
tin Flaherty and Tony White in thirty
round contests, but in a similar affair
with Erne the verdict went against
Dixon, causing much unfavorable com
ment. But Dixon got another crack at
ETne in 1887 and beat him in twenty-five
rounds. He also defeated SoIly Smith in
twenty rounds, and knocked out Aus
tralian Billy Murphy in six.
SOIIy Smith Got Verdict.
Twenty-round drawn battles with Jack
Downey and Dal Hawkins followed after
which Solly Smith got verdict over
Dixon in a fight of similar length
Dixon outpointed Eddie Lantry, of Chi
cago. in 1888 in twenty rounds, and Oscar
Gardner, the Omaha kid, in twenty y-hve.
He won on a foul from Dave Sullivan in
ten rounds, fought twenty-round draw
with Tony White, and lost a decision TO
Ben Jordan of England, in twenty-five
rounds. In 1859 he knocked out Young
Pluto in ten rounds and Sam BOlen in
three lie also outpOinted Kid Broad in
twenty rounds, Toe Bernstein in twenty
five. Tony White in twenty, VIII Cuslay,
of England in twenty-five; Eddie Lantry
in six and Eddie Tenny in twenty-five
Dixon was at the top Of the down grade
in 1870. He had been living high and had
neglected his training, but he willingly
took on Terry McGovern who was treat
ing aIl-cOmers just then with a knock
out, The men fought for the feather
weight championship of the world and
weighed ,iH at us pounds. McGovern was
the aggressor, and when Dixon had been
beaten into helpless condition in the
eighth round 0'ROuTke threw up the
sponge
Dixon after d long rest, came back to
the ring in 1901, and fought two draws
with Abe Attell, the present feather
weight champion, one of ten rounds and
IN other Of twenty, but he was afterward
beaten by Attell in fifteen rounds, also by
Young Corbett in ten, Benny Yanger in
fifteen, and Old Austin Rice in twenty.
Defeats PedIar Palmer.
After Indifferent success in the early
part of 1902. Dixon went to England
where he was defeated By Pedlar Palmer
in q fifteen-round affair. and fought a
fifteen-round draw with VIII Curley. He
remained in England all through 1903
where he lost to Spike Robson, Ben Jor-
dan, Pedlar Palmer. and Digger Stanley,
but afterward managed to get decisions
over Palmer in twenty rounds and Cock
ney Cohen in fifteen.
The next year ne defeated Robson in
England in eleven rounds, and stopped
rounds. 1t was soon after that Dixon re-
turned home here a physical wreck He
stuck TO the ring, however, as means OF
livelihood. and took part in numerous con-
tests with second and third raters.
When benefit was held in Madison
Square Garden last year for Terry Me-
Govern Dixon was introduced, and a num-
ber of generous sporting men promptly
made up a purse of $500 for him.
II has often been estimated that Dixon
won close 20 100000 in the ring. But
O'Rourke. his manager. took a good slice
of this amount Dixon was always a
spendthTift, but he never refused a friend
in need
He said the other day that about the
only one who stuck 10 him in the hour
of need was John I. Sullivan. ORourke
went 10 England last year with Joe
Rogers, who was recently matched tC
wrestle George Hackenschmidt, the Rus.
sian lion, in London. But Dixon's former
manager did not have a fat bank rol
when he sailed.
Champion TrOtter Goes Abroad.
Lexington, Ky. Jan. 6-John Splan
this city. has bought OF Lon Mcdonald
for $500 the five-year-old roam stallion
Codero. 2:o9sa, by Bingen. 2:O64. dam Jay