The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-01-05

and nv home is in Grand Rapids
Mich was born on April IA, 1885, In
GERMANY. coming to this country When
a mere tot and am, consequently, In
nv ed year. l was never known ny
the name of DAILY or any other name,
save on one occasion, when l took the
Mace of a man named Berry in a
wrestling bout and was called Berry
for a while by the residents OF oa-
vannah. where the bout took place.
am the oldest of seven children, all OF
whom, like my father ana mother, are
big and strong.
"Since I have been successful at the
boxing game several instructors claim
the credit of teaching me thel art. wen,
I never had a boxing lesson. All 1
know about boxing came to me from
boyish bouts l used to have with my
chum, Stanley Ketchell with whom 1
worked side by side in a brush factory
in our home town. Ketchell and were
going to run away from home and go
to the Pacific coast to take up hgnt-
ing, being ring struck just as other
kids get stage struck or nun ava! 10
| fight Indians.
"Mr. Kubiak, Sr, heard of our
plans, and / got my first defeat rlgnt
| then and there. Suffice it to say, l DID
| not GO Ketchell did, however, and To-
day is the champion and a rich man.
| am tired of home life. Grand Rapids
! seemed to grow smaller as L grew
bigger. so at Is / ran off and enlisted
| in the army and was assigned t" lie
coast artillery. My father was very
angry when he found out 1 had joined
| the soldiers and was going to invoke
| the aid of a Michigan senator to have
| me discharged because 1 was not OF
age. but he was persuaded to let me
roll my hoop, and he did. After some
| little service 1 was transported to FLO
rida, and it was there l took to boxing
and wrestling, the officers and men
e,1uirping a fine gymnasium where
nightly bouts were held
There were some clever wrestlrs
| and boxers there, and l learned SO fast
I that / was soon the champion of the
! island, and was elected gymnasium in
! structor. When 1 served out my en-
! listment / returned home and my ath-
! letic ability got me job as Grand
Rapids policeman. L also played ball
| with the best independents team in
| the town. Grand Rapids, like Phila-
| delphia, has a fine police force. Every
man must have some athletic and mil
| itary knowledge, and l was very pop
! ular with my fellow officers / tired
| of the job of & cop, however, and af-
| ter a years service lacked it up with
| many an arrest to my credit. l went
south again for the double purpose
of trying to sign with one of the clubs
in the South Atlantic Baseball league
and to see many good friends there.
Il ran over to Charleston and
there met Pat Meaney, a wllknoWn
! and dservedly popular Philadelphia
ball player who managed the Charles
ton club. We became fast friends, and
l used to practice with the team daily.
While there Dan Mcleod, the eX-
champion wrestler, came to the his
toric city. and his visit caused a re-
vival of the mat sport there.
Il managed to make expenses par
ticipating in a few wrestling and box
ing bouts, and the members of the
Philadelphia national league team were
present last spring when I appeare
| in Savannah and Will tell you that l
was then advertised and known as Al
| that 1 came to Philadelphia and placed
| myself under the management Of John
Kelly, and 1 am glad to know my work
has pleased the lovers of boxing here
| to such an extent as to earn me a star
bout. l have engaged in 26 moxing
bouts and have yet to be knocked off
my feet.
Il will follow boxing for a living
and will only give it up when I am
compelled to adopt dishonest tactics
| or am knocked out. l honestly think I
will some day be champion and will
go along as did Jim Jeffries, striving
honestly in an endeavor to gain the
| title. will meet any man living. whom
my manager sees fit to- match me
with. In conclusion let me say that
the stories about me being a ringer are
untTuths.'