Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-14


OF straight hitting. That was the proper
caper In this country before the wild swing
ers got COINS.
After Peter jackson had met Jim Cor
bett in a sixty-one round no contest as IL
was called by Hiram Cooke, the referee. !
asked Jackson IL he didn't consider Cor
bett the quickest mar ne had ever faced
in the ring. 1t was a hard thing to get
Peter to talk fight, but after hesitating a
few minutes. he said;
" 'Corbett is very fast, but I don't see
why ne jumped back two or three feet to
avoid a blow when a few inches answer the
same purpose
Some Of this fancy up-to-date footwork
is all very fine. but it's very firing also.
Mace was a wonderful man with his head
and could duck a blow beautifully. The
fellow with a shifty head can often save
his feet, for IL ne jumps back he must
come forward again, all Of which means
more or less labor. A duck or a shift Of
the head not only avoids the blow, but
leaves you in a position to deliver a return
i'm quick order.
Mace's Head Tricks.
II remember that Mace used to tie his
hands behind his back and allow any one
~ - ~ ~ ANo A6Nh w hNAh nc way hN
could spin his old nut around was simply
phenomenal. ! would like to see some of
the modern fighters try his little trick.
Why. it is almost a lost art nowadays, and
yet the old-timers had 1t down to a science.
1t was quite n scheme in those days for
a man to twist his head so that his rival
would hit the thick part Of the skull and
thus break the knuckles or sprain a wrist
Mitchell worked this trick on Sullivan in
the fifth round OF their battle in France,
and John broke his right elbow on the
Englishman's block. That was one OF the
reasons Sullivan agreed to a draw, for he
suffered much pain, and his great knocker
out was practically useless during the other
thirty-four rounds. Mitchell had learned
this wrinkle from Mace.
John Bull is having a great laugh at our
expense just now, but it's only a short
time when the American boys will get wise
and wallop the Driscolls, Welshes. Morans.
Whites, Bowkers and the whole British
shooting match. But they must first learn
the art of straight punching and get shifty
with the head as well as with the feet.
Go over to Brooklyn, boys, and get a few
point from McAuliffe! He knows both
the old and new game Of boxing.
ITS strange about these international
hstic affairs. John c. 'Heenan. George
avign Jack O'Brien. George Dixon.
Tommy Burns, Kid Mccoy. Jack johnson
and other Americans have crossed the big
pond and walloped English champions.
while now the Britons are turning the
tables on us i'm the lighter classes. But
let 1t be remembered that no finely bred
Briton of the top class has ever lowered
our colors. In fact, all OF the British cham
pions are of Irish blood, such as Mitchell.
Carney. the two Driscolls, Moran, welsh
and other. 1t is probably a good lesson
IN straight punching when our boys are
trimmed once in a while. 1t teaches them
a whole lot in the way Of experience. II
we Won all the time we'd get too sweIed
up. :
B~rlrishers Behave Better.
Iheres another point in favor of Eng
lish and Australian fighters. They don't
live as fast as our boys. As soon as am
American becomes a champion or even a
near champion he butts into swift society.
hits the grape juice and paints the town.
Do you remember our little friend from
Denver, Young Corbett. after he extin-
guished McGovern, when he landed on the
Great White Way and turned night into
day? He was a fine specimen of the gay
ana festive American champion. Dressed
like a millionaire's son. he cut a dashine
figure for a while. but he suddenly woke
up one evening and found himself a de.
feated has-been and broke. His dream was
soon over and he's been trying hard re-
Gently to regain his lost laurels. It's a
hard battle. Did you ever see any Of
them come back to the first cabin again
| never did. No! The English or Aus.
tralian pug generally keeps in his own
class by enjoying a more simple mode OF
living. You can bet that Jim Driscol
won't blow his American dollars around
the Tenderloin of London. He'll soak If
away for a rainy day, like many other
English scrappers have done. Mitchell
took care of the money he made on thi,
side OF the ocean and now lives on Eas,
street. Billy Plimmer put his coin In d
Birmingham pub and is in comfortabl,
circumstances. Tug Wilson is the owne,
or a shoe shop in Leicester. England
which was established with the Yanke,
gold he won i'm the memorable four-roun6
bout with Sullivan in the Garden. Whar
does the average American fighter d,
after winning $4,000? Hit dear old Broad
way and blow his head off with ALLEGED
friends.'