The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-08


 fW and Bud Winters in April and AA May of 1899 they tried to
 stack me up against a ringer In Chicago, who will be found in my 'morgue'' of knockouts under the name of John Smith.
 This man Smith was a strong, well built, tough looking customer. He looked the part of a ringer all over, but I feared him not I was out to fight my way up to the top and didn't care who he was or what he had done pre- vfously. Well, anyway, the plans of astray, as I handed the fellow the neatest trimming of his life. The bout weul Onfy two rOunus.
 This victory marked the ending of my schedule for the season. I return ed to Hegewisch and took up my train ing in our White House club.
 Lieks Negro In Picnic Fight.
 Now. here's what I call a funny one. After had taken long rest, in which I learned how to shoot big game on a western hunting trip, decided to fight a negro. His name was Feathers Yer non, and I met him at a picnic which was held in Dalton, H., on July 4, 1900. did not knock him out for the reason that he never would get close enough to me so I could land "my sleep pro ducer.'' I batted him all around the ring, however, and but for the mo de cision' clause would have won easily. We fought for the sum of $1O, which, of course, was easily divided. When the president of the club was in the act of paying us off a fight was started, and the money was knocked out of his hand. I managed to save a dollar and half of it. I have the torn dollar still in my possession. I tried to pass 1t, but it was too badly torn, so kept it as a memento of my first miXup with a '3cullud person.
 I have fought close to a hundred bat ties so far, but I had more fun during that scrap than have ever had since. I licked a dozen negroes during the melee.
 His First Big Fight.
 Your readers can easily imagine how tfckled and proud l was when the manager of the old Star Theater club in Chicago offered me the chance to fight before a regular club and the big sports. This first big battle was with Charles Dougherty. This being the first time that I had appeared before thousands of people. many of whom were regular fight fans, cheering and roofing for their favorites, one would imagine that l would have been nerv- Ous, but rot so with yours truly.
 I naturally was worked up to a high pitch of excitement at times, but I never lost my head. As soon as the fight was started I went after Dough erty in such vicious style he imagined Kansas cyclone had broken into the building and taken my place in the ring.
 fought more determined than ever, as I knew if I was lucky enough to score a knockout it would be the means of securing good engagements and large purses. I knocked him out in the first round, exact time being one minute and ten seconds. From this time on I got offers galore. q whole bundle of press advertising and was kept busy. I received $15 for putting out the lights on Dougherty, which was handed to me in nickels and dimes.
 Bat Gets GoodsBeating.
 Luck was not so good, however, for it was right after this that I lost my first battle.
 Joe Headmark is name shall nev- CT forget. We fought at the Star theater in Chicago on Sept. IA. He licked me good and clean. Headmark