The San Francisco call., 1909-06-12
OROSS JOINS THE
LOCAL COLONY
OF BOXERS
Mission Club Offers KetCheI
$4,000 20 Meef La1gfOrd
Here in August
By WILLIAM J. sLATTERY


Leach Cross. the lighting New York
dentist. looked upon as one Of the
most likely of recently developed light
weights, arrived yesterday morning.
Cross is billed 10 fight Dick Hyland at
Conroths Mission street arena on the
afternoon Of June IS. He has never
engaged IN a battle in the west. though
he is q well known card around New
York and Philadelphia, where he has
been going with success for the last
three years. Nobody has yet put him
TO the mat for The count Of ten, though
he does not know what a long route
in a prize ring means.
In order 10 be in good shape for the
fans who win turn out 10 see him work
on Sunday afternoon at Billy Shannon's
san Rafael sym Cross VIII start ia
bright and early this morning. He Is
accompanied by Johnny LOIluS. Ine
veteran New York trainer and one Of
the best men in the business IN has
own particular line. Lotus has handled
Cross for most Of his important con-
tests and the dentist places great con-
dCeuce in him.
Cross. or Louis WaHach. as he was
chrisIened. is trim looking CHAP.
built on the lines Of Packey McFar-
land. though not quite SO rangy. He
can make the lightWei ght limit without
trouble He is a repUted TO be light
ming fast boxer. with good kick IN
Young Erne, whom ne OUtpOinted in 10
rounds IL New York 4 few weeks ago.
It was reported that Cross hurt his
hands then, but he denied this story
Like all the fighters who come 70
this city for the urst time. Cross I'M
medlately fell in love with san Fran
cisco and its climate and surroundings.
AfUer an Introduction along the line
the fighter accompanied by Johnny
F'rayne, LOTUS and Heinie Rafael, TOOK
an auto spin as the guest or COmroth.
who showed them the park. beach, Mis-
sion street arena and other points of
interest The farther cross went the
better he liked it,
I would not come all the way TO san
Francisco TO fight Hyland if 1 did not
feel sure Of beating him. said Cross
i think that / can win in 20 rounds.
] beat him i'm six in New York and
7 know that he viii be just as easy for
me over the Marathon route.
i want TO fight two fights here
within the next TWO months or SO, and,
Of course, ] want TO win them both.
Il ] do. i viii send to New York for
my best girl. marry her here and then
set into the game strong ! have heard
So much about san Francisco that /
have decided 10 make il my home, pro
Vided that I can get off 10 a good
start by winning my first fights.
Certainly. L wiz fight both McFar-
land and Nelson, but 1 realize that 1
n IA nave 10 BGaA II II M HIS A4E4 e
is no use talking about becoming a
champion Till / show the fans of this
city what 1 have got am going to
do the best / can. and that's all any
because Hyland is a better fighter than
I am"
If Stanley Ketchel wants to fight
Sam Langford before the Mission club
IN this city during the month of August
he can have $4,000 for his bit. This
was the announcement made yesterda y
afternoon by Manager Sidney Hester.
He wants to get a big card for his club
the next time IL shows and ne is going
10 land If perseverance goes at all
Hester wired Ketchel the offer last
night and expected a reply from him
within the next few hours. The very
fact that Ketch consented TO fight
IsangfOrd in 10 rounds in Los Angeles
convinced Hester that the Michigan lion
would take a chance against the black
man here. provided that the purse was
big enough, and, surely. $4,000 looks
very tempting.
Ketcheis latest victory over the
clever O'Brien in three rounds may be
the means of inducing him to give
tion that he had a certain amount
Of fear in his heart for the Boston
smoke until recently, but now that ne
has been running in such grand form,
probably he figures that he can beat
any Of them in the game today
If ketchel feels like fighting Lang
ford. this sure is the best chance he has
ever had, said Hester we viii give
him $4,000 and PIT the money up.
There viii be no stalling around with
Us. All KetcheI has TO do is to say the
word and we VIII go ahead and make
the match ] can get Langford at any
time, so it's all up TO Ketch-'
A dispatch from New York last
night said that Ketcnel would make a
play TO have Jefries named as the ref
cree for his fight with Johnson in this
city next October Manager Willis
Britt was also very anxious to induce
} Ell TO act IS the third man in the ring
but from recent developments ii does
not look as though Johnson would care
much about this choice.
! want Jeffries, II there is a possible
chance 10 get him" said Coffroth. but
II he don't accept ] am going TO referee
N this capacity, but ! am certain that
can do the position justice. Both men
are agreeable TO me. and l certainly
VIII give them an even break for it
makes no difference to me who wins"
frankie Neil is not going to stop
boxing, as reported. On the contrary,
he viii be right on the job for the next
few days. taking on Nike (TwinD Sui
d. liVan, Leach Cross and all the others
who are available around the training
quarters. Neil wants to make a good
impression on the crowd that visits his
training camp tomorrow. It's a long
time since he has worked ont in his-na- :
tive city, and he is anxious to show
that he is still there
Sullivan thinks that he will be
matched TO fight Jimmy Gardner at
championship Of the world on Julv ;.
ne Butte promoters are negOtiaf'- =
Tor the match now and il Sullivan can
get what he wants the match viii be
made within the next few days.