Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-27
BROKEN HACKERS
Noted Sporting Men Who Blew Their
Fortunes.
EXAMPLES OF THEIR GRATITUDE
billy Bennett, Harry HIN, Warren
Lewis, Dick Roche and Others
Financially Wrecked by
Prise Rims.

a pugiiist." remarked the old time fight
promoter recently. ITO back, train, dress
and keep a hig flying fighter is a luxury
and costs a pot of money. Few fighters
know the value OF money and many OF
them would blow in the Bank of England
II they had the chanc
"one OF the best known Of the former
heavyweights probably ~sauandered more
OF other peoples money than he ever made
in the prize ring. II came pretty easy for
the big fellow when he was champion, for
he could 60 out any evening and touch
some admirer for $500 or 5000 without the
scratch OF a pen or a word Of explanation.
In fact, there was many an easy mark who
considered II an honor to stake him to a
piece Of change. No wonder that he could
blow in money like a drunken sailorl He
got is easy and II went the same way. But
II wasn't until this man was defeated that
he became alive 20 the fact that he was
dead broke and without many Of his for
mer generous friends. Then he swore off
drinking. got into the theatrical business
and saved his money.
This man in his sober moments was
never a spendthrift. He learned much
from experience while roaming all over
the world. But in his cups he was alto
gether different. I remember one night
shortly after winning a championship
fight he found himself high and dry. He
had handed his winnings to a burlesque
queen, who promptly skipped away. but
tina didn't worry him. with a couple OF
friends hat evening the champion took a
cab and started uptown to dig some coin.
ION the way they made stops at several
popular saloons, but before entering each
place the champion touched n OF his
companions for a ten or a twenty so that
he could order two or three bottles OF wine,
half a dozen p%erfecto cigars and throw the
change to the b~artenders. One Of his COM
panions on this little trip was his business
manager and. being also in financial dis
tress, kept urging the champion to be on
his way to an uptown hotel where a swell
admirer had $500 to slip to him. But the
fighter didn't seem 10 be In a hurry to get
the coin and fingered at the bar wherever
he stopped. Finally the little party reached
the hotel and found their friend ~anxiously
awaiting their arrival.
"1'm glad you've come, old boy! I've
been waiting an hour for your exclaimed
the man with money. The champion re-
ceived this greeting rather gruffy, much
TO the CONSERVATION OF his companions.
who wanted him to get the dough as
quickly as possible.
81 would like to speak to you privately,
said the swell, taking the fighter by the
arm to lead him aside.
There's nothing private between me
and my friendsl Anything you've got to
say you can say It before them" was the
answer.
THE man with money hesitated a mo-
- o,d than 5aoIora1 th1k he AoA Arovu
$500 out Of the bank to give to the big
fellow. The champion threw out his chest
and exclaimed in his most dramatic style
"No, I don't need your money. I car
get all the cash 1 want!'
but the more the heavyweight refused
the more the swell insisted that he should
take 1t. Finally after a wrangle the cham
pion took $50, threw 1t on the bar and or
dered wine and cigars galore. When thu
money was almost gone he pushed the few
remaining bills over to the bartender and
said good night to his b~enefactor. Thii
strange proceeding amazed his two com
p%anions. who demanded an explanation.
"T don't like hat guy, and his money
Is no good TO me- was all the answer they
got.
About a year later I met the swell ad
mlrer and we had a chat about the BIZ
fellow and his eccentric ways. I recalled
the incident at the hotel and the swell
burst into a hearty laugh.
TT was rather queer why he refused
the 500 that night he said, but he cam,
around alone in the morning and got 81
from me. Very clever, wasn't II? You SCI
he didn't want to split the coin with hi
frlendsl Very clever, indeedl' So you SCI
there was method in his madness. He wa
a wise fellow all right when not too full o
the old stuff.
There was Billy Bennett, one of tn
best known sporting men in this city a FEY
years ago, who probAiy buried more fight
ers who died broke than any other man 1
America. He backed Mix Cleary, Jimm
Lynch n a bunch of others who KEEP
many a pugilist from doing hard worl
took John L. Sullivan is as a partner I
a Sixth avenue saloon once, greatly to hi
financial detriment and sorrow. At on
time Bennett was worth $3.50, 900 and was
very liberal giver up. About two years as
he drifted down to Coney Island. wher
he tried to run a saloon. but as he was
broken down old man, crippled with rheu
matism, he was soon taken to the hospits
at Flathead, where he died alone and ur
known. He was buried in potter's fiel
and remained there until a former partne
In the liquor business learned OF his fat,
Then poor Bennett was removed to his ow
plot In Calvary, where he was placed b,
side HIS wife. Bennett was a lead gan
fellow In his day and a hard propositio
to beat in a rough and tumble fight. II
was one Of the last Of the old New Yor
sporting men.
Poor old Harry Hill, who at one tin
was half a million to the good, was alway
a good friend Of the fighters. He provide
a decent burial for many a pug. He sper
his money freely with the boxers and wa
always on deck with a benefit for an
worthy fighter In distress. Sullivan mad
his first appearance here at Harry Hill
; place, on the corner OF Houston an
Crosby streets, on March 81, 1851, where I
bested Steve Taylor in two rounds. I'll
] was a good friend OF John L. long befoI
l he was champion, often lending him none.
, "Hil was the best known and most Dol
, ular promoter OF boxing in the world twer
ty-five years ago. He was born In Enl
land and in his youth was a champlo
! wrestler. His sporting resort was the seer
. Of more fistic events than any other plaC
In America. Every noted champion OF II
ring boxed there. Among them I saw Je.
: Ward, Jem Mace. Joe Goss, Ned o'Bal,
win, Joe Coburn, John Morrissey, Paid
Ryan, Jim Dunno, Tom Allen, Mike Don,
van, Billy Edwards, Arthur Chamber