The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-09-04

p Edgren writes: There were several
curio,1s things about knockout tnat
came Off in New York several years ago.
IT'S q knockout that'll never pe Iorsver
ten while tales of the ring are tOiu'
for 1t was the biggest hoax ever M
vented for the purpose OF separating -
trusting public from Its money
This happened while Tom ORourKe
was still a live one among the ngnt
promoters. In fact, Tom was the live-
Hest of the live ones then. He ran
fahting club and owned stable OF
crack fighters that brought in tne
money as fast as he could count y
and stow II away in the vaults George
Dixon, Tom Sharxey, Kid Broad. joe
Walcott and many others contributed
their share to the ex-barber's fortune.
But Mr. O'Rourke was man o.
ideas. Ii occurred to him at one time
that the money wasn't coming In fast
enough, and that the New York pubic
wasn't 'loosening up" in its usual
manner. What the public needed was
a novelty, thought Mr.. O'Rourke. a
novelty he determined to supply.
Billy Nash about this time frequent-
ed Alderman Haggerty's palace OF IL
duid refreshments There ne saw
hulking sort Of fellow who looked as
IL he might possibly be heavyweight
prizehghter. He mentioned the matter
to one Eugene Comiskey. Two brains
were turned upon the subject like twin
seafchlights, and the upshot OF the
matter was that the big fellow was in-
troduced to Tom O'Rourke as Mike
Morrisey. heavyweight champion OF
Ireland" A great light broke over the
intelligence Of Mr.. O'Rourke. A fight
between two Irish champions, namely
Peter Maher and Mike Morrisey ought
to draw like plaster
"Morrisey," Nash told MIR. o'Rourke
as an afterthought, was cousin OF the
great John Morrisey, American cham
pion in the olden time The public was
informed through the O'Rourke press
bureau, and fell for the match like
cat for bowl OF cream. Maher, in
cidentally, was signed up.
The Agents Labor.
Now the press agency got very busy
Daily the anxious public was informed
that Morrisey was getting ready t
leave ireland, and the tales of ehe new
Irish champions" terrible proves:
were spread far end wide. According
to the record" he must have knocked
out everybody In the United Kingdom
from tho time of James Figg down
The reports had Mike leaving IrelanC
by steamer in hot haste to wallop poo
Peter Maher. AT last he was reported
| - ov~V@fxv fn
enough down he went to New York OF
the Boston train, accompanied by ;
jubilant bunch of guardians, and wa
met at this end by a cheering throng o
Tipperary men Among other thing
sent out by the bureau was a state
ment that. Mike Morrisey was from
Tipperary. There was great hullaba
loo over the newcomer, and then Mix
was hustled away TO a secret trainini
camp. He wasn't to train in public
ostensibly because Feter Maher Nigh
find out what great man he was AM
sidestep the match. But the real rea
son was that It had occurred to MI
O'Rourke to find out whether tn
Irish champion" knew how to put u
his hands. and the result had been
| StAONA W Tie - nCKNSs
Morrisey was tried out with XII Broa
and Joe Walcott Broad was on frs
Broad punched the big fellow. an
Morrisey promptly dropped his hands
| Here" he said to Broad, don't hit S
hard"
Learning TO Box.
After that day Broad and Walcoi
were commissioned to teach Morrise
how to stand on his feet and hold u
his hands like a boxer. They trie
their best, but 1t YVES q hard job Fl
only needed to know how to hold hi
hands, for Maher had an awful wailol
and IL Morrisey looked like a fights
for few seconds until Peter landed O
him 1t would resemble a fight, anywa,
1t was all done in secret, OF cours
Nobody was allowed to see the sTris
. champion" perform. It would hay
killed the show But the terrible RI
ports that went out! oh. me, oh, my
Didn't Mike slaughter his sparrin
partners! Peter Maher heard SON
weird tales. and as the date of Il
+ fight came along Peter actually b,
came nervous.
} The hight was in the Lenox club
that famous resort OF decade ag
The Lenox was packed on the night
the fight And prices OF seats we
high, for was not this to be terrib
!. battle between two rival champions
Ireland-and one from Tipperary al
one from Cork, ct that?
Charley White, the referee selecte
; knew nothing about Morrisey, for
!" hadn't been invited 10 the secret Sc
: sions In which the champion" WI
! being taught to hold his hands up in
g good fighting pose. Charlie met Pet
: Maher. Peter" he said, shave y,
8 ever seen Morrisey fight7'
!. mo-" said Peter, ''but rye hea
: he's q very good puncher."
Into the Ring.
That was about all. Peter got In