Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-07-06
WILLIAM PERRY'S : SPORT
(BY BARRATT O'HARA).

least of which was the physical de-
| formation of his K-Shaped legs, which
I aside from inviting the jeering laugh
| ter of the uncultured, seemed at the
outset to preclude the possibility OF
successful athletic endeavor But
Perry persevered, and at last reached
the goal, only to be ousted and strip
ped of his prestige within nine months
| by falling for trick which the dullest
beginner in boxing should have guard
ed against.
Perry is born in Upton, England, in
the year 1919. His first professional
battle is fought in November of 1885
when he Is just turned sixteen, and,
after rough-and-tumble scramble, he
defeated Barney Dogherty, veteran
| of experience.
Perry is scientific, hard hitter,
who, In the present state Of the fancy,
is not to be sneezed at. He may be
backed with any one who may envy
his honors,' SO states a contemporary
sporting paper.
His townsmen dub him "the Tip
ton Slasher" and predict that many
years will pass before he is recognized
as the champion. 1t is we'll for their
patience that they cannot look ahead
to the years and years of striving that
must ensue before this boy of sixteen
really attains the title
Great Battle With Scunner.
He is seventeen before he is match
ed for his second professional fight
Ben Salisbury is his opponent this
time, and each side stakes $40 on the
outcome. Perry Furnishes Salisbury
with hard righthand body punches and
the latter quits cold after nineteen
rounds.
The Slasher's friends, confirmed in
their good opinion of the boy, raise
$125 to stake on him in mill with
Jim Scunner, nicknamed the "Gornel
Champion" one of the foremost of the
second-rate heavyweights of the time
Scunner is a favorite in the betting
at to when the ring is formed for
the engagement on November 22 1897
Several rounds are fought, dispute
arises, and the affair is ordered renew
ed on the following day by the referee
There Is little love lost when the
rivals finally face. Toe to toe they
stand, giving punch for punch. Grad
ually the slasher FORCES ahead. Now
he strikes out with his powerful right
and Scunner measures his six feet on
the turf. The latter, game to the core,
comes up for the next round Again
he is dropped, and again he comes
up. Six times this is repeated before
he is down to stay. The fight had
lasted thirty-one rounds.
Is the Lion of the Hour.
Perry Is the lion of the hour AS
the boy wonder his fame travelled to
every part Of the British Isles Under
the management of Johnny Broome he
undertakes tour of triumph and eX-
hibits his abilities before gaping
crowds in a hundred towns. For five
long years the fame of his victory over
Scunner enables him to live comfort
ably without working and without
fighting. Then suddenly his patronage
is wiped away by the appearance OF
Champion Ben Caunt and the Amer
lean giant, Charles Freeman. Who
cares to pay money to see the boy
who whipped Jem Scunner when the
same money will pay to see Caunt and
the American pugulist who stands
over seven feet high and weigh over
800 pounds?
Perry challenges Freeman to fight
1t may mean annihiliation, for as far
as he knows no one has ever before
been Gagged in twenty-four-foot ring
with real, raging giant. But annihil-
alton is preferable to oblivion.
On December 6. 1912, they meet
the Slasher and the giant, and battle
until darkness. Two weeks later they
continue the fray, boxing thirty-seven
rounds before Perry is disqualified for
falling without being hit.
Another year, lacking q day, passes
before Perry is again seen in action.
His opponent this time Is Tass Parker,
a man the Slashers own size, but a
most formidable slugger, fresh from Q
terrific engagement with "Brassey,"
whom he defeated in 15S rounds, last
ing two hours and fifty minutes.
Parker is favorite at to l. The
ring is pitched in a marsh, and here
the fight RACES for one hour and thirty
four minutes, when the constables
swoop down upon the scene and end
the sport
Fight Without Referee.
Not until February 81, 1874, is the
adjourned battle fought off. A special
train is engaged to carry the party be-
You'd the jurisdiction of the police
This scheme of eyading the officers
works to perfection, and, in peace and
security, on muddy strip of turf
hedged in by dense row of ever
greens few yards from the railroad
track, the contest is renewed, but
without referee, the rivals having
been unable to agree upon one.
For twenty rounds it is the liveliest
sort of a fight. Parker hammers his
left hand into Perry's mouth, dislodg-
| ing several teeth, but breaking the
knuckle of the intruding hand After
| this Perry fights like a demon, and
Parker takes to falling to avoid pun
ishment.
Cur! Coward" cries the crowd.
Stand up and fight like mani"
But Parker will not risk 1t, and in
the 133rd round the two umpires de-
eide, in the absence Of a referee, to act
in unison in declaring foul on the
part of Parker in falling repeatedly
without being hit.
Parker's friends are still unconvinc-
ed of the SlaSher's suDeriorify and