Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-07-23

Wonderful Fighter-Parson Allen
PTays Before Entering the Ring.
The rise of John Arthur Johnson
20 the highest pinnacle of pugilistfc
fame, a feat never before accom-
Plished by one of his race. has in
creased the interest of the public i'm
the fighting ability OF the colored man
and his record in the roped arena
There have been several great ne
gro pugilists. Any one familiar with
ring history knows that But there
have been some remarkable colored
freaks whose performances within
the ropes have contributed more TO
the lighter side OF pugilistic litera-
ture than TO the records Of achieve
menJ.
As a general rule. unless he was
equipped with a good white manager.
the negro has had little chance to get
out Of the minor class. but what he
has done in that class is wonderful.
Most ring followers will tell you
that Joe Cans was the greatest fight
or the black race ever turned out.
There we're the Dixons. the Walcotts.
the Peter Jacksons. and all the rest
but 90 Cans the palm goes, because
ne fought longer than any OF them
and whipped more good men. That
Cans fought crooked fights is adj
mitted, but he did so under orders.
and when he finally cut loose ne
fought several years i'm a manner
that won him praise
Yet early I'm his career Cans saw
the seamy side OF the ring. Somebody
saw him in a rough-and-tumble fight
around the Baltimore fish markets.
where he worked. and put him on in
preliminary bout Cans won. and
continued 90 fight for 50 a fight. uu-
an Al Herford took charge of him.
The lanky negro developed rapidly
and became the star attraction az
Herford's club.
ln time nobody OF his weight
around Baltimore could stand before
him. so HEREFORD got a lot OF big ne.
eroes 90 so on with Cans Among
Thorn was a cab driver named Jones.
"a 2oo-pounder. who was known as the
ST. Marys County Bully" because ne
had cleaned mp everything In that
section OF Maryland. Jones had been
doing very well I'm preliminary bouts,
$50 one night Herford put him on with
Cams In the main bout
SECONDS THROW UP SPONGE.
For a round or two things went
Well. Jones lowered above the elu-
sive cynical Cans. but the light
weight slid in and out and hit the
bully at viii. Finally he put an extra
hard one of his famous ripping hooks
on Jones mouth and the bully got
mad.
He got Cans into a clinch. and with
his noble right arm began a tattoo ON
the smaller Negroes kidneys that
sounded like somebody chopping up
meat Cans could not twist out OF
the bully's iron grasp and things
looked bad.
At this juncture Al Herford acted
quickly. Cans happened 20 be worth
about SIS, 900 year TO Herford. and
the promoter had no notion OF al
lowing his meal ticket 20 be punched
fun OF holes all az once.
So into the ring from the direction
OF Cans corner came towels, sponges.
water bottles. and everything else I'm
signal Of defeat. The crowd was busy
cheering the st. Mary's county giant
AID made so much noise the referee
could not hear Herford's fractic an.
peals 20 him to stop the fight. But
he saw the sponges and towels, and,
glancing over in Cans corner. saw
the agonized expression on Herford' 5
face. Whereupon he stopped the bout.
Afterward the st. Mary's county
man. who was supposed not 10 hurt
Cans whatever happened, explained
himself.
Il wasn't goin' to let that Baltimo'
niger cut me all up withouten ]
done somethin' to him back agin."
Jones was Immediately wiped of
Herford's list and went back to his
cab.
FEROCIOUs AT TIMES.
Cans was rarely a vicious negro,
but sometimes the taunts of the
spectators or his opponent would
drive him 20 the point of ferocity.
On two particular occasions he man
ifested this spirit. Once in Baltimore
they brought a big white mechanic
up from the shipyards at Sparrows
Point and pitted him against Cans.
The negro was letting him do fairly
we'll and was making a good exhibit
ton of the fight. Once or twice the
big man landed hard on Cans.
XIII himl" the crowd would yell
XIII the nigger!" Finally the Spar
rows Point man walked to the ropes
and raised his hand for silence. Cans
stood aside, watching him with that
peculiar, plaintive pucker he always
wore when fighting.
For goodness sake stop telling
me TO kill him." the white man asked
the crowd. Every time you yell that
he hits harder.
The crowd stopped and the fight
dragged out the usual fifteen rounds.
Around the fight clubs OF Balti-
more and Washington are two ia
nous negroes. Alec Brown is one and
Parson Allen is the other. Alec is
the champion battle royal" scrap
per of Baltimore and Washington.
The parson is a tough nut. who
says he fights for charity and who
always prays for strength before an.
swering the gong for the first round
The battle royal" Is a great card