Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-08-10
JOE CANS THE GREAT
NEGRO BOXER is DEAD

mention. For AZ rounds the boys
fought sayagely under blazing
Nevada sun, Cans, owing to his
weakened condition, being put to
the severest test of his life to keep
the onrushing Dane from overcom-
ing him. He was forced to resort
to every trick he knew and the ex.
erxtion told on him.
A few seconds after the opening
of the final round Cans went down
under a blow that Referee siler held
was foul. Cans was awarded the
battle.
1t was his last great fight, how.
ever The weight had killed him
and the Cans that won the cham
plonship from Erne In round began
to fade. When he made his last
battle, which was with Jabez White,
The Bngllshman in New York March
12, 1909, he was only shadow.
The two beatings that Nelson gave
him in San Francisco in 1908 were
the finishing touches.
Cans wa born in Baltimore in
1876 and began fighting at the age
Of 16. He was substituted for
boy who failed to show up at lit
tie local boxing show in his home
city. He whipped two boys that
light and his reward was So.
Cans took up boxing because he
was inclined to i'll health. He dis
played such cleveTness that he was
urged to make boxing his profession
In 1894 Cans began to show the
real stuff in him and from that time
until he fell before Nelson he fought
every lightweight that sought bat
le with him and sometimes he took
on the welters. After fighting his
way through the second and third
raters he challenged Frank Brne.
The champion was then at his best
and Cans was forced to stop in the
18th round. His eyelid was almost
completely severed and the blood
blinded him so that he could not see
Erne In their next meeting Cans
won in the first round
When Cans became champion he
fell into bad hands and for several
years he was known as the crooked
est fighter that ever stepped between
the ropes. His greatest fake fight
was with Terry McGovern in Chi
cago in 1900. He had agreed to lay
down for the benefit of coterie OF
negro gamblers who made thousands
out of the match. Cans tried to
quit in the first round but was
afraid of being mobbed. In the
second he kept his promise.
From that time until his memora-
Bile fake fight with Jimmy Britt in
1904 he participated in a number OF |
crooked fights, allowing his oppe
nents to stay so that he and his |
hackers could win the round money |
His fake with Brit was one of the |
rawest ever attempted and almost |
forced his retirement from the ring
Cans placed himself in bette?
hands, however, confessed that he
had been crooked and said he would |
ight honestly and from that time
until his last fight he was absolutely |
IN the level.
Cans was quiet and retiring and
Of q religious turn of mind. His
mother had hoped he would become
a minister and Cans sometimes ex-
pressed the wish that he had lis
tened to her advice instead of going
into the ring.
When the plucky little fighter
realized that he was in the grip of
he made peace with his
Even Nelson, whom he
had hated bitterly, was taken into
he fold OF friendship.
Cans one vice was gambling. The
that he made in the ring
he lost at craps" He retained
out of the proceeds of his
last fight to build a hotel In Balt'
more, but the place is now heavily
----O------
Saved From Awful Peril.
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