The daily sentinel. [volume] (Grand Junction, Colo.) 1893-current, 1910-10-26
Malachy Hogan Pays Tribute to the
Memory OF ketchcl.

Soldier of Fortune by instinct,
fighter by nature. pugilist by choice
and middleweight champion by right
of conquest-all this was Stanley
Ketchel. Now that he has been TAX
en- away-too soon, to be sure-we
may sing his praises and these are in
the balance, for the worst that can be
said of him is that he had a heart
| far too big for his own good.
He was the typical pugilist. Care
free, happy, an all round good fellow
the deceased pugilist boosted a fol-
lowing of friends as long as the
country is wide and it will be many
days before the Michigan assassin
and his ring achievements are erased
by more recent happenings in the
squared circle.
Ketchel is to be given credit for
what he accomplished and that above
big odds. He was handicapped at
the start, left home for the wilds
of the Montana copper country, bat
tied while a comparative youth
against the hardest element on the
face of the earth, and finally emerg-
ed victor. Ketchel had the salts
faction of knowing that it made a
man out of him. The lad that first
4 stepped into the pugilistic limelight
by battling the supposedly invincible
Joe Thomas to a draw. was not the
same that at the age of sixteen left
his home at Grand Rapids, Mich, to
cast lots with the rough but happy
go-lucky miners of the Northwest.
His life after he once gained prom
! inence, is nothing but a credit to him
self. Those who knew him found
/ him on the alert at all times, eager
| to catch anything which might tend
TO develop his mental faculties and
! for the most part he succeeded. True,
he wasn't the polished Jim Corbett,
: but he was man-one of the
straight from the shoulder kind
and the few deals he handed out be-
low the boards were more than re
paid.
Life Every Day Novel.
His life reads like the every day
novel He jumped into prominence
with single punch, so to speak, and
was nipped in as quick manner. He
was caught off his guard-shot in
the back=but If he had been able in
any way to offer fight it is more than
an even bet there would have been a
far different story to tell AS it was
Ketchel might have been living now
if he had not taken the threats of his
slayer in fun.
In his time the champion mixed
with his fighting, the life of the high
liver and free spender. In way. the
reaping of rich harvest in the ring
turned his head, and youth that he
was, he lived the siege of an ordinary
lifetime in the period between the
age of 90 and 90 years. He fell for
the white lights" as we say today
and he lived like lord.
/ The dead champion launched his
pugilistic career out in Butte in 1903.
where, on May he knocked out Kid
| Tracy in the brief period of one
round. 1t was an suspicious start,
and from that instant he proceeded
1 to make name for himself He
1 followed his initial attempt with a
1 succession of knockout battles
\ gainst men who came to Butte with
the one idea of whipping this rap
1 idly rising and practically unknown
H youngster. He routed each in their
| turn, but in 904 met defeat. and this
\ by so small margin that ii was of
no account Maurice Thompson twice
Il outpointed Ketchel in ten-round
bouts, the one in May and the second
in October
In the summer of 1907, July to
be exact, the rising champion found
fame lying in his path. He didn't
even have to seek it. for the willy
H coast promoters matched him with
i Toe Thomas for a twenty-round bout,
n thinking he, as well as any other
scrapper about there, might be offer
i ed as sacrifice for the wonderful
Thomas.
! Right here the worm turned. For
4 twenty rounds at Marysville the
|, crowd about the ringside saw theis
\ favorite take as much as he gave.
For the first time the great Thomas
was meeting his equall After it was
all over. there was a surprised bunch
i in that country.
h Thomas Takes the Count.
j Ketchel. ever willing fighter that
he 1r~ej - ',att,r tho en L.