Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-31
KETCHEL'S CAREER ONE OF
GREATEST IN RING HISTORY
Dead Middleweight Champion Sprang
Into Prominence From Obscurity in
Startling Fashion-Sad End
of Sensational Career.

choice, spent his own money, always saw
that his parents and even friends were
well taken care of, and, summing it up
there is little that can be chalked against
his name.
Folly reaped her reward. however, and
the ketchel that went to the Missouri
ranch to recuperate was even another lad
than the one which left home at the age
fighter who SO quickly forged to the top
of the pugflistic armament.
From the boxers standpoint he was
probably 'all through" but with the
courage and gameness of a giant, for
such he possessed, he would have gone on
in his ring career until taken short by
some clever boxer who had youth to
back up driving blow.
First Fight at Butte.
The deceased champion launched his
pugilistic career out in Butte in 1903,
where. on May 2. he knocked out Kid
Tracy in the brief period of one round. It
wan an suspicious start, and from that
instant he proceeded to make a name for
himself. He followed his initial attempt
with succession of knockout battles
against men who came to Butte with the
one idea Of whipping this rapidly rising
and practically unknown youngster.
He routed each in their turn but in
1904 met defeat. and this by SO small a
margin that it was of no account. Maui
rice Thompson 1t was who twice out
pointed ketchel in ten-round bouts, the
one In May and the second in October.
His succession of victories, mostly
knockouts, continued after the Thompson
battles until the fall of 1906 when Ketchei
forsook the copper country and, with the
small sum which he had saved from his
winnings, set out for sunny California.
Puts Thomas Out.
Ketchel. ever willing fighter that he
was. agreed to battle the then invincipie,
and accordingly they were matched for
September 2. the fight to take place at
San Francisco. What took place at that
time is still good food for gossip. This
miner from the northwest simply toyed
with his opponent, and at the. end of
thirtytwo rounds Of hard, grueling work
Thomas went down for the count Still
hopeful, Thomas was again matched with
his conque- or, and they met in the same
ring during the following Dece .nber. but
the story was the same. keIchei again
outfought his opponent and won the de-
cision at the end of twenty rounds.
From then on he was a coast favorite.
for they loved a true fighter out that
way. He appeared in a few more battles.
van In one round, and followed this up
by knocking out Jack Twin Sullivan
i'll twenty rounds, both of the engage
hents being staged at Jimmy Cofflotn S
club at Colma
+ About this time Billy Papke sprang into
prominence. Then Ketchel turned up In
the central west and the two were
matched. They met at Milwaukee in a
ten-round battle June 4, 1908, and the
| Michigan Assassin won the decision
after one of the most brilliant fights the
Badger metropolis ever knew. Chicago
fans recall that battle. Ketchel then
went back to the coast and again knocked
out Joe Thomas and also Hugo Kelly.
Papke Takes Away Title.
Here II was that Ketchel staged one OF
ha RI - I,io