The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-27
CHAPTER XXXVIL
Tom Sharkey Gives Me a Tough
Twenty-three Rounds.

HEAR my old friend Tom Sharkey
visited the Louvre and saw the
Venus de Milo. He was looking
around for some stuff TO put IN his
new cafe IN New York Tom thought
the Venus would III a corner All right.
and he could swing q couple OF curtains
down 70 cover the places where the
ought to be pretty cheap. being dam
aged that way So Tom went up 20 the
uniformed guard ia the room and asked
MIN what he cOu9S buy the busted statue
for The guard could speak q little Eng
Ish-
The government does not care to
sell he told Tom.
I'd pay cash" says Tom, patting his
1T is valued" says the guard. at a
million and a half francs"
Tom nearly fel dead. He took an
9Iner look at Venus
'Ayv come off, he said. turning to the
ElIAru- on can't string a wise guy
IKE ne Why. I can buy a little one
IKE that-UIth the arms On-fOr 4 dol
lar and a half in New York"
Il was less than I'VE months after win
nlng the championship that gave
Tom Sharkey his chance. just as
lad promised To prepare for the fight
went 20 my old quarters where the
training was done for the battle with
r ltzslluTnons. Jack was with ne again.
ana Ryan, as well as Ernest Roeber
the wrestler, who was a good nan 10
rough around with We had long runs
laTd hand1au games and plenty OF
rough work The big International
yacht races were on and VIC could watch
Columbia and Shamrock from the shore
near our camp More English fighters
were training near Us and we put I'D
some not arguments about the yachts
me only thing that prevented trouble
was that ia 1Ur camp we were all
LeavyvFeights and the Englishmen were
little fellows So We only had lot OF
fun strinEing them
The date originally set for the mir
was October q but IN throwing =.
eight-pouud medicine ball with Rcs.-zr
had the misfortune 70 strain NY left
elbow badly 7 missed the ball and II
struck my forearm The strain didn't
amount 20 anything al first but soon the
81 bow became 50 sore that I had 20
cut out boxing entirely and get a do--
tor-Dr- Sayre. Of New York & was
20 haudaEe the arm for me. Brady told
q. ROErke. Sharke-'s manager, that the
dght might have 20 be postponed q week
or ten days. O'ROurke Kicked q little and
blUffed about claiming the title by de-
fault. but when the arm failed 20 i'm
prove quickly be gave IN and the date
was shifted TO November 3
tt was not until October 5 thai
could take the ban6ages or and pick I'D
my regular training work again On
that day took hard ten-miIe run,
covered with heavy sweaters. came back
dripping with perspiration. rested ate
lunch. and an hour OF so later boxed
six rounds with Tommy Ryan AZ q fight
ing clip Ire arm held out al right
Ryan rushed me and hooked and
jabbed him with the left without any
trouble
Sharkey. meanwhile. was training hard
e. New DOTp. staten Island and reports
said that ne was IN the finest shape o.
his life In f2-st, when my arm was
hurt Tom offered 20 fight any other
heavyweight In the country while wait
Ing for me just to keep in shape Tim
EcGrath. Bob Armstrong. and George
Dixon were working with the sailor He
could tire out the whole camp and then
feel IKE going on the road They had a
hard time TO keep him from OVERRIDING #
As for myself. ! got into good shape
losing only one more day as 2 result OF
a twisted neck from one Of ROBBERS
That was a fight TO be remembered.
over the ring Of the Couey Island Ath-
leric club was an arrangement Of cleo
trio lights for the moving pictures so
many Of them that the heat thrown
down Cn the ring was Ike a blast from
a fuTua &C. Sle- was referee again
Shsrkev entered the ring Just mo-
meut before me When I came in he
had the southwest Cornerthe lucky
corner Ee looked bigger and stronger
than when we met in san Francisco
He Erl-Det across the ring confidently.
re sat Gown and looked each other
over until rhe bell rang 7 thought I'd
probably knock him out in seven or
into Try -rr'r.'. md walked toward Tom,
-ahh.-- -..-.r is.-is-l-- lie rushed with a
Viii ~- Ne clinched and Tom
f.-7- - - w-th heave 20 show how
---r--- .H was. 7 WIS boxing carefully
CrI--rr@ ElrE - arSey's leads and block
luE fle-2 Ut much trouble In the
second round bumped a right handler
into his ribs { ID he went down for an
eISht-seccnd cc ant I thought he would
soon be all Owe. but there never. was 4
greater mistake He Jumped I'd and
luuSed at me so hard that when ! side
stepped be fell on his hands and knees
Up he hoped and landed swing on
my ribs that would have broken a light
or man IN two. 7 only laughed At him
and met his next rush with right IN
der the heart that bent his ribs in
Tt was the toughest kind Of fighting
SEarSey was furious. He never Seemed
to tire When 7 drove my right fist
against his ribs his mouth opened and
he gasPed, but a tenth Of a second later