The evening world., 1910-12-24

get $500 for knocking out a couple
Sure. I've got II covered up" he
said. and I'm not going TO take that
cover on until I rave won another nght.
l am going to fght the second week
In January. and You can believe me
l need the money"
You are not broker" I inquired.
Not exactly" he said. but 1 have
very little. Before q was married I
gave every cent of money that I made
70 my father. And It s%ohappened thai
! made most Of my money at that
time. In a year and q half I gave the
old man $4,000"
you made that much in New York;"
was asked in surprise.
you may not believe It," replied
Leach. "but I made IS, 100 in one month
fighting around these clubs in New
York. That was during the month that
l fought Murphy. / got 32.4 0 for that
fight alone.
DO you know why they paid me so
we'll around here?" he asked. well,
I'll tell you." he went on. answering
his own question. II drew more peo-
pie into the clubs than any other local
fighter. At that, I think a lot of them
e there just to see me knocked out.
But / developed a new crowd Of fight
ing fans that had never been TO fight
clubs before in their lives. That was
because I was OF a Jewish family and
was from the east side.
'"Why. when those fellows frst started
to going to the fights" and Cross
laughed heartily. they didn't know
how to talk except with their hands,
Cross Makes an Explanation.
Right here Leach gave an explana-
ton of what his friend meant at Timer
Park when he jumped up at the ring
side and pulled the famous expression:
Make him insensible. Leachie. Make
him insensible." Here Is his explanation.
and II you can get IT. you have some-
thing on the interviewer.
my friend knew how to talk all
right" explained Leach. What he
meant to say was not to make the
fighter insensible so much as a knock
out, but to make him ~insensible so much
that what his seconds were saying he
could not understand their directions
and thereby allow me to knock him out.
Understand, don't your
Yes, l don't. but being an accurate in
terviewer duty compels the exact re-
production OF the words.
well, any way. they certainly pulled
some birds on me around the neighbour
hood while discussing the fight the fol-
lowing days after the fights" continued
TIE dentist. "One old man. a friend of
my father. met me on the street and
held out his hand. / had on a new suit
OF clothes and he viewed them very
critically.
You doing pretty good business, eh2
Veil. veil. whoever tlnk dot Vallach's
son would be err prize ring"
Where did you ever pick up the name
Leach CROSSE" asked.
Il got tia as n runner" he replied.
You see. we used to run in what we
called pot races and most of the boys
that ran were irish. II ! had ever given
my right name there would have been
no chance for me to win, so | called
myself Cross. / always had the name
OF Leach or Leachie. That was a nick.
name given me when a little kid"
Did your father object to you being
a prize fighter"
Sure, he did-until I began to win.
As soon as ! began to come home with
the money It was all off, and / was al
lowed to go as far as I liked
How did you start as n fighter"
Tommy Murphy started me by TAX
ing me on for fun as a sparring partner
one day. l had never had on a glove
and, after working with him two or
three days, he turned loose and knocked
me out. That mad me mad and / de-
cided to be a fighter myself. ] have
never forgiven Murphy for that trick
and that Is why | tried SO hard to lick
him in the ring.
Leach Got SIS for First Knockout.
Il was going TO college at the time
and | began selling lemonade at the
L.ongacre club so as to get to see the
fights. One night | got a chance to go
on and | knocked out my man. For
that | got s., n after that | GOT the
craze. 1t Is like a disease and l don't
know how ! am going to be able to
stop
AS we went back into the pretty little
parlor where Mrs. Wallach and Lelch's
sister were crocheting on some Christ
mas caps. ! noticed that Leach Is not
only a smart young fellow naturally, but
he has diplomas from three schools. He
graduated from High School, then from
the College OF the City Of New York,
and then from the Dental College. lie
and his young wife have a beautiful lit
tie home In Fox street in the Bronx.
A look into this comfortable apart
ment would convince most anyone that
box lighting is not such a bad business
after all.