The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-08-17
NEIL son KILLED
FAMOUS JOE CANS

The death OF Joe Cans removes one
az the most picturesque fighters the
nC has ever known In the past = n
wears he was constantly before the
public as the most scientific eXpon.
ent OF the art OF self-defense pugilism
has known. His fighting career ex.
tended over 10 years and he held the
lightweight championship OF 1ae world
for six years. winning IL from Frank
Crnc in 1902 and losing TO Battling
Nelson In 1908
During that time the black fighter
yon for himself the application of
the old Master" on account of his
incompatible skin. his ease and grace
Of action in the ring and his light
ning.like blows that put his oppon-
cnts away for the count
Receivers Lost Favor.
Though cloud rested over the
great fighter for a period Of years,
due 10 crooledness, he dispelled this
in later years, and when he fought
ago. he vas perhaps the most popu-
lar fighter of the decade.
Followers of pueiliSm were sin
cerely grieyed when Cans fell before
the rushing, butting tactics of the
unconquerable Dane, Not many years
before that Cans was hooted when
ever he appeared In public IL was
known that he had been the principal
in fixed" fights In fact, the negro
made full confession OF his crook
edness, begged forgiveness and
promised TO fight on the square II
given another chance He kept his
word and was soon restored To his
former popularity.
Cans made hundreds OF thousands
Of dollars in the ring, but he died com
paratiyey poor. II Is estimated that
he earned 100000 during his career
and that of this he retained a scant
$4,000 at his death Craps" and
gambling were his vices and he could
no more resist the passion than he
could stop breathing. Thousands and
thousands slipped through his fng-
crs at the gaming tables and the race
tracks. In other ways the black fight.
er was lad OF good habits He was
sensible youth and In his paImiest
days assumed no arrogance that made
him disliked by men Of the white
ed the "whitest negro" that ever
crawled through the ropes, and for
his gentlemanllness was given stand
ing above many fighters of more pre-
fcrrcd color.
Cans exact age was never known
He himself did not know the day or
year Of his birth, but estimated 1t
10 be about 1874. II so, he was 36
years old when he died.
At the age OF 81, at least eight
years past the time when most prize
fighters have received their Quiems.
Cans fought within the one year the
two hardest battles of his career
his two fights with Battling Nelson.
For eameness and skill, these fights
stand without parallel
Making Weight Killed Him.
Many ring critics believe Cans first
fight With Nelson at Goldfeld on La.
bor day, 1896. killed him A purse
of $4,000 was offered for this Ght,
bat in order TO get Nelson TO meet
him Cans had to promise the Dane
two-thirds OF the purse, win lose or
draw Other conditions were imposed
by Nelson's manager, Billy Nolan,
lS@ pounds at the ringSide.
TWO days before the battle, Cans.
Try as he might in his stuffy little
gymnasium. could not tear on the
pounds OF flesh that Nolan said must
come off Becoming desperate. the
negro took to the hot alkali road un-
der the blazing sun. repeating the per
formance next day. Nolan insisted
that Cans weigh in with full fighting
toys scaling not fraction of an ounce
over 132 Cans needed the money
from that fight and would have cut
of a leg TO make the weight For
lrce days he ate little more than a
BIT Of toast three times q day. shaking
ais thirst with tiny cup of tea
When he woke the day of that bat
'le at Coldfield he weighed 1873 strip
bed, but he had TO get below that TO
allow for the trunks and the rest Of
his fighting togs. Out on the road
DC went without bite to eat.
At 10 o'clock that morning he had
10 step on the scales for the prelim-
lnary weieh-ln Nolan. among the
harsh conditions that the newspaper
men covering the Heht protested
against as unfair, insisted that the
negro must step on the scales twice
before the ringside scaling. Fearful
lest he be overweight, Cans worked
almost until the last minute. When
he stepped on the scales he had left
on part of his scanty ring attire. No
Ian quickly observed this
III YOU are going TO fight with any
more clothes on you had better put
EN- on" said Nolan.
All, Billy said Joe in pleading
tones. why don't you be reasonable?
You don't want your boy to whip a
dead man. DO you Why don't you
show some sportsmanship?'
But Nolan was inexorable
The result OF that battle Is too we'll
known 10 require more than passing
mention. For AZ rounds the boys
fought savagely under a blazing Ne
yada sun. Cans on account OF his
Weakened condition. being put to tho
severest test Of bis life to keep the