The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1910-08-10
eV RiNGslpER.

Jos AttAet ttN
ne has been gathered TO the Mas
ter OF an Masters, has heard INC
count from which there Is no
awakening
peath. against which he fought
with AN the courage that marked DIS
marvellous ring VAreeF, from when
thsre IS no sidgsteppinE, wh'eh
neither blocking. felntlnE or coun-
terinw can stay. tho final referee OF
All things has placed the last mark
against his rccord, pugilisiie ana
pat ne went down for the last
tiue nghtiug grlmly. determineolys
not for purse or the glory tna'
would come 10 a victory over tei-
low rlcvrman but for some tHlhs
greater and grander ana aMret
IL see hts old mother ana me- etsii
dren for the last time ana % hl9
them good hYr.
R,na's Grandest Figure.
WIN tho passing o. Old joe the
rtnx has lost one 81 it's gFandrst.
most lovable figures. the sfrates.
lightweight boxer of his time. NOT
for an timc once admired theh
execrated Tor permitting himself 70
b. drawn into crooked con te-'s
then. after hls atonement. beioNce'
despite his color. O. a deEfVe esetea
tnx tha rrxard Ia which very few
h,xs-s haV,. h-en held. Cans career
a. without a parallel In the annals
of the ring
Cannumptinn. that dread malady
which has laid It's hlixhtlng hand on
other great colored fighters. notably
peter jackson and George Dixon.
fora down the once sturdy frame
which pulled the black boy through
many a storm
Weakened BY Training.
Four years aro. lacking one month,
Cans was one ~ the most p-'fists
pfe..eS OF fighting machinery that
s.x~r .sents,d INTO a ring one month
later OF IL b. more specific, on sep
TEMPER 4 1906. ais physical dawn-
ran began. Forced 20 tear needed
fl~xh or his bones In order % meet
tha onsrous conditions Imposed ~
B4ily Nolan then manager Tor
battling Nelson for the memorable
contest for the lightweight cham p
rl9nship with the Durable Dane. his
ruaxnfficent constitution VAS under
mined and he wa& never again me
great Cans who had successfully de-
Tended his title against scores of
fighters. from the time he won u
from Frark Erue In 1893 Until his
second encounter with Nelson on
Jaly I. 1908
II was my doubtful pleasure . -
among those present before and on
the day nf fhe first Nelson Cans
battle. and in common with others
81 the craft assigned 10 -cover" ths
a tssa H. fssFf d.
.rsxeously unjust weight conditions
that Nolan held out for and en-
forced. Two days before the fight,
Cans try A. he might IN his stuffy
gymnasium. could not tear off the
pound Of flesh that Nolan said must
come off Becoming desperate the
negro took the hot aisali road undef
the blazing sun. repeating the per-
formance the next day. Nolan had
insisted that Cans weigh In with fui
fighting toxs and gloves on scaling
not the fraction of an ounce osei
fa8 pounds ringside Cans needes
the money and would have cut of I
leg II necessary 20 save the fight
For three days he ate little more
than a bit % toast three times 4
day. stacking HIS thirst with tint
cup Of tea
Trained 70 Shadow.
when ~ awoke on the day Of IN
battle and stepped on the scales h
found that ~ wss the required motel
stripped. but he had 70 get below
that TO allow for the trunks. pro
tector. shoes and gloves Out on tn
road he went without bite TO GA,
At 10 o'clock he had to step on IN
scales for the preliminary wetgh-iu
A.
Nolan. who insisted that the uegr'
step on the scales twice before tn
rfngside scaling Fearful lest h
bs overweight. Cans worked until al
most the last minute and when b.
stepped or the scales for the Las
time he was drawn. haggard an
gaunt He had failed to put on hi
protector. a fact that Nolan quickl.
discovered.
IF you are going 10 fight with
protector" snarled Nolan. you vii
have 10 put u on before you weigh.
"Ah. Billy" said Joe In quiet
pleading tones. why don't you b.
reasonable You don't want you
boy to whip a dead man. do you
why don't you show some sports
rnanshipG~
Nolan was inexorable and the pro
tector was put on.
Puts Up Marvellous Fight.
The result Of that battle is 10
well known TO require more thai
passing mention. For a. rounds IN
boys fought sayagely under a blaz
ing Nevada sun. Cans. owing % III
weakened condition, being put Z
the seyerest test ~ his life 20 kee
the onruahing Dane from overeom
ing him. He was forced TO resor
to every trick he knew and the OK
hibition he gave under such tryin
conditions wa simply marvellous
A few seconds after the opening o
f. the final round Cans went dow
from what Referee SIier declare
20 be a foul punch. and the negr
was awarded the battle. u was hi
last great fight. however. The weigh
had killed him and the Cans tina
won ths championship from Fran
Erns In a round began 10 fade an
when he made his last battle. whic
was with Jabcz White. the English
man, I'm New York. on March /.