The San Francisco call., 1910-03-27


and gloved hands futteringly cruel They the
skiful gladiators of our time, though not
all their ceverness They have tricks within
tricks-tricks beneath the tricks we see which the
owners of the thousand eyes do not know about.
For the tricks of the pugist trade are many. They
commence back in the days OF training The fighter,
though, is then the subject-not the protector of
tricks. Then it is the trainer who engages in them
Say the fighter is nervous, for instance, and his
perament protests at too dull routine, like the
redoubtabc McGovern, whose being Ioathed the skip
of the punching bag.
It a problem for the trainer but he solved it
by saying one day. "Oh let us cut all this work and
go and play baseball" Immediately the gentle Terry
became exuberant in his enthusiasm. Cut work?
Play? Why, certainly! So he straightaway raced
and pitched and sweated uncompainingly under the
burning sun, joyously convinced that his regular
athletic work was being shelvcd.
After this the trainer challenged McGovern at
handbal McGovern banged this time in the place
OF pitching though he raced and sweated Just the
same He felt joyful the knowledge that he had
to work no longer-and worked harder than ever 1t
sufficient to attain its object Into the same category
would come the ingenuities OF squirting pugilst to
harder training by arranging for appalling reports
from his opponents camp; tales of wonderful fitness
OF magical lodges" which being prepared
Fancy staggers the tonic quality which such
may have upon fighter, who forthwith adds few
miles OF extra roadwork and boxes more snappily
and butts into the sandbag more perseveringy than
ever
These tricks of the trade however, are far from
being limited TO providing the nutrition of
agement TO your man; they more fruitful
yet in discommoding his opponent The once emf
nent 'Yo oung' Corbett was adept this. Through
his public work it his ingenious wont to appear
weak in some point of defense. He carefully
gneered the filtration of to that effect TO the
opposing camp, which would then devote much time
and attention it, only to find that, the night OF
the contest, the ingenious Corbett rather more
than perfect in it. 1t discouraging, to say the
least and Encouragement in your opponent is valued
as a jewel by those who know the ways of the ring.
More crafty yet was Mccoy. however-McCoy,
whose tricks must not be counted sngly, but by
the bag That historic piece of craft of which the
accommodating Mr.. Tommy" Ryan the victim
is case in point. Mccoy had been the sparring
partner OF Ryan and had carefully learned his points
Of strength without exhibiting his own. Many a
beating had the generous Ryan somewhat ungente
with his sparring partners) given to him in the
tice bouts; but the unknown Mccoy was uncomplain-
ing. He was learning
THE DOUBLE CROSS
Finally, deciding that he had the whole of Ryan's
knowledge safely stored, he resigned his sparrng
partnership and in few months challenged his late
employers 1T will give a chance of getting
few dollars" he remarked privately that gentleman,
Ryan, knowing he had beaten Mccoy each day for
months accepted. whereupon the inventive Kid
Certain to leave no stone unturned) wrote letter
Dear Tommy" it in substance, Il know you
can put me out any time you want to; but I'm going
to ask you 70 do me favor. Let me stay 10 rounds
Who could resist such naive appeal? Certainly
not Ryan, who Immediately consented, and forth
with ceased the rigors of training. Was he not
assured that the kid" would do the same?
However the kid" had different views. He came
into the ring in perfect condition. and very artistcay
slaughtered Ryan. Ryan never forgot that He
squirms its mention TO this day.
In the preparatory stages of conflict Fitzsimmons
was not unapt Prior to his fight for the light heavy
weight championship with Gardner he met his oppo-
nent at the weighing With his whole strength and
with utter genaly he slapped Gardner upon the back
"Wy I'm glad meet you, young fellow he patron
lied Gardner felt his novtate and almost
knocked down by the force of the blow He came
TO the ring less confident than he had been trick
of the trade had robbed him of something
Fitzsimmons, however, had need of tricks in that
contest In the tenth round his hand knocked
into splinters The bones of the first two knuckles
were broken Gardner stunned by the force of the
blow did not notice this. His seconds, however
observant told him of il during the rest. Fitzsim
mons seeing his opponent glance suddenly COM
rnenced unconcernedly to twiddle his thumbs though
the pain must have been excruciating. In the next
five rounds he swung viciously and repeatedly with
that manned right hand, missing carefully each time,
and 1t was not until the fifteenth round that Gardner
commenced 70 entertain suspicious that all
well with that dangerous right" When Fitzsmmons
saw this he hit Gardner tremendous glancing blow
with the third and fourth knuckles of it. which