The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-31
KETCHEL' s DEATH
CAME TOO SOON
Was Trying to Come Back
When the Tragedy
Ended All.
BY W. W. NAUGHTON.


San Francisco. Oct. 30.-With the
untimely taking of OF Stanley
Ketchel. the fighting game loses its
most picturesque character. The pity
Of il is from the present outlook Of
things, ketchel, 1t the time of the
tragedy. was about 10 enter into the
simple life in earnest and endeaVOr 10
atone to himself for the inrOads he
had made on his wonderful cOnsLiUu-
Jion by careless living.
II letter received from Ketchel
not long before his death, can be taken
as an earnest declaration of his inIen-
tiOns, he proposed to devote himself 10
the lumber business. and TO that end
had purchased a tract of timber land
near Springfield, Mo. He intimate1
that he was through with the games
of the gloves, bat III be bound IL
a sOjourn in the big tree country, ne
would have been found fighting again
and fighting the very best.
ketchels rise 10 fame was indeed
meteoric. A little over three years ago
the yOungster was unknown. While
Bill Squires and Tommy Burns We're
preparing for their Fourth of July con
test in 1907. ketchel found his way
into California and secured a match
with Joe Thomas the San Francisco
faVOriIe. They We're TO box at Marys-
Vile. and when Ketchel arrived in the
town mentioned, unKempt and unshOrn.
some one asked, Who's your trainer
Trainer" replied Ketchel, I'm
lucky 10 be here myself"
He was more anxious about being
sent TO the nearest restaurant, prop
erly credentialed, than ne was about
Marysyille training facilities, and II
might really be said that il was on
himself for the match.
His confidence was intact. He wrote
me frOm Marysvllle prior 10 the fight,
saying naively:
Invited Watching.
You don't know me but / want you
TO watch my career and give me bit
OF "a sendOff if you think l deserve it,"
Ketchel and Thomas fought on the
same day as Burns anC Squires, and
when the world was ringing with
Burns praises. the wonderful showing
of novice ketche. provided "a cOmpan-
ion topic. Ketchel certainly demOl
ished the California idol; and so that
there might be no doubt about it. adj
ministered defeat TO Thomas a second
and third time.
Ketchel's wonderful natural fighting
talents were quickly recognized. lie
was compared TO Fitzsimmons on ac
count OF his employment of the SHIFT
punch; but il is doubtful if FitZslm-
mons. in his palmiest days, ever kept
an opponent guessing the way Ketchel
did. With his swaying, twisting ac-
uOn, his undulating shoulders and his
feet almost aligned, there was no tell
ing which side the fearful shift was
was certainly a deadening smash.
II Ketchei had only conserved his
nerve force and stamina, there is rea-
son 10 believe that he would have be-
come not only the hope of the white
race, but It's reliance in the mainten-
ance Of pugilistic supremacy.
a gamer lad never peeped over
glove. Many OF the men who have at
tanned greater heights in the pGgilistie
profession have shown unmistaka bic
signs OF trepidatiOn in their early
aanaH.H IA H. rrfH ~.
ring was to know that he loved fight
ing for the excitement il afforded him.
If it ever came that he was sus-
pected of avoiding d prospective Oppo-
nent, IL was because OF the common
human failing that he had tasted the
delights which hinge upon popularity.
and was aVerse to taking any chance
that might tumble him from mis- proud
position.
Others Before Him.
There were others before him that
felt that way about things when they
became acquainted with the higher
rungs OF the ladder of fame. and
have no doubt II was the same, far
back in the misty past.
Many a gladiator was spoiled when
continued successes enabled him TO
lead the life of dandy. Acquaintance
with the fleshPots and wine flagOns
converted him into a though tful indi-
Vidual. and allowed moral c0Wardice
10 usurp the place Of physical courage.
Ketchel was a Ikea BILE fellow and
viii be remembered kindly by ali who
have taken an interest in the pugilistic
happenings of the past few years.
As a Quecnsberry entertainer, his
work stood out IN such fashion that il
cannot be well forgotten. IT was be-
lieVed that he showed signs OF i'm
paired stamina during the second Of
his San Francisco fights with Billy
Papke but even though il was claimed
that the lure of the automobile boule-
wards and the great White Ways OF big
cities WOULD soon result in his DOWN
fail he managed 10 sustain his rcpu-
tation as a sensational slugger right
mp TO the last time he donned tho
gloves.