The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-08

CAST, the Milwaukee Wildcat" is no
more a Milwaukee product than Bat
Nelson, whose crown Wolgast ripped
off not long since.
| But "Ad' is beloved in Milwaukee,
where Nelson is almost hated, and
that is why this town of beer and box
ers is proud to have the new cham
pion known as a MilWaukeean and
| is perfectly willing to let Hegewisch
have the credit of producing the Dam
ish Battler
| Wolgast, however spent over two
years of his ring career, the years
when he came up from an unknown
preliminary sparrer to a windup star
here in Milwaukee. Nelson spent the
same amount of time, but, while Nell
son since becoming famous, has slur-
red Milwaukee, and forgotten and rid-
culed the men who gave him sand
witches and pork and beans when he
had not the price of cup of coffee,
Wolgast has, in scores of ways shown
his gratitude toward the men who
pushed him to the front.
When Wolgast came here it was
with record of only half a dozen or
so battles, all around Cadillac, his ma
tive place, and Detroit. He was
green country boy, with little idea of
4 in hut NHyitb inf
that he had the goods, if he could be
trained by the Milwaukee managers
who had already put out dozens of
good scrappers.
Wogasts first fight in Milwaukee
was February l, 1897 when he met
Gene McGovern in a six-round prelim-
mary. No one about town had heard
of Kid Wolgast at that time, but the
moment he appeared, he became a ia
vorite He went at McGovern, an ex-
perienced scrapper, with all the cool
headedness of a champion.
Picked as Winner.
He was picked at once as a future
big fight winner, though not supposed
to be of a champion ca!ibre, and
was given another fight II days later.
when he drew with Jack Nolan. The
same month he got another crack at
his old enemy, Young Kilraine, at
Fond du Lac, Wis, and a second time
knocked out his old antagonist. In
March he was given a return match
J with Nolan, and this time he won on a
decision. Three days later he won on
foul over Brady Glover, and then
was given a fight at ST Joseph. Mo
where he drew with Buck Plotell.
Fights We're then coming fast for
the ''Dutchman,'' and before the spring
q boxing season ended the first of July
he had knocked out Kid Brady, Bud
dy Glover. Kid Morris and Danny
y Goodman, with various other battles
won or drawn. The fight with Good
man made him a favorite for the semi
Wind-up events, when thetaoindl
| windup events, when the season open
ed again in the fall he was slated for
eight-round events. Before New
3 Years day he had knocked out a coup
l. lie more aspiring boys, and had met
Frank Connelley, the new bantam
champion, in two battles, winning one
and drawing the other. Connelley, a
= Kenosha. Wis, scrapper, is now after
Wolgast to settle this oldtime quarrel
Connelley declaring he can give VOL
CAST weight and beat him. The two
boys had one more argument that sea
; son, another draw, at Racine, Wis.
Protege of Millionaire.
Long before this Wolgast had been
taken in hand by Frank Mulkern, the
millionaire. who, with Teddy Murphy,
the boy manager, set to work to deve-
lop Wolgast. During much of the
time that Wolgast was fighting about
in tow, Mulkern most of the time.
During the early months of 1908,
Wolgast. in his local battles, knocked
out Buck Plotell at ST. Joe, Wilt Sui
j Ivan, Jack Nelan, here in Milwaukee.
: He had, before the season was far ad-
vanced, developed into a windup star
OF the first magnitude. and was Begin
ming to get many offers of fights in
: ether states. Long before this he had
;, retrieved biv only dafeot nv knncripp
4 out Young Nelson, in three rounds the
i only man who ever scored even a de-
cision over him, the Nelson defeat
t having been in the cary days at Ca