East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-08-10
Black Lightweight Fights last
Fight ard Takes the Final
Count.
PASSES AWAY AT $50
In BALTIMORE HOME
Beloved Figure Of Fandom Is Given
Knockout Blow by One of Worst Of
Foes, Tuberculosis-End Comes
This Morning-Family at Bedside
Cams One OF Most Remarkable
Fighters I'm HistOry-Was at One
Time Most Crooked.

Baltimore. Aug. 10.-Joe Cans. the
Old Master, is no more. He has been
gathered to the master Of all masters
He died at $3.50 this morning surrdun-
ded by group of friends, his wife
and foster mother.
Death with which he fought all the
courage that marked his marvellous
ring career. has placed the last mark
against his record. But he went down
for the last time fighting gamely not
for a purse, but that he might see his
old NANNY" and his children for the
last time and bid them farewell.
With the passing of Cans the ring
has lost one of its greatest lightweight
boxers and most lovable figures. Once
admired, then execrated for permit
ting himself to be drawn into crooked
contests; then, after his atonement,
beloved in spite of his color, Cans
career is without a parallel in the an
mails of the ring.
Tuberculosis. the malady which has
laid its blighting finger on other great
colored fighters, notably Peter jack
son and George Dixon, wore down
the once sturdy frame which pulled
the black boy through many a storm.
Four years ago lacking one month
Cans was one of the most perfect
fighting machines that ever stepped
into the ring. One month later. Sept.
3, 1906, his physical downfall began.
Forced to tear needed flesh off his
bones TO meet the onerous conditions
imposed by Billy Nolan, then man.
ager of Battling Nelson, for the con-
x,.fth hn l,r a mo
lightweight championship, his mag
nificent constitution was undermined
and he was never again the great Cans
who had successfully defended his title
against scores OF fighters from the
time he won 1t from Frank Erne in
1902 until his second encounter with
Nelson July 4. 1908.
Two days before the first Cans
Nelson battle, Cans, try as he might
in his stuffy little gymnasium, could
not tear off the pounds of flesh that
Nolan said must come off. Becoming
desperate. the negro took to the hot
alkali road under a blazing sun, re-
peating the performance next day.
Nolan insisted that Cans weigh In
with full fighting togs scaling not a
fraction Of an ounce over 1873. Cans
needed the money from that fight and
would have cut off leg to make the
weight. For three days he ate little
more than a bit of toast three times
q day, slaking his thirst with tiny
cup Of tea.
When he woke on the day of that
battle at Goldfield he weighed 1873
stripped but he had to get below that
to allow for the trunks and the rest
Of his fighting togs. Out on the road
ne went without a bite to eat.
At 10 o'clock that morning he had
TO step on the scales for the prelimi-
nary weigh-in. Nolan, among the
harsh conditions that the newspaper
men covering the fight protested
against as unfair, insisted that the ne
gro must step on the scales twice be-
fore the ringside scaling. Fearful lest
ne be overweight. Cans worked al
most until the last minute. When he
stepped on the scales he had left off
part of his scanty ring attire Nolan
quickly observed this.
"If you are going to fight with any
more clothes on you had better put
'em on" said Nolan.
'Ah, Billy" said Cans, in pleading
tones, why DON'T you pe redsohaoie'
You don't want your boy to whip a
dead man. do you? Why don't you
show some sportsmanship?"
But Nolan was inexorable.
Beginning OF Downfall.
The result of that battle is too well
known to require more than passing
mention. For AZ rounds the boys
fought savagely under blazing Me-
yada sun. Cans, owing to his weak
ened condition. being put to the Sc
yerest test of his life to keep the on
erous Dane from overcoming him. He
was forced to resort to every trick
he knew and the exhibition he gave
under such trying conditions was SIM
ply marvellous A few seconds after
the opening Of the final round Cans
went down under a blow the Referee
siler held was foul. Cans was award
ed the battle.
It was his last great fight. however
The weight had killed him and the
Cans that won the championship
from Erne in a round began to fade.
When he made his last battle, which
was with Jabez White, the English
man, in New York, Mar. IL. 1909, he
was only a shadow. The two beatings