The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-18
IS BATTLING" NELSON
 AFRAID OF FREDDIE WELSH?
IN LETTER TO THE FARMER LITTLE WELSHMAN
 STATES SOME PERTINENT FACTS
Looks Very Much As Though the Dane Did Not Care to
 Mix It With Welsh Who Has Done Everything In His Power to Force the Champion to Fight-Ho
 Long Gan Nelson Continue to Ignore This Challenge?

hCAN oO A5AAOAV V l. 4A4O O14cb1AOAASSSs l offered liberal inducements for Nell son to meet me in a fight of twenty
 five Or forty-five rounds.
 My reason for posting the check
 was that Nelson, in despair of finding
 @ sufficient number of good reasons for not meeting me had accused me
 of wishing to fight him in order to
 get the losers end of the purse. My
 check stood as a permanent side bet,
 which he might cover if he dared. We'll, the promoters of Milwaukee | tried their hands at getting on a fight
 between us.. I don't remember what | his reason was at that time. It was
 not theatrical engagements, I know. Theatrical engagements prevented
 him from meeting me in New Or
 leans. I would like to say in this | connection that when I make a the
 atrical engagement there is always a clause in it that permits me to break
 1t for the purpose of fighting. Fight 1 ing is my business; and I am al- 1 ways ready to meet any worthy op-
 ponent.
 | Speaking of Milwaukee reminds me
 of fact that may throw some light
 on Nelson's methods; Tommy An i dreWs, the sporting editor of the Ev-
 enlng Wisconsin, and a well known
 authority on sporting matters, tried to
 arrange a fight between Nelson and
 Mcfarland at the Badget club in Mill waukee. Nelson would consent to the
 fight only on the conditions that he should receive a certain sum of money
 for himself, win, lose, or draw, and | it should be agreed that the referee l should call the bout @ draw if both I men were on their feet at the end of the tenth round. Tommy Andrews, as anyone acquainted with him would know, spurned the mere suggestion. | After Np1SOn'S TQf1JS91 | Orleans offer, I was pondering the | best way to force a meeting with the l coy Dane, when his manager, Willus | Britt, came to me in New York and said that if I would fight Nelson ten rounds for nothing he would give me a fght-a no-decision bout-in New 1 York. I refused his munificent offer. l Then he buried himself in thought for a while and said he would pay my expenses. As l refused that also, | he took another and better thought and said he would give me one thou sand dollars. Nelson it seems was to have the $10,0O0 he had demanded. Willus Britt explained to me that if accepted his terms I must sign contract to fight Nelson for a forty five round fight afterward inasmuch as it was certain that Nelson would n't have a lodk-in at the fight" if it went only ten rounds. I never got so far as to find out what would be given me for going forty-f1ve rounds for I refused his One-sided offer at once. Later Al Hippo, Abe Attells manager came to me with another offer to fight Nelson, which threw some light on .Britt's offer. Lippe said that a new, gilt-edged club was go- ing to be started in New York, and wanted a first class attraction to start with: and would I meet Nelson there in a ten round bout? I asked on what terms, and was told that Nelson demanded $1OOOO for himself, and the club would give me 35 per cent of the house. I agreed to the terms, and the fight night-I don't dare say would have come off-but for the fact that just about that time Governor Hughes put a stop to boxing in the State of New York.
 After that Nelson said that if I would get the undisputed title of lightweight champion of England he would meet me. I am now undisput- ed champion, and still Nelson refuses to meet me. Whenever, in fact, I meet his demand, he side-steps, and none too gracefully.
 Reading in American and English papers that Nelson had signified his' willingness to meet in 20-round. fight, for a twenty thousand dollar purse, and was coming over here with that end in view, Harry Marks of CdrulII, who IS well hIlOWn nere as a sportsman and a responsible promo ter, called "Tad' the sporting editor of the New York Journal; My Club will deposit $2000O purse immediately Nelson posts $1,000 forfeit with you. Fight Welsh 20 rounds here Febru- ary.' Note how Nelsonian is the an swer: 'Nelson demands $23,000 for him. self. Tad' Immediately I cabled to Tad as follows: "Nelson's ridiculous demand shows him afraid. If Nelson serious Marks offers $23,0O0 purse win ner take all''
 I beg to call attention to the fact that up to this time I have met and defeated the following well known fighters in America, as well as all the best men in England, including John ny Summers; Cyclone Johnny Thomp- son, Willie Fitzgerald, Dave Deshler, Maurice Savers, Phil Brock, Packy Mcfarland, Johnny Murphy, Frank George Memsic, Young Erne, Ray Bronson, Johnny Frayne and Jack Goodman.
 The position I take now is that I am willing to fight, Nelson for any number of rounds; that I am the championship; that I will back my self for $5,00O that if Nelson still re- fuses to meet me I have a right to claim the championship, and may reasonably expect the sporting world
 in a spirit of justice to support me in my claim.
 Battling Nelson may as well un- derstand at once that Fred Welsh is not Joe Cans to be heckled and hound ed. He has now to do with a fight CT with an absolutely clean record. One who has met all corners and beat en them. One whose undisputed fair ly held title of lightweight Champion of England places him on a pedestal quite as lofty as that occupied by champion who refuses to fight for his championship, but makes use of his title only as an asset in his business career.
 The supreme reason why Nelson re- fuses to fight me is that he knows I am his master whether in one or one hundred rounds. Wolgast, who gave him a thorough beating short time ago, frankly says I am too clever for him. Abe AtteI1 who fought him a fifteen round draw, lost like a raw novice to me in the same number of rounds.
 You have made money enough out of an unfounded title, Battling Nel- son. Now fight me or I call myself what I truly am, Lightweight Cham pion of the World. I will fight you for any purse that is offered, either winner take all, or split in any decent way I will fight you for as many rounds as you like.
 nf hn yun or1o H.