The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-20
GREAT AMERICAN
KNOCKOUT SEERs
EXCITED PoPuLAcE IN FRENCH
PROVINCE 6EHoLps WON.
DER THAT DELIGHTS PARIS
GOOD PEOPLE AMAZED
1T WAS THERE WITH THRILLS
AND FRiLLs AND FOLK SAY:
"AH! YOU SHOULD HAVE
SEEN THE FIGHT AT AK"

NEW YORK, Feb. 20.--The great
American knockout came to Aix-les-
Thermes, says a Paris letter to the
New York Sun.
Through the partition separating
my room from that In which the ac-
tors Of the pugilistic portion of the
troupe were gathered came bits of
mysterious rehearsal. The fighters
were hurrying into sparring tights
under street clothes, while one of
the regular actors hammered on the
door TO warn them that there would
be no time to dine before the cur
tain rose.
The farm fslang for "shut up').
whispered a cigarette voice. You
have time to dress while | am knock
ing out Camille. Tell him. Mgr. Ram
BIO. when, where and how he falls
He don't know yet"
Also tell Willy Corbett to keep his
hands up. He Is all the time for
getting; and I'm tired Of clinching
Don't forget your infighting. / shall
tell the audience that WHY'S kidney
punch is terrible
''rssh! They're going down to din
her. Now"
With now" the stern-faced pha-
lanx staiked through the corridors
and out into the dusk with immense
effect,
"Brutes.'' murmured the professor
OF geology.
"Heroes." whispered the buds In
pink ribbons.
Fake Finish Was "Too Brutal"
All who had not bought tickets has
tened to get them. For three days
the little Casino placards had an
nounced:
Battling Johnson Meets All Com
eFS--Hogan and HARDY eli oh ~,
pions; Ted Rickert. bantam wonder
sullivan and Willy Corbet---Termiuat-
ing with the Terrific Knockout 10 the
Last Man,
The box office took In s210, and
the audience or nice families shud-
dered at the sponges. buckets, sweat
ers. towels. fans. the roped square.
and the managers brief Introduction.
Messieurs. mesdames, the 20 cents
supplement stamped on each ticket
constitutes your quittance for the life
and accident premiums of the even
ing. The Casino authorities are equal
~ covered. Spectators of sensihility
are begged 10 retire before the be-
ginning OF brutal but viriIe spec
tacIe.
Nobody budged.
Time. IL was Hogan and Hardy:
but IL might have been a. dog fight.
Hogan rushed his man through the
ropes. Hardy Topped on the broad
OF his back, heels over head. entire
~ OF his own accord. hung on in
elinches while Hogan punched, tore
loose. and drove a left to Hogan's
jaw. q right to the other side. and
with his head butted Hogan In the
Ghest- As ahe. backed sc and fell,
Hogan pounded meshodicaIiy on his
upturned face. while the women in
the audience "Oh-ed!" and Aired
and bounced In their seats, palpitat-
ing.
Garry Loose Teeth With Them.
How describe those rounds, the bus
mess with the water. towels and
spongese Hogan sported a big pur-
pie eye that appeared suddenly after
sponging. Hardy had impressiveIy
pulled out two teeth sthought at a
dentists offiee1 and thrown them on
the fioor--yes, you could hear a tooth
drop--when the thing happened that
makes buds of Bexiers. matrons of
Montpelier, and eofiegians of Cahors
say superciliously. But you should
have seen the fight at AK"
Hardy had gone down fun length
on his back from a right-hand gesture
that had nearly touched his chin.
Spawning and Topping. more like q
toad than u human being the gifted
comedian was half up and wholly
down no less than Ave times Hogan,
out of breath and patience, stopped
the striking gesture. and the sprawl
ing genius was the whole show In
himself.
His eyes seemed sishtless. his face
bruised and swollen. With bent legs
and saying frame he rested on his
launches. leer of defiance ON his
biood-smeared face.
While the police commissary of AK
in evening clothes climbed to the
stage. Hogan, waking to his job. gave
a perfunctory clout 1t was Hardy's
cue to do a back fall, roll. kick, SILVER
and lie still, SO that just as the ref
cree tolled Off the seconds the police
commissary called in q loud voice:
Let the brutal entertainment
cease! The audience is summoned to
dispersed"
hut the House Was Satisfied.
This Ii why they did not see Ted
Rickert, Battling johnson. Sullivan
or Willy Corbett, yet made no COM
plant. and this Ii why, when Big
Jim johnson showed at Luchon with
an honest sparring outfit there was
disappointment at the tameness Of the
exhibition. too few knockdowns too
many clinches. You should have
seen the fight at Aix-ies-T hermes."
people said.
All THIS - an echo from Paris
Paris. the hot. pugilistio town Of Eu-
rope. When Tommy Burns. heavy
weight champion OF the world, knock
ed out Bill SQuires, champion of Aus
tralia, at the Bowling Palace, a third
OF the six thousand spectators were
clubmen In evening clothes, accom-
panied BY ladies Of society. When Sam
Money, champion of California,
knocked out Hen Taylor. heavyweight
champion Of England. at tho Hippo
drome. 5000 people. q third OF them
ladies. paid from $40 to so cents, and
Mcvey received $4,000.
Briefly. Paris has become the pugil-
istic center of the world. whore first
class, socond-class and no-class Amer
lean lighters cannot look each other
!. Iii the face for laughing. ana where
rich and cultivated population thinks
e physical culture u see five knock
outs In an evening.
- n - ~0OD WASUA