Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-09-05
MOST
PROD|GAL BOXER;
DIED 4 PAUPER
Estate, Just Settled, Shows He
Left SlO7, Proceeds of Sale
of Br0ken=D0wn Automobile.
money Just to SPEND" lie
Said, as He Sqnandered 1t.

Ouie, do tiC OquukfuSlS lie
The estate of the late. Stanley
Ketchel, one of the greatest fighters
who ever drew on a glove. has just
been settled. The final inventory
shows that, after all debts had been
paid, the heirs Will receive s107, h
proceeds of the sale of a br~oken-down
acknowledgements item.
When Stanley Ketehel arrived in
San Francisco in the summer of 1891
his principal assets consisted of a
heart OF oak, a terrific punch. a Won
derful physique and a draw with Joe
Thomas, then regarded as the best nan
of his weight in the country.
Ketchel stepped off the ferry with
out sufficient funds to buy coffee
and" Before he came to a Francisco
he had engaged in numerous bush
fights. for which he received bush
purses. Therefore, Ketchel really egan
to ca, , the big money when he ctruck
California. The first turn of the wheel
of forum was his fight in San Fran
cisco with Joe Thomas. The winning
of that desperate battle by Ketchel
opened the financial fi~ood-gates for
him, and when he fought his last battle
his fists had earned for him approxi-
mately S103, 500 in purses alone. What
he won in bets is problematical, but
il is believed that the sum was suf-
ficient to bring the grand total up TO
$3.50, 900. 1t is known that he won an
unusually heavy bet on his fight"
with Jack Johnson, the betting, of
course, being on the number of rounds.
What became of this fortune? Some
of 1t, about 500. 1000. went to fix up his
parents. The balance was thrown
away in riotous living, given to false
friends and burned up in automobiles.
At least $50, 900 went in buzz wagon
Probably $50. 900 was ~squandered "along
| the line this sum including touches"
running from So to 5000. In a few in
dividual cases Ketchel is known to
have passed out more thar $500, being
very well aware at the time that he
money would never be returned.
When in San Francisco 1t was
Ketchers custom to engage a suite at
the SWEETEST hotels. His apartments
invariably included a buffet, which was
always stocked with the finest of wines.
A valet n chauffeur added to the
expense, when Ketchel felt in
clined to put on a dog" he stopped at
nothing.
Shortly before the Reno fiasco
Ketchei was stopping at a fashionable
hotel in San Francisco-no top floor
ROOM, the sort that Battling Nelson
generally took. but right on the second
hoor-reception room, bedroom, private
''bawth' and buffet room. His bill
amounted to something like SIS a day,
not counting the wine he dispensed and
the wages of his chauffeur and valet,
also the nightly trips down n line
Wilson Miner, who was then Ketchefs
manager, was over in Reno at the time,
and. hearing of his charges extraya-
gance. boarded the limited n rushed
to San Francisco.
"Great heavens, Steven" he said,
you'll have to cut this out or you'll
&c to the poorhouse."
Ketchel put up the same old argu-
ment about not being able to take
his money with him When he died,
but he finally acceded to MINERS re-
quest to live more modestly.
After his first defeat of Papke in
San Francisco he bought a $4,000 auto
robbie, said auto being able TO travel
some, but by and by Stanley wanted
more speed, so he bought another ma
chine costing 81, 500, put the old ma
chine in the garage and permitted the
rental to eat 1t up.
The night before johnson and Jeffries
met in Reno Ketchel was bucking the
! tiger. He was extremely lucky and
when he quit he had a double handful
Of gold pieces. Changing a number of
them into silver he went down to the
\ railroad tracks and scattered dollars
and half dollars among the scores or
buns hanging around there. About
midnight he secured about 100 silver
dollars and, stacking them up his
arm, marched down the main street,
pretended to stumble and permitted
the coin to drop TO the sidewalk. The
clatter awoke almost the entire town.
Scores rushed TO aid Ketchel in pick
ing up the dollars, heads bobbed out
of windows, saloon doors were thrown
open and the gambling halls were de-
serted. About $25 of the scattered coin
was found, but Ketchel considered
the joke worth SIS.
Ketchel, without doubt, was the most
prodigal of all boxers, including John
+. sullivan. who never felt satisfied
mt his last bean had been spefiS.
Ketchel, however, had more money TO
spend and got rid of it in more riot
Gus fashion. Whats the use of keep
ing your money-you can't take 1t
with YOU" he was wont to say, and
that he lived up to his philosophy is
shown by the story the pitlful in
ventory Of his estate tells.