The evening world., 1911-04-15
41ney1Cd'S Foremost Referee
Tells H0W Erne Lost to
4 McC0Uern in Three
4 Rounds and Then Later
Lost Lightweight Title to
Cans ia a FeW Seconds
of Fighting.
NO. ERNE.

THANK ERNE was a strong. sturdy
fellow. and he always believed in
having plenty OF food. whether he
was IN or out OF training. He was par
ticularly fond q heavy. rich foods. and
ne seldom Sat down to eat a meal but
what he partook OF some light wine.
Erns's father, an old swiss patriot.
was a ~vtneyard.st at Zurich when
frank was born IN 1875. As soon as
Egne HAD made SOM none he bought
y vineyard neal buffalo for his father.
No matter where Frank might De his
father always kept him supplied with
homemade wines.
7 remember the time when Erne was
tralninE for his night with McGovern.
Prank had agreed to weigh LIS pounds
rings.de. u as he was a full-iiedged
lightweight IL seemed thai he would
have to diet and abstain from drinking
any more than ne could help II he was
10 make the weight. He was training
pver at Oceanic. y. j.. and one day /
went over there TO watch him do his
training. | remained for dinner and
saw Erns drink a quart OF his fathers
wine.
Better have some o. this. It's very
fne," said Erne.
"IIonest, Frank. don't, see how
YOU can expect to make the weight /:
YOU drink SO much wine ! remarked
to him.
1T don't hurt me at ALL work It
right of. Besides. I've always taken
win with my meals" he replied,
Hard TO Reduce.
But nve days b~efors'the fight was TO
take place Erne started 10 punish him
sek terribly. IT was cruel. doubt
that he either ate or drank anything
during those last dayt. Big weight
~forieits were Up. ana he found '12s'
was almost impossible for him 20 make.
~ he Dropped to tho weight he found
II Impossible 10 do any road work. He
was too light to do Il boxing. and
for hours each day he would sit out in
the sun n a rowboat, baking ont every
ounce OF moisture the heat could draw
cut Through his dried up frame.
Erne. when he found the bad condi-
ton he was getting into. should ha ~
called OF the bout. McGovern was 50
anxious 10 get o crack AT Frank that he
would have fought him at any weight.
But Frank. a game and very sensitive
fellow. believed he could whip Feather
weight Champion McGovern under any
circumstances. Besides agreeing 10
make the low weight Il was agreed that
Erns should knock out Terry In ten
rounds or lose the decision. The fight
took place before a record-breaklng
house In Madison Square Garden July
10. 1900. and was one OF tho last big
fights TO be held before the Horton law
vent out.
II was terribly hot In the Garden that
night. and there vas not a mar IN the
place who didn't remove his coat. Ten
cent fans sold for a dollar. Eight thou
sand colored shirtwalsts were exposed
to view, and the sight was one never to
he forgotten,
I had been chosen referee, and when
the men were ready TO weigh IN | was
IN the job. Ernc balanced the scales
exactly az 1913 pounds. and Terry wa.
5.!Sh:!y under weight.
As Frank stepped off the scales I Eel,
sorry for him, Every blue vein showed
through his skin, and 1t was plain he
had made a had bargain when he agreed
~ reduee himself to the stipulated
weight.
Turning to Terrible Terry" Drns