Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-24
IF ATTELL WERE TO TRAIN
Bill Eaughton Asks Question in
Lightweight Lore.
SECRET OF ABE'S LATE LOSSES
Prepared for kilbane by All Night
Poker Game-what Could He
Do IL He Really Be-
hayed Hlmselff
BY W. w. NAUGHroN.

SAN FRANCISCO. March sS.-To criti-
else Abe Attel harshly at this stage OF
the game. savors largely Of throwing
water on a drowned rat. Atteil, through
his indiscretions. is in bad standing in
the three biggest boxing centers In the
United States. namely New York, San
Francisco and Los Angeles.
His defeats by Johnny Kilbane and
Tommy Murphy have lowered him ter
rfbly in the pugilistie scale, and instead
Of pulling out OF the game in q blaze Of
glory he is leaving behind a reputation
for crookedness. Seldom is II that ring
champion withdraws from active service
under such lamentabIe conditions.
Aside from all questions Of impaired
fighting ability, there is something that
has contributed TO Attels downfall more
than the ravages OF time. II Is his deep
seated love for gambling. His nearest
friends now declare that for years he has
lacked the will power to desert the poker
table long enough to train properly.
II h learned on the best authority that
Attels training for Kiibane at Los
Angeles was a farce. He did enough in
daylight hours to hoodwink the news
paper men who put in an appearance at
his camp. but his nights were given over
10 drawing flushes and straights.
The writer has in his possession per-
sonal letter from business man in Los
Angeles who is in q position to learn the
inside workings Of things pugilistic down
that way, and the letter says: "Attel sat
up all night playing poker the night be-
fore he fought KIibane His training for
that event was a Joke"
IL 10 said that the sx.featherwelsh
had another all night session with his
favorits past time the night before he
boxed Tommy Murphy IN San Francisco.
in other respects he was not as indis-
Greet as he was at Los Angeles. He kept
under cover there when following his
bent, but In this city he was not only
seen around the gambling resorts. but
out along the Texas Tommy places
of the beach boulevard in the small hours
Of the night
II is the old story, You can't eat your
cake and have II. You can't neglect all
the rules of training and remain a world
power In pugillsm.
In the opinion Of many there is doubt
as TO whether Attell Is the has-been his
recent showing would intimate. Il Is
believed the even now. II Attell could
be got to mind his P's and o's. he would
soon rehabilitate himself with the fight
inK public.
II Is admitted that his affair with
Kilbane was mighty close. weIA know
ing what 10 known OF the way he Grim
inaIiy neglected his preparation for that
event, what might he not have accom-
plished IL he had been anything near 70
well trained at the other feIlowf
IL might truthfuliy be said that he did
not do lick Of traing for Murphy. He
explained his dilRtoriness in getting
down to the grind by saying that he was
in good condition after the spell Of work
he did for the Kilbane battle.
II was a very good "siall' as the
sports up here were not wise to the fact
that he had made no move at all to-
wards fitting himself for Kiibane. He
had 10 fight Murphy on Saturday and II
was not until Tuesday preceding that ne
put In an appearance at his quarters.
And the little he did during the day was
offset by his nocturnal habits.
In the face Of all this Attell fought
twenty bllstering rounds with q man
probably fifteen pounds heavier than
himself. II was not until the last two
rounds that he showed symptoms OF
wariness.
Where 10 there another featherwelght
in the world who could equal tho per-
fermance7 What might have been the
result OF the Murphy-Attell, bout IL At
ton had prepared for II conscientiously
and In accordance with the rules laid
down?
There is good sound logic In the argu-
ment that Attell with a proper course
OF training could show a sample OF fist
cuffs that would astonish US all But Is
there any assurance that the foolish
young men could put his mind to such
course
II seems as though nothing acts as a
warning to him. He was scotched cat
when he came here from New York af-
ter his fizzle with Knockout Brown, and
II was thought he would strive his hard
ost to set himself right with the public
Further he must have known that his
championship-his only asset for years
and years-wouid be in jeopardy when he
fought kilbane. And yet he preferred the
poker table to the punching bag.
In addition TO the slump Of prestige
he experienced. he came here from Los
Angeles In bad odor owing to some
trickery about q telegram. But even,
then instead Of trying to redeem himself
by training conscentiously for Murphy.
he stiil INDUCED his passion for poker
and II Jim Buckley tells the truth tried to
grange fake fight.
There are many who would Ike 10 see
Attell take a tumble to himself" and
ascertain what a season Of rigid train
ing would do But there are very few
Who exepect to see him change his ways
lie seems to be incorrigible.
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