Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-10
Monty Tells of the Box Fighter and His Mascot
BY MONTY.

NEW YORK. March s.-As champions
come and 80. 20 do the mascots by which
they swear. Or rather. the departure Of
the mascot usually briefly precedes that
Of the champion. Such is Of course not
the fault Of the mascot: it Is nothing more
or less than q colncident but yet the
fact remains that, In nine cases out Of
ten. the champion has fallen shortly after
discarding his mascot.
Base ball players are notoriously super
stitious. but they can't bold candle to
the hox-fishterS There is hardly fighter
OF note who has not some charm or
taiisman to which be pins his faith.
There are. Of course. exceptions to the
rule. but Johnny Kilbane. the new feather
weight IL not one Of them.
Kiihaneis mascot Is none other than
John Kiibane. jr.. fondly termed by his
father as Jack" This mascot has bright
blue ayes. roguish little mouth. dimples
In his cheeks and . slight very slight,
amount Of brownish hair on the top Of
his head For Master Jack Is just If
teen months old.
In his earliest ring battles In his home
town. Cleveland. Kilbans entered the ring
with the remembrance fresh In his mind
OF parting kiss on the cheek OF little
Jack. Later. when Kiibane became q more
important parsonage. II was not always
possible TO take Jack around the country
with him. but he never let an opportunity
pass to send some word TO the younSster
Just before he entered the ring On the
eve Of his fight with Abe Attell In Los
Angeles. Kiibane wired to the youngstsr.
In the arms Of his mother In Cleveland:
Papa Is going 10 win for little Jack
and will be champion tomorrow Every
reader OF sport knows now whether that
prediction came true
Notable Instances OF boxers with mas.
cots In both past apd present are Bob
Fitzsimmons Stanley Ketchel. Knock
out" Brown. Terry McGovern. Pedlar
Palmer. BIZ Lang and Freddy Welsh.
One Of the most peculiar mascots a
boxer ever had was kangaroo's foot
which was the asset OF Fitrslmmons. In
the usual course OF events ''Lanly Bob"
was a man OF Iron nerves. but II is q
safe bet that II he had happened 10 lose
his kangsroo's foot on the day OF aeon
test he would have refused to enter the
ring. He would tuck Il into his siIken
scarf which he wore around his waist
and then enter the ring without a quaim |
or quake.
Needless 10 say. he attributed all his !
success within the hempen square to this /
peculiar mascot. Tho fiery cornIshman
also possessed q live bear. which used TO |
be his faithful companion IN. his early |
days during his long walks which are
part and parcel Of practically every |
boxers training.
The oid-time English featherweizht
star. Pedlar Palmer. had mascot OF a
more useful kind II was nothing less
than the green trunks he wore. The
marvellous little battling, machine used
10 regard these trunks with an air OF |
awe and many were the comments that /
would be passed upon their shabby sp-
pearance when no entered the ring But
pedlar was like Eva Tanguay and he
referee gise q decision IN his opponents
favor while he wore them; consequently
where Pediar went. those trunks went
too.
But Of last there came the final day, IN /
1859. when Palmer WAS knocked out In /
the first round BY Terrible Terry" Me- |
Govern. II was the last time the old green
trunks were worn. after having CARRIED /
their owner IN eight years Of champion
ship fights.
Paimer's conqueror also had q mas