El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-25

x AN FRANCISCO. CAL. Nay 25.-AIl
that Willie Richie. the san Fran
- cisco lightweight possesses in the
way of prestige is due, directly or IN
directly TO champion Ao Wolgast II
was through WOlgast being taken
down with appendicitis that Rtchie
was sent for in a hurry TO box Fred
die Welsh at Los Angeles Prior 10 lnaI
time Willie was a plain, ordinary FOUR
round specialist at the Friday night
As Wolgast's understudy he per
formed so wen against Welsh that ms
star began to ascend. He went east and
commanded matches He did so wen
that ne came TO be looked upon as a
good, serviceable lightweight
There is scarcely any need TO recall
how Richie acquitted himself IN ms
recent short bout with WolgasL- de olu
so extremely we'll that those who wit
messed the bout considered Wolgast a
lucky boy to excape with his laureIs
intact
When anything sensational like that
occurs people at a distance are dlsln-
clined to give full weight to the glowing
accounts that emanate from the seat OF
the disturbance Allowance is made Tor
a very common human error, namely,
tendency to eNaggerate the merits OF
the under dog In a 11gnL crowd par
ticularly the hope Of Witnessing the
unexpected sWays the emotions. and to
attach wrong values is AKIN TO travel
ing the lines OF least resistance
In this particular instance, however
the fact remains that a champion Of the
u orld had remarkably close call The
thing to be avoided Is the making Of
wrong analysis Of WOlgasts showing,
that Is so far as II appears 70 Indicate
OF suggest q permanent loss OF Lgullng
strength or talent WOlgast was eV1-
gently distressed after a seemingly
light humping match with Rltchle, so
during the remainder of the bout was
influenced. WOlgast said that the
wrench revived an old injury TO his
back, sustained in a contest some years
His Days Are Over.
A great many when they heard TINS
that's all fiddlesticks-' Ihe
operation he underwent has left weak
SPOT and that is why ne hurt himself
when he slid up on Rtchle's soulaers-
A year ago he would not have MINDED a
little bump like that His ruggedness IS
impaired and his championship days are
over.
Ad still insists. however, that it was
his back that was twisted, ana says
there was nothing at any stage Of the
contest to remind him that he had ever I
keen knitted for appendicitis.
1t may be as he says and in any case
there is no harm in waiting for further
light on the subject If Il was merely
a twist Of the back that Wolgast sur
tered from, he would soon be IN harness
again. II it was some pnyslcal raw
traceable to the operation we can eN-
pect TO hear Of some OF his ring con-
tracts being cancelled
Whatever il was, il must be said /
that Wolgast was i'll advised in getting |
back into harness so soon
In the aftermath Of the Richie az I
fair great stress was laid upon VOL /
gast's deficiencies in the boxing line. |
BE certainly showed poor Judgment, I
both OF distance and direction, but a I
good deal might be said In extenuation- 1
The most pertinent argument In the I
connection is that Wolgast practically I
did not give and take work In his I
practice sparring before the bout
The idea that possessed his manager /
and himself was that the question Of /
lssfn1ilating was the main issue The !
hing to be proved was whether the /
,FoIgast. midriff could stand rough /
SAGE and Wolgasts sparring part
49, were under orders to slam away
1t Soor Ads stomach region without
While they were doing so WOlge2st
vas In 4 measure a lay figure be
.eemed satisfied with the knowledge
hat body snashes did not tease MIN
,oxed anv for SIX months he should
ave fought back more In his training