The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-08-12

American manager. But beltlheoh
didn Z deign to notice the little chap
who was with Fitzpatrick. Peggy prob
ably installing him for a messenger
that sam had taken with hm for CON
iAIenience or TO pack his grip.nnL p. "a
The little lad hoped on high stool
and let his legs, which were short ones,
dangle halfway to, the floor. lie was
as unconeerned as boy might be.
"WeIl, sammy" said Bettinson,
"our Burge is a grite man, and ! 'opes
you ave good one to oppose m.
"The best ever,' was Fitzpatrick 5
assuring comeback.
an aud HI suppose you u ave i'm
h along in tonne for the fight!
"Haye him alongl' roared fitzpat-
rick. "Why, that s him sitting ON the
stool. Mr.. Lavigne meet Mr.. Bettln'
SON.
Bettinson was dumfounded and 1T
took him several minutes to regain ms
cOmposure.
"That's inf Aw, II u say, Sammy,
stop yer spoofn'. IL its no time for
JOHN"
F.tzpatrick finally convinced Bettin-
son that the eherublike lad was aetn-
ally the American champion.
ooh, well, sammy" muttered Bet
tinson, "the fawney will not take to
i'm. L0r' bless me, e looks like a
school lad.'
He Surprises England.
And Bettlnson was correct in his
surmise that the "fawncy,' the real
patrons of the National Sporting Club,
would not take to Lavigne. When
Lavigne lifted his dukes against the
great Burge, it looked like a bout be
tween well-fed policeman and club
by newsbOy.
In the first round, when Layigne
got in n good one on Burge, Lord Ions
dale Jumped from his seat-a very un-
usual piece of conduct on the part Of
any patron of the National Club and
yelled: "Well 1T, me lad. You shall
ave n ten-pun note for it. My dear
little boy. you re a Spartan.
The betting was five to one on Burge
and once or twice it looked as though
Burge would win, but Lavigne finally
got his famous body blows started and
it was all OFF with the English cham
Jion. The kid won with knockout.
Frank Erne, Swiss lad, beat Lavigne
TO a tweuty-round decision for his title.
Erne was extremely clever, a good hit
ter, but he liked the pretty things of
life too well for the good of cham
pion, and he didn't last long. Erne,
when he was a heavy featherweight,
beat George Dixon to decision. Later
he beat Joe Cans in terrific battle,
Cans seconds tossing in the sponge
after Erne had given Joe a terrible
wound under the eye.
Later Cans and Erne met at Fort
Erie, a town across from Buffalo, and
Cans knocked out Erne in jig time,
winning the title.
Cans Great Combination.
Many consider Cans the greatest
lightweight of all times. He was a
wonderful man in all senses of the
word He was a gentle character. The
sad and serious countenance that Cans
wore on all occasions made him beloved
by all, Cans always looked more like
On Arab than negro, and there was
much of the Arab fatalist about him.
Tie always had that wonderful sad ex-
preston. He seemed to be looking for
something he never could find. He was
as gentle and kind as giant st.
Bernard dog.
Cans knew everything about boxing,
everything about fighting. His mar
Vicious cleverness was never matched.
Cans ~ now dead and under the
daisies. A greater fighter never lived.
Bat Nelson succeeded Cans, knock
ing him out in seventeen rounds for
the title. Nelson was probably the
most enduring man the ring game has
ever known. He was as lasting as
India rubber. Nelson's stamina was
his strong point. The harder an OPP.
ponont beat him the harder he fought
back. He was ring demon, terrible
man.
Nelson is still in the game, but he
has fallen off immensely, and he gets
but small returns from his ring en-
gagements. Nelson was noted for one
quality. lie was as square man as
ever boxed. There never was whis
per of suspicion against the fair name
of the "Durable Dane" His support
ers always got run for their money
| AID Wolgast beat Nelson for the title
in one of the most furious battles il
the history Of the ring. 1t took VOL
CAST forty rounds to win. Nelson wa
terribly battered when Referee Eddi,
Smith, now dead, stopped the contest
and gave it to Wolgast.
Wolgast still has hopes, of winning
back his lost laurelsT!but so did Ba
Nelson, and he never succeeded. Willi
aitchie wrested the title from Wolgas
on n foul Until he knocked out, o
scared Joe Rivers into quitting, Ritchi
was not seriously regarded ms of rea
) championship timber, but the brillian
, battle that he put mp against the Mex
can challenger stamped Ritchio's elias