The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-06
leach CROSS IS
VERSATILE Chap
Boxer Who Knocked Out Bud
Anderson Is Also a Bag
Puncher.
STARRED ON CINDER PATH
Got Start as Serapper in Preliminaries.
Then Began to Climb the Ladder.
Now on the Top.
STARRED ON CINDER PATH

Los Angeles. Cal. July 5.-Harry Burns,
understudy TO Uncle Tom McCarey. is
primarily responsible for Leach Cross
presence among the stars of the prize
ring.
When Leach was a freshman in the
New York College OF Dentistry. Harry
Burns was performing in the big city as
the champion professional bag puaeher
of the world. The bag-punching game
appealed to the dental student and he
made up his mind to be a Harry Burns
on the side.
Tommy Murphy training at the
new Polo Athletic Club at the time, and
IL was at that club that Leach began
working out with. the punching bag Muir
ply persuaded the young student to spar
with him and told him that he would
make a good fighter.
Cross was an amateur runner, too. He
ran the mile and the half mile for his
college. In 1905 the near-dentist entered
a pot hunt run. given by the employees OF
the American Lithograph Company, un-
der an assumed name. Lou Sheppard, a
light-weight, who was performing with
considerable brilliancy at that time. was
also in the race.
The two boys worked up a converse
ton and talked about boxing. Sheppard
encouraged Cross and later the two boxed
together and then Sheppard assisted
Cross in getting his first date
Small Money for Fights.
About the best fighter could get at
that time was SO or sloO for four rounds
and the preliminary boys drew down five
or six bucks for three rounds.
Cross had a college chum whose
father ran fight shows. The dental
student hustled soda around the nights
and kept hitting the promoter up for
a chance, but was always refused.
When his chance came 1t was to sub
st,tute at the old Sharkey club. Tom
Sharkey was the official referee and
Buckley, now managing Murphy and
Gunboat Smith, was the manager. Leach
stoned a fellow who wore the label Of
Bob Waters, in the third round. and got
IS, which was a big pile of money for
a preliminary fighter then.
That started the fighting instinct of
the wallach family. Sam, who Is now
the official manager for the family. was
practicing law. having taken his LIZ B.
at Columbia the previous spring. Sam
was not strong for his brothers side
profession and refused to assist him to
climb to fame.
knock. Many Out.
An ltaHdh plCheu ktdCu up ditci MS
first appearances and kept him busy earn
ing small purses The fights had to go
four rounds TO pay $40. and Leach
knocked too many ginks cold. SO he was
compelled to stop two boys night to
earn $40 He was knocked out twice
in his first four fights and got three
''bones" for one and six for the other.
The Italian manager counted the
'.makin's" in a scientific manner. which
did not appeal to Leach.
Out Of the purse. which amounted to
s175. Cross got SIS in cash and phoney
check for 30 seeds. This was too much.
Leach quit the game and prepared him
SELF for the coming examinations
When he went into the game again he
left his old manager to shina da fruta
and danca da monka- He had q real
ma mayer. who would at least kesp the
winnings IN the family. pot. even II
Leach did not get II all. ~
BPidlgcport Bays GePvsfs.