Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-09
MURPHY WAS
KEENEST JUDGE
Of At HE TIES
Bv Ed W. Smith.


wonder that Ike Murphy, vet
eran of athletes, who passed
away in the East a few days ago,
led the athletic world and created
more chan one sensation by spring
ing great performers on the differ
ant countries at different times. For
Nike was one of the keenest judges
Of human form AID human capabili-
lies that ever saw. AS matter OF
tact he was little short of uncanny
In his perception and could tell al
most at a glance what an athlete
was capable of. Not only was he a
deep student of the physical side,
but he studied and judged tempera q.
ments as well-and this was one IF
The biggest factors in Mikes marvel
Gus success in handling men for ath-
,etic contests.
1T is not mentioned in any of the
biographies that / have seen of
Murphy that he was once one Of
the greatest of professional sprint
ers back in the old days when
sprinting was one Of the real sports
in New England and towns in that
section subscribed money to send
their stars to Old England to com
pete in Sheffield handicaps and 9TH
er big races. New England pro-
duced more than one man in those
days that could beat even time"
for 100 yards and, as a matter Of
fact, every town in that section had
a champion and plenty Of money was
wagered whenever match race 9r
an open event came up that brought
together some Of the cracks.
1T was in school of that kind that
the lynx-eyed Mike learned the
game of footracing and acquired his
knowledge of men in much the same
way. Naturally a wonderfully bright
and thoughtful fellow, ambitious to
lead at all times and with COM
petitive spirit that was wonderfully
developed, IL Is small wonder that
Mike, able as he was to impart that
same spirit to the men he handled
was hugely successful against the
world even at times when he seemed
to have vastly the worst of 1t in the
way Of athletic material on his
squads.
NEITHER has 1t been mention I'd
~ that Murphy at one time trained
the athletes of the old Detroit Athletic
Club when such men as Fred owen,
Luther Cary, Fred DucEarme, George
Mesley, Joe Murphy and other great
athletes were competing around the
Middle West Yet Mike was a famil
lar figure then and was almost as
successful as he proved in later
years. He not only uncovered but de-
veloped some of the greatest anna
tours the world ever knew
THE last time I saw Mike was az
/ Reno, New, in 1910, while he was
taking a vacation watching the
training of Jeffries and Johnson and
airing his views on the men for an
Eastern syndicate l rode from Chi
caEo to the divorce city with MIN ana
had many an interesting chat with
him about the great athletes OF past
and present. Even then Mike was
NOT in the best Of health and his in
creasing deafness bothered him more
than a little and it was hard Tor nlra
to converse i'm public.
TItS keenness was shown at Reno
II after he had looked over the
bfr fellows w were working Tor
mar memorial BILE contest There new
or was much question about the con-
dition i'm which the colored man
wound enter the ring, but there was
mighty big question about Jenries.
Alter Murphy had looked over tne
los Angeles man carefully a couple
of times l asked Mike his opinion;
he shut one eye slowly squlnted
long and hard at me and then re-
Us This fellow going into glove
contest or are they training MN 20
run a Marathon?
Further than this Mike would not
venture but II was enough. They
never trained Jeffries right at all Tor
that combat and the wise ones VINO
watched knew it-and perhaps prof.
ted well thereby. Jim Corbett knew
II as well as anybody. and said so
four davs before the battle. Mnr-
nbv knew II two weeks before ana
ia so Mike was a wonderful man.
MANY a man who thought ne
M was a Splinter was turned INTO
q star distance man by Murphy, VINO
knew at a glance that the athleIe
hadn't picked out the right game ior
himself And i'm 80 cases out OF 100
Mikes Judgment was absolutely cor
rect.