The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-08
iBattle-Scarred Veteran Of Old
Days, Strong For New
Boxing Game
TELLS OF BARE KNUCKLE
FIGHTS OF THE LONG AGO
Famous Ring Tutor Given Nest
Egg and Told to Have
Good Time

real rest ne mas hau In over 81 years
The other night he retired as boxing
instructor OF the New York Athletic
club. and the youngsters OF that or.
ganization sent him home to take 1t
easy after years OF hard work as the
clubs boxing tutor. with $4,000 in his
pocket as an evidence or their APP
probation.
He was found today in his little
home In the Bronx. Collarless. with
both feet sunk in Indian mocassins,
tent. II didn't take long TO get
theme, flsticuffs.
It's boxing now" he began, with
n snap OF his solid old jaws. I'VE
used TO kill ourselves fighting. You
don't see them battering each other
up as we did with bare knuckles. It's
! impossible for two good men, In con-
dition, TO hurt themselves In 10
rounds with big gloves. On the
whole, the game has improved won
derfully There's nothing new in the
matter OF defense and offense. They
! fight just the same.
The we'll conducted clubs of today
make II easier for the lighters. We
used TO ride all night with the sheriff
| at our heels-no sleep, no rest-and
when the sun would peep over the
hills we would pitch ring and have
IL out in the most bloody and brutal
way possible--with bare knuckles.
The class OF flghting men has i'm
proved. You don't go to a saloon.
nowadays, TO find a fighter. In my
time they were careless lot-no
business sense, with little pride and
battered faces.
1T was brutal--those bare knuckle
fights. / wouldn't look at one now.
wouldn't go out In that vacant lot
and watch bare knuckle fight for
$4,000. And in my day was rated
one of the best OF the bare knuckle
! lighters. Here, look at my face!
Look here-both eye brows ripped
clear across, and this old scar be-
tween my eyes. Look at this old nose
twill yen! Broken four or five times.
"Oh | tell you, boy. 1t took cour.
age, II We did lack common sense.
But what could you expect? was
a strong, husky kid and only In my
/ teens.
But boxing as we conduct II to-
lday makes men OF our race. II de.
velops self-reliance, courage and
pluck. Every state should insist on
1t being taught in the schools.
deplore the action OF the Cali.
fornia voters in killing the great
science out there. They don't know
what they've done The California
lighters were a fine lot-manly and
! prosperous. can't understand It,
M glad TO hear you say that the
bill was outyoted In San Francisco
and Los Angeles, and that 1t was only
the farmer vote that beat the game.
In my time all we could hope for
in the way OF purses was $1,000 TO
$4,000. had afi ght with Jim Muir.
ray-all the old boys remember what
a great fighter he was. We fought
near Philadelphia-bare knuckles. He
closed both my eyes and they were
black for two months, and II was six
months before l recovered from the
effects OF that beating. He is still
alive-76 years old-I'm 40 myself. /
met him last year at the funeral of a
relative OF mine. hadn't seen him
in 20 years. He's the best friend I
have today Now that I'm loafng
I'm going over there to see him.
we took care OF ourselves. That's
why we're hale and frisky yet. ANY
man who burns the candle at both
ends won't last. / met a good girl
the mother OF this large family. She
was my salvation.
Ned O'Baldwin was a great fight.
er. He could have whipped any man
that ever lived. So could Charlie
Gallagher. Two men you never hear
OF now and the greatest OF their time.
O'Baldwin was six foot six and
weighed 210. He could vault a fence
or do anything a lightweight could
a man killed him in a brawl I'm 1876
| "Fttzsimmons was a great fighter
wonderful and unbeatable at the
weight. ! hate TO admit IL, but John.
fsoh was their superior. He could
have whipped that wonderful boxer
Peter Jackson, too
Jim Hall was another great fight
err. He knew everything. Did you
ever notice the trick used by an old
timer when he spars? He'll always
lift his left foot up as he advances.
They fought in the old days with
spiked shoes and lifted the left foot
up so that the turf would drop off
their spikes. That's why the old.
timer can't get over the habit OF lift.
ing his foot
Joe Goss was the greatest BODY
fighter that ever lived But Mace
was the gem OF them all for clever.
ness The only men ! ever saw who
fought like him was Joe Cans and
Billy Edwards, they used so little
ring space and exertion. and how
they could time punch!"
/ Bender To Baltimore.
Chief Bender. who jumped from the
Athletics 10 the Federal league. SAT.
.