Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-02-09
MCCOY BEGAN CAREER
AS fits DISHWAsHER

states. He soon graduated from the
kitchen force and became a regular
sparring partner. aud every day he
learned some new things about the
ring cunning of FitEsimmons.
Had Something New to Spring.
But not everything BY any means"
Mccoy told me when relating the
story. Whenever | thought | had
learned everything Fitx knew the old
fox slipped something brand new over
on me. He always had something up
his sleeve that l never thought Of.
That is why never fought him after
ward. never could get to the bottom
OF his mind the way l could with all
the others"
Although Mccoy. with his own nat
he knew about fighting. and learn ey.
erything that he could from Etzsim-
mons, Freckled Bob soon began to
regard him as almost a rival. The
mind of FitZsimmons recognized quail.
Ity in that OF Mccoy. II was case
of the steel striking sparks from the
flint. And that just appealed 10 Bob,
whose delight grew with every days
improvement In his sparring partner
Fitz showed his enthusiasm by fight
ing harder and harder. And all this
time Mccoy was playing foxy game.
coneealing his own real eleyerness
and secretly studying Fitzsimmons in
every movement Perhaps he hoped
to become expert enough TO cut loose
with Bob some time and give him an
unexpected trimming. But the feel
ing that Bob still knew a few things
he hadn't shown prevented that.
Starts Out TO Win Title.
While all this was going on Mccoy
managed to get the sympathy OF ey-
cry one in camp but the enthusiastic
Fitz. Even Mrs, Fitzsimmons, who
never interfered with what Bob
thought was right in the matter Of
training, protested to Bob that 1t was
a shame to hit that poor. slim boy
so hard, and the poor, slim boy
rolled his fine eyes patheticaIly and
said he didn't mind II only he could
learn how to box.
March 2. 1893, Fitzsimmons fought
Jim Hall in New Orleans and knocked
him out in four rounds. Mccoy watch
led Fitz in real action and decided that
he might as well start out and apply
/, some Of the things he had learned
/ from the master. So he said goodby
and resigned as cook and sparring part
iner. and started out on a successful
boxing tour from New Orleans to In
! dianapolis and other middle western
cities.
II was year or so later. while he
was still little known, that he played
that famous trick On Tommy Ryan.
then famous middleweight. He
Joined Ryan,s camp just as he had
that Of Fitzsimmons, concealed all he
knew. and set about studying Tommy
Ryan from his hair to hts shoe laces
Ryan wasn't like Fitzsimmons. Fits
had been rough enough, but 1t was
half horseplay with him.
Mccoy boxed under wraps with
Tommy, and Ryan beat him up more
and more every day, In q way that
Mccoy thought particularly malicious.
At last Mccoy reached the bottom Of
Ryan's fighting mind, knew just what
Ryan knew and left his camp. Later
he tricked Tommy into making q
match with him to pick up some easy
money, fooled Tommy into neglecting
his training fby writing him a letter
and begging him to make the losers
end a little bigger, and when they
met at Maspeth gave Tommy a most
Irevengeful beating and knocked him
out in the 18th round.
After that Mccoy never had to
wash dishes or cook again. He made
a mint Of money in the ring, fought
among the champions, beating men
much bigger than himself in world IA
nous battles. and instead Of looking
for the brake beams travelled all over
the world on steamers and Pullman
cars like millionaire. He's still do
ing 1t, for though he isn't fighting
any more he retains the mental alert
ness that made him go straight to the
best man in the world when he wanted
to learn the fighting game.
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