Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-16
REFEREE D|DN' 7
HEAR WOLGAST
CLAIM 4 FOUL
Harry Stout Makes Astounding
Statement-Ritchie Receives
$15,9O2 and Ad $ll,926.
By Sol Pick

plOuls lCiCl VI ZIG 6CAibeANAgiiN~i
glove contest involving Willie
Richie and Ad Wolgast at Milwau-
kee last Thursday night, made an as
founding statement in the presence
of Tom Jones, the writer, and others
yesterday afternoon in the Planking-
ton Hotel 1t certainly astounded us
and we know it did Jones, for Tom
invited the official outside when he
heard it. Harry declined ADS man
ager and he apparently parted enc
mics.
The followers of the glove game
all know by this time that Wolgast
went down in the seventh round OF
the fight, after Richie had dubbed
him twice in the body with his right,
and lodged a claim of foul. When he
sank to the floor Richie was between
him and Stout. Willie backed away
and Stout walked quickly to VOL
CASTS side. Every ringsider was pos
tive that Stout knew that Wolgast
claimed foul and that he refused the
plea and ordered him to get up ana
fight. Which Wolgast did, at any
rate Here is what Stout said:
IT did not know until after the fight
that Woigast claimed foul. | thought
he went down from the two stomach
punches, and | counted four on MN
before he got up. | was not IN
position to see the blows plainly and
did not detect low punch, if there
was one, for that reason. If | had
known that Wolgast was lodging
claim of foul ! would have stopped
the fight then and there and called
in a physician to examine him.
Jones looked at Harry in amaze
ment and then exploded. He declared
that not only did Wolgast claim
foul, but that he (Jones). did also, ana
shouted from the Wolgast corner
loudly enough for the referee TO hear
him. Tom wound up by allowing that
stout never would officiate again in
ring contest in which he was inter
ested.
Stouts statement certainly is a fun
ny one when it is considered that 1t
was palpable to all anywhere near
the arena that Wolgast was asking
that Richie be disqualified
THE assertion of Dr. Morter, mem
Der of the Wisconsin Boxing
commission, made yesterday in Mil
waukee. to the effect that Wolgast
was fouled, gives Adolph an excellent
alibi for the newspaper decision that
wont against him in the ma jority OF
the Chicago newspapers. If he really
was fouled 1--WE are not questioning
DR.. Morter's official world, then he
surely is the victim of fne piece
of hard luck. The decentralization oil
Richie would have made hlm chan
pion again by popular opinion In
that case he would be able 10 dlc-
tate to Richie on the weight ana nave
a much better chance against him
in any future struggle,
It's a strange thing that most OF
those who saw the two Richie body
blows 90 home are willing to swear
that each of them landed couple
of inches above the Wolgast belt line.
rs a fine little miX-up all around, and
means that Richie will have to give
Adj another whirl in order to settle
that old superiority question
THIS question came up after the
| fight: Would Wolgast be cham
pion if Richie had been disqualified?
There is a doubt about it for TINS
reason. No decisions are permitted
under the Wisconsin State law. If
stout had ruled that Richie fouled
Al he could not have lifted one OF
Wolgast's gloves and declared MN the
winner Hence the question about
the switching of the title however
had Wolgast knocked out Rltchle ne
would have been recognized as cham
mon the country over, even thou8h
STOUT could not have given MN
decision then. A Discrimination Ger
tainly should have the same eHect as
a knockout in no-decislon hout' IL
cta a
argument.
THE result did not damage or en-
| nance the reputation Of either
man. Richie won the shade decision
of the press, but he failed utterly
TO prove that he was Wolgasts fight
ing master. Ad held him practically
even except for that peculiar seventh
round. and he wound up that bad ses-
sion fighting strongly He really out
finished Ritchie in the tenth. so there
Is no way of guessing what would
have happened in a longer bout Ihey
are great fighters, a .well-matched
pair. and they will pack them in again
the next time they start
THE gate receipts were announced
1 officially by Promoter Tom An
drews as $G3,SO5, almost $4,000. 1hat
surely indicates that they like boxing
bouts Of class in the Middle West.
Had the same pair fought Thursday
right in a twenty round decision con-
test on the coast il is doubtful If they
would have drawn that much money,
Richie got 40 per cent, or ,9O2, and
Wolgast got 80 per cent, or $ll,962.5O.
The clubs share was S9,939 and the
States S1,9S7.50.