The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-07-24
BLACKBURN IS A
VERSATILE PUG"
Began Career as Barber and Lat
er Sunday School Teacher

Boston, Mass, July 24.-Jack Black
burns life story is nothing if not eX-
traordinary. The great negro, who just
now it hitching a hoof to the come
back step, is the son of minister. He
once had charge of a Methodist Sun
day school, and for three years WELD
ed in his brothers barber shop.
Let him tell his story-the adven-
lures that made him feared boxer and
which sent him to Jail and got him out
again:
Il had my being in Versacelles, KY,
in 1888. l started to school at the age
of and left it at II. When 16, after
three years in the barber business and
i'm teaching a Sunday school class,
started to learn boxing. My first bout
was at Minneapolis, where l boxed a
preliminary just for the privilege of
getting i'm to see the wind-up between
Jack Berry of Chicago and Kid Rob-
inson.
Knocked Out First Opponent.
''My first real bout was a k. o. for
me, and | stopped Kid Miller Of Min
neapolis in two rounds for $3.50. l
started in to box professionally and
beat the best boys around Minneapolis.
Going from there to Terre Haute. l
boxed Eddie Gardner and beat him in
II rounds. Then | came East, stopping
at Pittsburgh, and had two goes there
which ended with knockout in my
favor.
April, 1903, / landed in Philadelphia
and got myself under the management
of Billy Mccartney, who brought out
Luther McCarty. / beat four out OF
five of the best in Philly, and, not be-
ing able to secure another match, made
a tour of the music halls of England
meeting all corners. In 1904 | returned
to Philly. | was matched with Vernon
Campbell and Dave Holly and beat
them both very easily.
THE first heavy man / undertook
was Eddie Kennedy of Pittsburgh,
whom / defeated in six sessions. Then
l boxed Joe GAM in Baltimore for the
championship at 1873 pounds ringside.
GAM received the decision, which was
very unpopular
lightweiehts Passed Him Up.
My bout with Cans made all the
lightweights pass me up, and finding
it was impossible to get any work.
had to start boxing bigger men. The
first one l took on was Sam Langford,
for II rounds i'm Boston. 1t was called
q draw. | then boxed Langford at
Marlboro, Mass, a 1j-round draw, and
later | boxed him return match of
10 rounds at Leiperville, Penn, which
was the hardest battle of my career.
also got the least money for it. but
the referee awarded me the decision.
'ollowing that | met all corners.
defeated Jim Barry in 20 rounds and
stopped Fred Bradley i'm two. The cry
was raised that l could not make the
lightweight limit. l matched myself
with George Memsic and beat him at
1873 ringside. Inside of ten days | met
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, then a mid
dleweight, and whipped him in six
rounds. Then l took John Willie. Chi
cago heavyweight. who weighed 200,
and trounced him in six rounds.
Chases Battling Nelson.
"A syndicate from New York agreed
at this time to take me under con-
tract to chase Bat Nelson around the
world for "A championship fight. Just
when my trouble occurred. l was re-
matched with Jack O'Brien for the
middleweight title George Pope, with
whom got in trouble, and were very
good friends. We got into heated
argument over trifing affair. We
both lost our heads and l committed
a deed for which | have suffered Sc
verely and there is no one more sorry
than 1 that 1t ever occurred, not only
for my own sake, but for my friend
and his family.
II spent four years and eight months
i'm the Eastern penitentiary at Phila-
delphia and while there, under the
guardianship of Warden McKenty,
was allowed human privileges with the
other prisoners, which enabled me to
take more or less outdoor exercises
such as boxing, handball and baseball.
Well Treated in Prison.
IL credit my condition today to tho
warm way l was treated by Warden