The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-11
BENEFIT NIGHT FOR
PACKEY AND MIKE
Both in Fine Trim to Collect
That S32, 500 Marshall
Bestows on Them.
PRESS AGENT ALL HET UP

To-ni8ht's the night that Bill Mar
shall rurs that $4,000 benefit for Messrs.
Packey Mcfarland and Mike Gibbons at
the Brighton Beach Motordrome. It's
Binrs money and Bits own motor
drome, % IT'S naturally Bul's own b'sh-
ness whether he himself wins, loses or
just draws.
The fame have found II a difioult thing
10 enthuse over this out. The guar
antee Is out OF all proportion to the
mems worth as attractions, and Il b
this silly guarantee that has acted az
a wet blanket as far as the regulars
are concerned.
Not a single bet has been recorded.
state OF affairs that ever preceded a
bout supposed to be great. B~nthusiasts
have been known to mortgage h houses
over their heads to bet on a glove con-
test between two great nstic stars SO
much for confidence IN n match. New
Workers. had one NIL of Mike Qbbonss
work while pretending to earn a faf
fighting fee. He never has been able
to live down his miserable showing
against Eddie McGoorty at Madison
Square Garden, when ne received moro
money han he ever saw before IN ons
chunk. Mike wifi be Just as cautious
tonight.
Mcfarland always has done his bort
apparently. but his best move has set
this busy little island afro In his
most important fights here there were
times when the boxholders scarcely could
refrain from kissing him. The gallery
did not refrain. He earned his money
In the cocky Mcfarland fashion and
2 he was criticised for not trying
ard he replied by saying that II WI.
his particular notion not to endanger
the lives OF any OF the nelghbirs' ofhl-
dren by knocking them out.
That was the excuse he gave the wis
consin Boxing Commissioner when
they set him down for obtaining money
under false pretences. Packey told
them he was n fighter n they told
him after the fight that he was unques-
tonably a terpsichorean terror. but not
q fighter. Then they barred the great
Mcfarland from Wisconsin. much to
the great McFarland's chagrin.
IL will be expecting too much. not
withstanding that sl7.5O0 retainer, to
hope TO see Mcfarland mix seriously
with a middleweight who has a punch.
This is McFarland's last stand, a Sl7,-
500 stand, and his natural conceit
would prompt him to have a care. The
pair OF them could make a fght of II II
they would. but they never have lone
so here on big nights. 30 why should
they tonight? There doesn't seem 20
be any reason for this night at the price
Marshall Is paying, Two or three years
ago 1t would have been timely and
highly Interesting, but not even then at
this price. Mcfarland has been coaxed
out OF retirement simply because he
couldn't resist the temptation to add TO
the healthy ban roll he has accumu-
lated.
The pet OF certain nnanciers. Packey
plunged In the market and Il IL said his
winnings on Bethlehem Steel have been
enormous, II he should fail to please
at Brighton Beach tonight the chances
are that he won consider that his
whole life has been wrecked. He won't
waste any tears over anything that
might he said OF his actions. good or
bad, In the ring this evening. Perhaps
his one hope Is 10 skim through those
ten rounds at nearly $500 a minute
without taking home an indigo eve 10
his bride, for Packey Is a mighty proud
individual. He always was and he al
ways will be.
During his two years Of hobnobbing
with the select, Packey acquired a
startling distaste for things pugilistic
When he was here on IL trip "a few
months e he retired to an expensive
hotel, donned the thirteen and the odd
every night for dinner and refused to
see mere sporting writers. lie sent word
by the livcried lackeys that he wasn't
interested in fsticuffs any more and
had nothing TO say, Why this change
OF heart? Could II be that $1,000? |
Freddie Welsh boxed Mcfarland
three times and Packey not only failed
TO disarrange the Engllshman's fair
locks. but on one occasion in Los An
geles got n good humping for his pains. |
Packey won't do any knocking out to-
night. lie furnished New York with
only one. Jack Goodman fell before
Packey's furious onslaught ono night
and Jack made everybody laugh. with
him when he mentioned that dear old
+. r. Barnum cpiGram a few DAYS later.
Goodman must have been a pretty rood
actor, because he has been in the acting
business ever since, posing for the
movies.
The enthusiasm ever this bout has
been confined to the publicity depart
ment employed by Marshall The final
appeal to reason states that the adj
vance sale exceeds 100000 may be so,
but such fighting fools as Fitzsimmons
Sharkey. Corbett. McGovern, Dixon. JEFF
fries, Mccoy, Maher. Rubin, Choynski.
Wolcott and others couldn't stir up an
advance sale like hat despite the fact
that they were real fighters and lived
in days when interest in the game was
at fever heat. and when they fought
twenty-five rounds to "A decision. The
appeal to reason likewise states that
conservative estimate puts the ex-
pected attendance at $4,000, while the
,,,s .nttnNtgtt. IAa1n.A ,Aa.,I..t. -. |
every one of the 52.4s0 seats will be
filled"
The very optimistic IN this case don't
seem to care what they do with $4,000
extra citizens When Marshall gets
the sad news-the box office statement
tonight. II II doesn't rain-hell be a
lucky man II he doesn't find that he's