New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-28
BOXING CAREER
OF AID W0LCAST
SEEMS AT END
Physicians Hold Out Little
Hope for Ads Return
to the Ring.
ARM MUST STAY IN
CAST FOR MONTHS
Ex-Champion Pursued by Hard
Luck, in Way OF Injuries,
for Several Years.

Ad Wolgast, the former Lightweight
champion OF the world, and one Of tho
greatest fighters Of the smuggling type
who ever drew on a glove, has prob
ably heard the long roll beaten over
his ring career. The physicians who
examined his broken arm last week de-
clared that IL would be months before
Ad would be able to remove the plaster
cast, and held out little hope OF him
ever recovering his effectiveness.
When Wolgast lays aside his toys
for all time the ring VIII lose one %
its most picturesque and AT the same
time most unfortunate lighters. VOL
CASTS misfortunes were Of a physical
rather than of a financial nature. He
has amassed a fortune which has
been estimated at 100000.
Had Wolgast been able TO avoid in
Jury and sickness he might have gone
on until he rivalled Cresus. In
fortunately for him, ne was not. His
power began 10 wane shortly after he
was stricken with appendicitis. Willie
Richie stripped him Of his champion
ship laurels in 1912, and Wolgast never
managed TO come back.
His chain of misfortunes started in
1906, when his left ear was caulihov-
cred, but since this came under the
head of work he made no especial com
plant. A year later, however, his right
ear was spread all over the side Of his
head, and he began to grumhle. The
ink swung into its full cry in 1903,
when he broke both hands and knocked
the knuckle OF his right index finger
out of joint, necessitating a prolonged
lay-off.
That in itself was bad enough, but
he had Just re-entered the ring when
he had his nose broken. An operation
was performed before Ad got back into
the game. Breaking bones became
quite a fad with Wolgast by the time
1910 rolled around, for he splintered
his right arm in a match with Jack
Redmond, and repeated the little
stunt" in a subsequent contest with
Tommy Mcfarland.
The most serious Of all Wolgasfs
misfortunes befell him on the eve OF
Thanksgiving Day, 1911, when he was
matched to fight Freddie Welsh for the
lightweight championship. At o'clock
in the morning he was taken down with
appendicitis. He did not enter the ring
again until May, 1912, when he went
along easily. After boxing a couple OF
short bouts he met Joe Rivers, whom
he defeated in thirteen rounds. He
then went back to the short bout game
until he engaged Willie Richie for the
championship.
How the San Franciscan defeated him
is we'll known. But losing the cham
pionship did not lose Wolgast the
ink. He broke both hands later in
1912. In 1913 he almost died as a re-
suit Of an attack of ptomaine poison
ing, and. in addition 70 that. he had
two of his ribs crushed in q match with
a sparring partner.
II is a matter of common knowledge
among those who follow the boxing
game that there is little loyo lost be-
tween Rivers and Wolgast, Last year
they were matched to box out On tho
Pacific Coast, but, still pgrsued by the
/ hoodoo, AID splintered bone in his
left wrist and the bout was off. He
hurt his hand before he met Richie
in Milwaukee last year, and broke his
right arm on Freddie Welsh.
Freddie Welsh, who fought Charley
| White in Milwaukee on Thursday
night, is credited with saying that
just as soon as his engagement with
Willie Richie has been kept he will
be ready to face any of the best light
weights in the world over the twenty.
round route to a decision. He has
said, too, that he will fight Jack Brit
! tor, providing that that Chicago war
! rior will make the weight for him.