The Alaska citizen., 1915-11-15
BRUTALITY OF OLD
TIME BOXERS CON ' By Jess Willard, heavy~e Cham zion Of the World.

bon S Nj CT alIanu UdltIe, l eau lltip thinking of the wonderful advance the boxing game has made in the last thirty years. Today the game Is clean. The boys, while in the ring. try ty science and strength to knock out their opponents. bu, as soon as the scrap is over there seldom is any unfriendliness be tween them.
 Mcfarland went into the ring not only for the s17.500 he received, but because he figured 1t an hon Dr to outpoint Gibbons. And Nike was there not only for his s15,O0O, but to show if he could that he was better man than Packey. When 1t was over they shook hands, Today they admire each other.
 But 1t wasn't like that in the cid days. A fighter thirty years ago fought because be hated an oppon ent And a beaten man always had it in for his conqueror after ward.
 Take the case of the famous street fight between Bill Poole anc John Morrisey These men figured conspicuously in early championship days of the American prize ring Both were very popular in New York city, and it was a question which was the better heavyweight. Still they never got together until one night Pooles friends gave a grand ball in his behalf.
 Morrisey and his followers at tended the ball and started trouble the minute they got in the hall Morrisey walked up to Poole and challenged him to fight right then and there. Because of the pres ence of women, Poole's friends asked that the fight be put off until morning. Each man put up $50 forfeit to appear at the street dock early in the morning.
 They were on hand before sun rise. There was no ring, but by general consent the crowd kept a space open for the struggle. The battle started with each man spar ring light but ever on the lookout for an opening. For five minutes there was very little action,
 Finally Morrisey made a rusn but Poole side-stepped him, and, as Morrisey swung with heavy right Bill seized his man by the ankles Then he threw John completely over his head. They fell to tho ground, with Poole on top. The scene which followed was almost an indescribable one.
 With grips of steel they clutched' butted, bit, pounded and gouged one another without cessation. Nor risey could never shake Bill OH For fully thirty minutes the pat ting was terrible. Both men were stripped of their clothing, their faces cut to ribbons and their bodies bruised and bleeding from the rocks they fought cn.
 At the end of half an hour Mor risey was fainty heard to cry
 "I'm satisfied. I've had enough.
 When Poole had allowed Morti- sey to get up he was fright1ullH punished. He had to wipe the blood from his eyes before he coulo gee to walk. Poole had received a terrible mauling, too. His worst hurt was a great gash in the cheek where Morrisey was said to have bit him.
 Poole undoubtedly was one oi the greatest ough-andtumble fight CTS that ever lived. Soon after Lis victory over Morrisey, Bill TraverS ran into Poole at ball the latter gave. Travers was sure he could take Bills number. He challenged and was accepted. AS soon as tn" dancing broke up the fighters anu their friends went down to Barre" street, in New York City. As the morning broke Poole won. When 1t was all ever Travers had lost an eye, and Poole acknowledged years later !: was his hardest bat tie.
 Poole was typical fighter or the eighties. l described these two fights to show how brutal the game was then. Today We never see any such brawls. It's science now that wins for man.
 And the best thing about boxing today is that you seldom hear oi a good fighter getting into brawls m bet Mcfarland and Gibbons could not be coaxed into a barroom fight, They are clean living chaps, who will go miles out of their way to avoid trouble.
 It's a great thing to be able to protect yourself, but l don't believe in looking for trouble.
 There are a lot of high class men in the boxing business these days Where could you find finer lot of boys than Gibbons, Mcfarland, Char ley White, Freddie Welsh, Johnny Dundee, Johnny Griffiths, Leach Cross, Jim Coffey, Charley Weinert Johnny Kilbane. Johnny Coulon and a score of other lads who are mak