The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-06
(WRITTEN FOR THE FARMER)
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sailed back to England, Freeman ac-
companyihg him.
Freeman, like the later pugi1istie
giant, Jess Willard, was fine horse
man, and he had made a comfortable
living exhibiting himself as a strong
man and rough rider. Upon arriving
in England Caunt Immediately found
an engagement to travel with a circus.
Yankee Freeman, as he was i'm
mediate1y dubbed, displayed his spec
ialties, while Caunt gave boxing and
wrestling exhibitions.
Up to that time Freeman had never
dreamed of taking up boxing, but his
association with Ben Caunt naturally
led him to become interested in the
games While on their travels Caunt
and his American friend often put on
the gloves, and, as Freeman was an
apt pupil, he soon picked up some of
the tricks of the sport. A sporting
writer for a London newspaper OBJ
serving one of these friendly bouts.
wrote an article praising the Amerir
can as a great and scientific fighter,
and declaring that he had frightened
all the British boxers.
While Freeman had not thought Of
entering the ring, this newspaper
story set the English sports to wag7
ging their tongues The upshots was
that meeting of noble and wealthy
sports was held att Johnny. Broome's
announced that, animated by patriotic
motives, he would pit friend against
the Yankee invader, and back him
to the tune of $500. A challenge was
Immediately dispatched to FreemaH,
and elected a prompt reply.
Freeman stated that he was a man
of peace, and had never. had any in
tention Of fighting, but that as the
challenge was so worded as to seem
to reflect upon his courage, he would
accept it, and do his best to avenge
the implied insult to his native, land.
In making this decision Freeman was
encouraged by Ben Caunt, who=>irn-
mediately set about the task of pre-
pairing his friend for the coming bat
tie.
1t soon developed that the man
Freeman was to meet was Bill Perry,
the Upton, Slasher, who was then
twenty-three years old, and had
fought his first ring battle six years
before. He was a big fellow, and had
been trained by Johnny Broome, one
of the c1everest boxers in English prize
ring history.
It was on December day in 1912
that the Herculean American faced
the big Upton Slasher in ring pitch
ed in a field near Sawbridgeworth. A
big crowd of sports witnessed theS en-
counter, which was held only after
much trouble with the authorities. The
SlaShef was AFRAID OF the Dig Amer
lean and refused to come to close
quarters, while Freeman was too
much the novice to carry the fight to
his opponent. After seventy rounds
had been fought without much dam
age being inflicted, darkness put an
end to the encounter. Later in the
same week they fought again at Tap
low Heath, but the police ended the
conflict after a few rounds had been
fought The sports then adjourned to
Cldffe Marshes, where the bout was
resumed. By this time the American
was seen to be the superior, and he
knocked the Slasher down repeatedly.
After ~thirty-eight rounds had been
fought the Slasher had had enough,
and he went down without a blow
being struck, and the victory was
awarded to the American.
Freeman was too good natured to
want to continue in the ring, for, al
though not too proud to fight, he
didn't like the game. He returned to
the circus, but he was soon afterward
afflicted with tuberculosis, and died
of that disease in Winchester Hos
pital, at the age of twenty-eight. The
Upton Slasher afterward became the
champion of England,