The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-17
GEORGE GARDNER,
 GREAT IRISH BOXER, BORN ON ST. PATS DAY

One of the greatest midd1eweights and light heavyweight that ever climbed into ring was George Gard ner, who was born on St. Patrick's Day thirty-eight years ago. Gardner was a native of the town of Iisdeon-5 varna, in County Clare, Ireland, and he grew to a height of nearly six feet. He began his ring career in Manches- ter in 1897, and in the following year he went to Montreal and knocked out Thundefbo1t Smith in the seventh round. He then returned to the New Hampshire city where he had made his debut and fought several other bouts. Nearly all of his early battles were won by knoekouts, and by the time he had passed his majority the man. from Clare had demonstrated that he was a terrific fighter and the possessor of a. soporific punch.
 George first met defeat in 1899. when he lost in eighteen rounds to Jimmy Handler at Brooklyn. He next defeated Jack Moffat, the Springfield. Ill.,, middleWeight, and in a return match with Handler knocked out that scrapper in the third chapter. After winning on a foul from Kid Carter, one of the leading middleWeights of that period, Gardner returned to Ire- land for visit. While on the other side he fought several battles in Eng- land, knocking out Frank Craig, the
 
 Jack Scales
 Tn 1901 Gardner returned to Amer fca and was offered a match with Jack EIoffatt in San Francisco. He defeated the Illinoisan in three rounds, and remained in the Golden Gate City some time. He twice fought Kid Garter in San Francisco, winning the first bout in eighteen rounds and the second in eight. He lost the de- eision to Joe WaIcott, the s'Barbados Demons,' in a twenty y-round fight, but in 1902 he again met the clever black in San Francisco and was declared the victor. He also fought two bat ties with Jack Root, the Bohemian battler, losing the first on a. foul, but winning the second. staged in Salt Lake City. by a knockout in the sew e1iteenth. Before leaving the Pacific coast Gardner was matched with Jack Johnson. and stayed the full twenty rounds with the big black, all though Johnson was given the de- cisfon.
 On his way back to the east the Irishman stopped in Chicago and again bested his old opponent, Kid Carter Early in 1903 he met his countrynaan, Peter Maher, in Boston, and Knocked him out in the first in- hing He then went to Louisville and defeated Marvin Hart, the Ken tuekian who afterward claimed the
 
 battle was with Jack Root at Fort Erie, Ont, and he won in dozen rounds.
 Gardner's famous battle with Bob F'itzsimmons was staged in San Fran cisco late in 1908, and he went the full route of twenty rounds, but lost the decision to the lanlky Australian. By 1904 it was evident that Gard ner was going back. Marvin Hart held him to a, draw in Boston, and in ] two bouts with Jack Root he got a draw in the first and lost the second. He again whipped Kid Carter, this time in Milwaukee, and knocked out Jim Jeffords at Butte, but was held to a draw by Jim Flynn in a ten- round affair in Denver.
 About ten years | ago Gardner fought Mike Schreck in Salt Lake City, and was knocked out in the twentieth round. In 1906 he took the count from Al Kaufman in Los Angeles, and the next year was knocked out by Jim Flynn in San Diego. That practically ended his ring career, although he fought few more uninportant bouts and was de feated by Tony Ross at New Castle Pa.,. and by Terry Mustain at San | Diego.