The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-05-08
WHY M'CARTHY
LOST HIS JOB
As RITCHIE'S SPARRING PART.
MI, HE PROVED TO BE roo
REBELLIOUS

AS was stated yesterday JOHNNY
Mccarthy was the sparring partner
of Willie Richie for three weeks last
winter while the latter was appear
ing at the Empress theatre in San
Francisco with his sister in a skit en-
titled, From Ballroom to
GYMNASIUM" In this act the ex-
king OF the lightweight division
would come put with his sister and
do d few fancy steps of modern
dancing, after which he would dis
card his dancing togs and appear in
boxing costume. He would then
hov four rounds with Mccarthy for
incidentally to garner a few sheck-
els for the Richie family.
A sparring partner, according to
lICyle. is one who takes everything
that his way, appears grogry
Whenever possible, and falls tn the
canvas under a rain of terrific
blows, and under no circumstances
whatever should so far forget him
self as to ruffle his employers hair,
thus making it appear to the horn
swoggled audience that the boss is a
whale of a, fighter.
That was what Richie wanted
when he secured Mccarthy for HIS
boxing mate. Johnny accepted the
opportunity for two reasons; first,
the financial returns would add ma
teriaiIy to the Golfers of the McCar-
thy domicile; second, because he
could gain considerable experience
by ;oXing with the former ring mon
arch.
The first week went along smooth
ly and and both parties to the
agreement were satisfied. The sec
ono was the same with the exception
that Mccarthy was appearing with
blackened eyes and other signs of
rough usage, but that didn't bother
the Irish lad for he was learning all
the while. Now Willie had a habit,
audience to be a telling punch. of
looking over his shoulder and re-
ceiving the plaudits of the crowd
with a broad smile. On the fifth
dav Of the third week Johnny got
tired of Willie's grand stand tactics
at his expense and pressed him to
the utmost with the result that the
lattcr's showing was not nearly so
good and the applause a great deal
weaker than in the first two weeks,
all Of which was greatly disconcert-
ing to the ex-champ who was in the
habit of making a monkey out of
Mccarthy. Determining to teach his
rebellious sparring partner a lesson
that he would not Don forget, Willie
started out on the sixth day with
blood in his eye. But he was fight
ing a new Mccarthy compared with
the hoy he had shaded or two pre-
viOue occasions. This Mccarthy was,
after three weeks of boxing with
Ritchie, quite familiar with his
style and therefore on more equal
for the Irish lad stood toe to toe
with him and the scrap commenced.
For three rounds they mixed it with
h0nors equally divided. Richie
brought all his resourcefulness in
to play but all he could do was to
hold Mccarthy even.
Bang! Willie in the last few mo-
ments of the fourth round connected
with a solid jolt to McCarthy's Jaw
and as previously mentioned, turn
ed his head for his usual smile.
AS he did so, smash! McCarthy
right, starting from the floor'
flashed upward to the smiling coun-
tcnance of Richie and that boys
happy expression changed to a sickiy
grin as he crashed through the
ropes for a clean knockdoWn. he
was up in an instant and rushed for
Mccarthy. They were still eXchang-
ing lawmakers when the bell rang
That night was McCarthy's last as
q sparring parner.