Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-21
Attorney Opens First Big Gun In Suit Against 0. B.
SUMMERS GOES TO
FRONT WITH ARMY

CBy "GRAyyD.

(By "GRANN.'J
Johnny Summers, the veteran Eng
fish welterweight boxer. IL reported to
have answered Lord Kitchener's call
for troops and viii try his hand at
fighting ON battlefields instead Of the
squared clrclo. johnny was born in
England thirty two years ago today
January II, 1888, and mas been a pro-
rossional boxer for nearly rltteen
ycors. Summers lost the Lord Ions
dale belt, cmblematio of the Welter-
weight championship OF BrllAln, IN d
battle with Scrgt. Basham WreNhan
at the National sporting Clun last
month. The veteran had AL the best
of the argument up to the nlnth
round. when the soldier landed a
knockout.
Summers began his ring career in
Australia in 1900, and returned 10
England I'm 1902. lie visited America
in 1907 and fought a number of bouts,
but did not make any remarkable
showing. Bert Reyes defeated him IN
New Haven, and he was oulpolnLcu
by several other ligntwcights. On his
return to England he fought three
! battles with Jimmy Britt, losing the
| fiIst. winning the second II captur-
ing the third by a knockout, tommy
then fought Freddie Welsh Tor
twenty rounds, but lost the decision.
After a trip to Australia, johnny
tackled the American welterweight,
Harrv Lewis, in London early in 1911,
and was knocked out, Dixie Kid, the
American negro, stopped summers Ill
| the second round later that year, and
| early in 1912 Summers lost to SID
Burns. He annexed the British well
terwelght title in 1872, and success
fully defended ii against SID burns
! johnny got a lot OF nutoriety in that
battle by praying just before the bout
was started. and at the n OF each
round he turned down his left SOCK
and touched q rosary that was wound
around his ankle. Vt the call OF
time he crossed himself before each
round, aud when he was declared the
victor he again dropped to his knees
in his. corner.
This is the fifty-sccond birthday Of
Jem smith, the last heavyweight
champion OF England under prize ring
rules. Jem was born in London on
! January. II, 1868. and his youthful
employment was i'm a lumber yard
There he had to carry heavy weights,
and. although he vas only a little
over five feet eight I'm height, he de-
Iveloped the arm and chest muscles Of
La giant. This later proved to be a
disadvantage, for il prevented him
from developing speed and grace, and
some. experts declared he was muscle
bound. After several glove bouts, the
last OF the great gladiators Of the
| British prize ring made his debut in
the old fashioned bare-knuckle style
in 1885, when Jem knocked out Jack
! Davis I'm eight minutes. The prize
ring was on its last legs in England.
aud Smith had to 20 to France for his
next battles. In 1886 he fought All
Greenfield near Paris, but the affair
broke up in a row. In 1887 Jem again
went to France to fight Jake Kilrain,
the American, for the championship
Of the world. This bout went 1876
rounds to a draw. hut Kilrain had the
best of II. In 1889 Smith vas matched
with Peter Jackson for the cham
piuuship of the British empire, and
the great negro stopped him in the
second round. Jem then fought an
other Australian, Frank Slavin, In
/ Belgium. to a fourteCI-rouud draw.
In 1896 Jem was stopped in two
rounds by Dan Creedou, the Aus
tralian m~tddloweight, and a little later
lost to George Crisp. That ended the
pugilistic career of Englaud'S last
/ prizC-rinE champion.