South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-19
BATTLING NELSON
NOT 50 MISERLY
AS IS REPORTED
Former Champion Spends Much
Money on Friends in Need,
Although He Does Not Throw
Cash Away in Dissipation.


NEW YORK. Jan. 19. - Battling
Nelson has been grossly insulted.
ut happened this way" declared
Bat When / was in one Of the big
towns in the west recently a fellow
came TO me and told me that there
was fighter in town that was dead
ringer for me. He's your double.
Bat. this fellow told me- That ex-
cited my curiosity and so / looked up
that fighter. L wanted 10 see what
my face looked like when it was hitch
ed onto another fellow.
say, who do you think that 'dcu-
BILE OF mine was? Nobody else but
SOakum YOakum. Gee Whizz, / may
not be thing of beauty nor a JOY
forever. but / certainly think that I'm
handsomer guy In comparison with
that Soakum Yoakum. He's the limit
honestly, he is You can bet on it
who claimed that hOmely SOakum
Oakum looked like mc-Or that /
looked like him-Tm going to soak
that guy and soak him darned good,
too"
Nelson l. Idol.
Ad WOlgast put the dinger on Mel
son something like five years ago.
other lightweights have risen TO the
heights since then. but somehow or
other Battling Nelson remains as the
idol OF pugiHstic fandOm. Bat always
gave the public its moneys worth.
Bat always fought He never stalled.
lie was game TO the core-and ne al
ways fought fair And the fans love
Bat just as much today as they did
when ne ruled as king of the light
weight division.
10 do a comeback He is confident
that the can beat the best man in his
class, and he wants 10 scrap any man
in the division He's particularly
anxious to swap punches with AID
Wolgast.
'IIe beat me once. but he cam dc it
again. said Bat. Il am still good. I'm
80 years old but I've always kept in
good shape. I've never dissipated 1
admit that I sort of lost my speed
some few years ago but j think that
was because l fought too often. 1t
Slapped all my vitality. The layOff I've
had has enabled me to get ba1x into
trim again and L feel certain that
can beat the best men IN my class
right now
Helps out Friends.
Bat is credited with being one Of
the tightest listed gents that ever
shared a dollar through pugilistic en-
first dollar he ever earned and all the
others-with interest accommodating.
But that is not true Bat became
known as a tight wad" because he re-
fused TO do what other pugs did
sQuander his money 10y high living.
Those who know Bat intimately
know him as a fellow whose bankrOll
is ever at the disposal of friends in
need. And they know him as a man
who does those things for friends and
who never courts publicity because OF
st.
Some years ago a prize fight mana
ger died when he was in Bats debt for
S1.1O0. When word came TO Bat about
his death Bat got the notes covering
the $1.100 tore them up and tossed
them into the fire.
He said. ''I don't want the eXecu-
tors of my estate 10 get hold of these
and use them as a claim against the
estate that the other fellow left. IL
was little enough and his widow needs
il all"
Aids sick Friend
Kid Farmer. a welterweight of some
prominence a few years ago. was
stricken with tuberculosis. He was
broke. Nelson heard about il and
financed his trip 20 Denver. Every
month Nelson sends him check TO
cover his expenses.
But Nelson did something back in
1913 that no other fighter ever did
before. He paid $132 for the privilege
OF fighting.
1t happened in Tamaqua, Pa. on
February II. 1913. Nelson was match
ed 10 fight Harry Dillon. The pro-
moter was Bill Andrews, a friend of
Bats, r man VINO had helped Bat in
his early days as a fighter.
a terrific storms began raging late
that afternoon and when the time
drew near for the fiEht the snow was
piled i'm drifts So high that il prac-
tically paralyzed railroad traffic. That
kept away from the arena hundreds
of men who had planned TO come from
nearby towns.
There was just a handful OF fans
in the house when the fighters were
ready 10 enter the ring. Andrews went
10 Nelson and explained the situation.
Pays For Victory.
We've taken i'm just about enough
To pay for lights and hall rent and
about half % DIlon's guarantee" he
said. Ell haven't got a dollar 10 pay
you your guarantee"
That's AN right Bill" answered
Bat NO use calling off this bout
Let it go ON IN do without my div
W and make up the difference be-
tween what you've taken IN and what
Dillon's guarantee isl
Nelson scored a knockout over Dill
Ion. After the fight was over Andrews
counted up the proceeds.
I'm S132 shy OF what I need TO pay
Dillon" he said.
Here II is.' said Bat. giving An
drews his check for that amount. I'm
glad 20 do it Bill 20 show YOU that /
appreciate your kindnesses of the
other days"