New Britain herald., 1915-01-05
0pOTf0graphy
BY "GRAV Y."

ArInuf r1elCHe1, WHO 1ldS DSeH shortstoppng for the well-known years, will be twenty-eight years old today. Art is chronic Sucker when off duty, and he not only ad
 nlits it, but is proud of it. In other words, he was born in Illinois, upon which Missourians with that brotherly love which usually marks the relations of neighbors, have wished the name of the Sucker State.' Some of the dope books give the credit of being Arthur's birthplace to Edwardsville, and some to Col linsville, but in any event it was in some burg named after MT. Edward Collins, the eminent 2b. artist Un- like MT. Collins, however, who is a college graduate, Mir. Fletcher is q graduate of the back lots.
 It was in 1907 that Arthur was yanked from the obscurity of the sand lots, the credit for said yanking be- longing to Joseph Gardner. president of the Dallas club of the Texas league. MT. Gardner's hunch as to Fletcher's baseballistic ability was all to the good, and Arthur soon became a star and a favorite in the North Texas metropolis. In 1908 he was sold to the Giants, who used him first as utility infielder. When Arthur Devlin slipped back Fletcher was placed at third base, and when the Giants secured Herzog' for that po- sition Fletcher was shifted to short stop. In that position the tall and rangy Sucker" has made a great rep utation for himself, which will last as long as he is able to play at top notch.
 This is the fifty third birthday an- niversary of old Frank Slavin, one of the many great pugilists turned out by Australia a quarter of a century ago. Slavin, popularly called Paddy" was born January 5. 1862, and his real name was said to have been Sydney Cornstalk. He stood over six feet in height, and was every inch of him an athlete
 Slavin started his fighting career by engaging in impromptu bouts in the Sydney bar rooms, ands in one of these affairs he was bested by the great Peter Jackson. It was just thirty years ago that Slavin took to the ring, and in all of his Australian battles of that period he never got worse than draw. He knocked out Tom Burke, the champion of Queensland, Jack Burke. Mick Dooley and other good men, and fought two draws with Buffalo Costello a famous old-timer who died not long ago. One of these affairs with Cos tello, under London prize ring rules, lasted two hours and a half.
 In 1SS9 Slavin sailed away for Eng land, where he was matched to fight Jem Smith. the English title holder. The bare-knuckle game had been out lawed in England. so the gladiators had to go to Belgium to settle their differences. The fight was pulled off in Bruges, and was for the cham $2,500 a side. under London prize ring rules. The battle was dis grace to the game. Jem Carney, the English lightweight who had fought the famous seventy-four round battle with Jack McAuliffe at Revere, Mass, ] a couple of years before, was on the scene with a gang of Birmingham roughnecks. Slavin had the best of it. but the toughs attacked him with sticks and other weapons, and after fourteen rounds it was called a draw. Slavin was later awarded the victory and the money and hailed as cham 1 pion of England After whipping l Charlie Mitchell in bar room fight, 1 Slavin came to America and defeated Jake kilrain in Hoboken. He then re- 1 turned to England, where he fought Peter Jackson, the famous negro. at the National Sporting club. and was knocked out. SlaVin continued to box for several years in the United States, Canada and Alaska