New Britain herald., 1915-05-22
Sp0rtOgrAphy BN "GRAvY." .%.
GAME AFTER TRAGIC BAT TILE WITH YOUNG.
B@"GRAVY,"


 Tomorrow will be the third anniver- sary of Jess williard's first bout with John Bull" Young, the boxer who later died after battle with the fu- . ture champion at Vernon. The first of the three Willard Young contests was staged at Fort Wayne, Ind. It was the first time big Jess had ever per- formed in ring outside of Oklahoma, where he had made his debut in the game. aa
 Jess took part in eight bouts in Oklahoma in 1911. After the last one he was arrested and fined s150 That soured Jess on the game as it was played in Oklahoma, and he hit the trail for Chicago, acting on the ad- vice of Charley Cutler, the wrestler. In the Windy City he practiced the manly art" at Bill O'Connells gym" in South State street While he was. working there he was matched with John Young, husky fellow who had the reputation of being an iron man. Jess knocked him out in the sixth round, but the Fort Wayne sports who the contest had no idea that the vic- tor was destined to become future champion. In those days Jess was big and had an awful punch, but that let him out. He was clusy and slow, and knew nothing of the finer points of the game.
 Bull Young wasn't satisfied with the result of that bout, and was anxious to meet Jess again. Willard was all to the Barkis, and the fight was pulled off privately in South Chicago. This time Young took the count in the fifth round.
 Willard went East after that scrap, and "Bull'' Young evidently made his way to Los Angeles. Young got his nickname Bull" because of his brawny, powerful build. He was truly a bull-like man, with a bullet head and thick neck set on a stall wart chest. He took part in few. bouts. and also worked in the train. ing camps where he was known as a imam who could assimilate almost amy amount Of punishment
 Willard went to the Pacific coast in 1918. and after losing to Gunboat Smith and drawing with Charlie Mil Ter at San Francisco he proceeded to LoE Angeles, where he was again matched with Young. This third meeting between the pair was pulled cII at the vernon arena. It was a slow, uninteresting bout, and the spec tators jeered the clumsy gladiators. Jess took it easy for ten rounds the eleventh chapter Jess hit Young on the jaw. It looked like a light tap but "Bulp' went down, dead to the world. He was carried away to a hospital where an operation was performed, which proved that Young's skull was not fractured. Young never recovered consciousness after the operation. His death was a great blow to Jess, and for a time he seri- ously considered quitting the game At the trial Jess was acquitted, as it could not be shown that his blow was responsible for Young's death.
 "Zach" Wheat's Birthday.
 Missouri isn't notorious as a whaet- raising state. but it turned out one good crop in Zachary Wheat, the Brooklyn sluger. Zach" was born nt Hamilton, Mo-, twenty-seven years ago today, and was christened Zachary David. It isn't generally known that he is a half breed Injun, but such is the case. He played semi pro ball in Kansas City and made his professional debut in Shreveport, La, in 1908. Later that year the big out fielder was copped by Mobile, and he remained with that Southern League he was purchased by Brooklyn. Tn his first pastime in the National League he made a triple, a pair Of been hitting the ball hard ever since.