The Washington herald., 1916-10-16
Native Sons
(COntfnued.O


Young, Joe Fielden, George Northridge,
Billy Nally, Mike an Pat Reidy Burns
Demar. Joe Bateman, an Jim Childs.
Back IN tn late sos Billy Young an
Joe Fielden was knowed far an wide.
tn hrst named managed not only t
stay four rounds with George Dixon.
but liz later took ten rounds o.
beatin' from Happy jack McAulifre,
who never was licked, an Joe Fielden
fingered four rounds with Jack Dempsey
when that great fighter was right in his
prime.
Along about 1890 these two babies"
hooked up t'gether, an believe me, kid,
twas some kind o. a hook" FieIden
was gettin' tn best of It when Young
lost his head, grabbed Joe up bodily an
toosed him over in tn orchestra at old
hernan's Theater, tn Fielden party
landin' head-on In tn big bass drum,
an tn fight was declared on.
Billy Mcmillan was another tough
bird" He started in as assistant e
Mars Cassidy. tn great race horse
starter, over at Alexander Island, but
would ruther fight than eat He fought
Tommy Ryan, middle-weight champion o.
tn world, an had Tommy knocked cold
in tn third round. Th' latter was
unconscious for twenty-five seconds by
actual count, but tn took out 16 seconds
[ converse with tn audience, an let
Ryan come back. Tommy finally win tn
match, but twas one raw decision.
Mcmillan also stayed thirteen rounds
with Paddy Duffy, our first welter-weight
champion QS9O), an then messed fifteen
rounds with Australian Paddy German.
another hard fighter. But tn scrap
Washington fght followers will always
remember was tn one between him an
George Northridge along about 1891
which was staged at Gunston's Landin,
q few miles down tn river. an was ar
ranged by Johnny Maher O. Georgetown
an Bob COnneu. Twas bloody battle,
an Mcmillan nearly had NOrthridge out
in tn eighteenth round, when Bill North
last bean" on tn scrap, yanked out his
''weepon'' an pointin' it at George told
him II he didn't win out he'd never fight
agin. Tn gun done tn business as
George Immediately come to, an proceed
ed t put Billy Mcmillan away. TIL
truth o. tn matter was, Bill Northrdige
licked 'em both with his Ill old "gat-
lin"
Another tough fight where TIL gun got
tn decision-th' same George Northridge
refereein'-was pulled in 1894 between Bill
Laton, o st. LOoey, an Bill Nally, OF
here. This matinee took place in tn
woods back o. White House Landin'. down
tn river. Two barge loads O. sports left
III city at l o'clock Saturday night, ar
an after mess o. argufyin' an fddlin'
about. tn ring was fixed up an tn two
lads got together. Twas a crool fight
an blood was aflyin', but at tn end o. tn
fourth section Nally got his foot caught
in some long grass an fell to tn ground.
Quick as a flash Johnnie Sheehan, one o.
the seconds, grabbed a ak, used Z drive
stakes, an brandishin II over Nallys
head threatened t soak him If he dared
get up. This was all very nice but in
tn meantime Hooks knights had
whipped out his 'shooterr, an aimin' it
at George Northridge told tn frightened
referee that il ne didn't declare Nally tn
winner he'd never declare nothin' no
more on this earth. An as George didn't
wanta be a angel right there. he give tn
fight c Billy an a free-for-all followed.
Hot times, kid,
Then there was tn Reidy boys, Pat an
Mike, both corkin' good fighters. Mike,
our dandy police sergeant, fought hard
fight with Bill Kennedy o Philadelphia
on tn Coldest day O. March, 81, an
knocked him out clean in tn sixth round
down at River View Landin.'
Another one o. Mikes hard fights was
with, Billy Nally down at Dan Henry's
place in Alexandria, about 1894. Mike was
Gettin' all tn best o. it, when Joe Bate
man, Nany's second. bit NalIy in tn
shoulder, an tried L make tn referee
Lieut.. Smith, O. Alexandria, hoped in
tn ring an stopped all proceedin's.
Pat Reidy knocked "daylights" outa
Jersey Gordon. an heaps O. others, but
his great shown was with Champion
Tommy Ryan on March II, 1887, tn same
day that Red Robert Fitzsimmons lam
basted tn gentle" Outa Gentleman
Jim" Corbett- Jim LaFontaine had Pat
in great shape, an tn local lad was
sivin' Ryan all he wanted when tn cop
Ders jumped into tn ring in tn eighteenth
-ound an tn excitement was over.
But one O. tn toughest fights ever
staged in this vicinity was up at Bob
Holtzman's Landin', between Jim Good
man, an Big Six Walker. Twas a
city sectional AFFAIR, an tn scrap was for
blood. Goodman had tn best of 1t, but
Owfn' t tn threats of a parcel o.
gamblers, Bob Connell, tn referee, lost
his nerve, an give it t Walker. A turrt-
oIe free-for-all followed, an poor
'Nappy' Yates, tn timekeeper, lost his
valuable Waterbury" This was about
1891
Then another hot fight was tn one be-
tween George Northridge an Jim Childs,
now a fireman at No. II. This was Lon
don prize ring rules, an took place on
bitter cold day in March, 1894, in tn
woods back O. Suitland, Md, Northridge
winnin' in tn twelfth round.
In 1894 Joe Bateman. feather-weight
champion, knocked out Midget" Glynn,
o. Wilmington. Del, in tn eighth round
after turrible fight out at Phil Stuebe-
ner's. An this same Joe Bateman
started Z referee a scrap in 1899 that Jim
LaFontaine' an Sam Solomon had ar
ranged for tn Spa Club at Bladensburg
between Burns Demar an Billy Peyton
CcoIored). Demar knocked Peyton over,
an tn "dinge" claimed a foul, but OWN
to. tn excitement that followed when
they went Z ind Bateman Z get a decis
ion Joe had few clean { Baltimore with
out sayin' beans"
An who do va think stayed three
rounds with tn great an only Fitzsim-
mons at old Kernan's Theater back in
1894? Nobody on earth but your old
friend Pat O'Connor, tn referee. O.
course Pat didn't knock F1tz out but he
had his nerve even Z go in tn theater
tn way tn "speckled one" was saiIin'
along then.
An big Ed" Roche, who va see out
to tn races, stood up for three rounds
with tn great Dominick McCaff"rv' -" VI
that shifty bird" was goin' his best.
Ed also done some classy scrappIn
around tn old Globe Theater.
Mo- No more t'night! Go put tn milk
h,fflas paxf