Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-31

unmarked most OF the time. he still
is, for that matter. But one night he
got chance for $40 bill, and some
how opposition to his welding his
fists vanished.
Benny one night led his gang TO a
vantage point outside the window OF
the club where Billy Gibson, the pro-
motcr and manager, Feigned. In
their eagerness to see what was 60
ing on during a bout inside the
youngsters pushed Benny through
the window and he landed on his ear
at the feet of an usher. That worthy
promptly took him to Gibson.
Given a Chance.
Jaw, can handle my mitts about
az good as some of those fellows"
said the unabashed Benny during the
ensuing conversation. Gibson gave
him a chance to prove 1t by letting
him fight in q short try-out with one
Mickey Finnesan. Benny hung 1t on
the Finnegan person and Gibson took
him under his wing.
1t was in this bout that the boy
he vii. not be Of age until April 7,
next-got the name by which he is
known. Pete Prunty, the announcer,
misunderstood the name of Leiner
when he heard it and announced the
fighter as Benny Leonard. After he
had won, Leonard became his ring
name.
Mother Leiner still was not con-
WINGED she wanted Benny to be a
fighter. She arranged with his en-
ployer that the next time Benny en-
gagged in battle he was to be fired"
but taken back on condition that he
do not don the mitts again But her
plans went astray. Benny refused to
be taken back and he went to Gibson
and asked him to put him on at every
opportunity. This Gibson was glad
to do, and so Benny got his real
start.
Leonard is a careful and conscien-
tious trainer, is very careful of his
diet and does not dissipate. 1t is
hard for sunny, jovial kind like him.
to be serious even in the ring, but at
the same time he doesn't take
chances.
Mother Leiner is proud O. him
now and thinks he will be king OF Lis
class before long. He is great
mammals boy, and lest she worry
about him, the first thing he does
after every fight is to hike to long
distance telephone and let her know
he is all right.
His success has not turned the
fighters head. The family still lives
in the same old neighborhood, but in
nicer quarters. His companions are
the same who cheercd him on in the
days when he was the champ of their
block, and, while Benny attends many
social functions, the girls do not
bother him at all. 1t is his mother
first and last with him, and she is his
guest Of honor at all affairs,
Willard Humors Kids.
Jess Willard thinks great deal Of
those five little children of his.
No matter what happens to him or
to the fighting game, their education
when they get big enough is assured.
Willard has placed $500 in trust
with an insurance company for that
purpose,
In the meanwhile he wants them to
be happy, and they are. He has
bought house for them. If they
want to throw their many toys about
the reception hall, neither servants
nor nurses say them nay. II they
scratch the furniture or demolish the
bric-a-brac that's all right, too The
house is theirs and they can do as
they please, says Jess.
Izzo on Warpath.
frankie Izzo of Chicago, the small
est bricklayer in the world, standing
just sixty inches in his stocking feet,
has laid aside the trowel and level to
announce that he is returning to the
ring. For three years he has been
boxing with fair success, but lately
he has been recuperating from illness.
Izzo's first bout probably will be
with Johnny Coulon, former bantam
weight champion, who has agreed to
make sowc kind of weight for him,
Then lzzo is going after that Jimmy
Wilde belt emblematic OF the fy-
weight championship.