Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-28
ROSEBUD HAS OLD WALLOP,
SO JOHN HENRY SLIM RERS
Former Ruler of "Helrs Half-Acre" Shows q
Lot of Pep" for "Ge'man"
62 Years Old

IN into the llmelight again last night
=. has been doing it, off and on, for % of
his 50 years.
He was the entire program, including
,he intermission.
7, was distinctly his night. Even a
"a, NJ n trifle lighter shade than he. by
re name of John Henry johnson, real
i-od fhis in the fourth round of the wind
~. vvben the Rosebud, after flooring this
Mister johnson twice In the preceding
rsriods, planted one ragged glove against
he rounded point of Mister Johnson's
10 and the other against a little crease
- sat on Mister Johnson's solar plexls.
gho countenance of the johnson man
sore an expression Of unpreparedness as
II started floorward,
The Rosebud bowed ever so slightly.
rife held nothing more for him. But
,he crinkles in his face showed appre-
eation.
"He's the Same OIL boy" shouted some
an followers of the former ruler of tGcll's
ualf Acre. Hes there" they chanted.
"Aintcha Rosebud boy?' They turned
10 him pleadingly.
And Rosebud was there, decidedly so.
Not from the very start, because 1t took
sonetltne for his old bones to thaw out
though some of the younger folk thought
the night was really too warm to stage
bout.
Started Badly
A, first his lunges were wild; his jabs
we're too short. Then Joe jenkins rammed
his cigar at a different angle, stuck his
fat hngers between the piano keys and
started "Massa's in the Cold Cold
Ground" Which was sufficient in itself
10 arouse the cOnqueror of George Dixon
and Young Griffo to action that set his
followers from the Frazier Athletic Club
10 waving their dinky blue flags and rock
inc from side to side while the Buds wife
and 40 female admirers rose up in their
glory, threw back their scalskin coats and
waved their plumed hats.
'The Buds started. Come on. you
OIL Bud"
This advice may or may not have been
necessary. as the Kentucky Rosebud
started back with every trick of the
ring. A rap on the cheelbone of John
Henry Johnson was sufficient to send the
latter gentleman to the floor
Mister Johnson being firm believer in
peace any price, ii was but a short time
afterward lin the second round, to be
exacO that he turned his other check
and met with the same result. Where
upon Joe Jenkins lvened up, his cigar
assumed Il ralish angle and he tumbled |
into rhapsody Of ragtime
Fateful Fourth
Having no more Cheekbones, Mister !
Johnson fOrbore presenting any more !
portions of his anatomy for further dam |
age until the fateful fourth. The Rose |
bud drew applause from the fight fans |
at his clever defense He was able to |
block the majority of the johnson mans |
blows.
But the fight itself was merely one |
Of many Incidents in the evening of Mr.. |
Walter Egerton, who poses under the |
name Of the Kentucky Rosebud. as a sad, |
lingering memory of the days when he
was autocrat of the central section of |
the Sth Ward
II was the daughter of n friend of Bud.
so he said, who danced between the
fights, and it was Buds son, Clifford, who
picked up the pennies that were thrown
In the ring. 1t was Bud who OCCASION
ally directed his attentions to directing
Joe Jenkins in leading the 300-pound
one-man orchestra. 1t was Bud who Sec
onded one of the fights in which one Of
his friends was referee. He was the
Judge and the jury.
Johnny Mclaughlin and frankie O'Neill |
swapped everything they had in the semi
wind-up. O'Neill jabbed with his left and
brought the clarct from the nose of
Mclaughlin, whose one ambition in life
seemed to be to 20 to sleep with his head
vi frankie = SnOulVef
Cal Barrett and Al Wright in the third
bout started off wrong with some Vernon
Castle steps Wright forced the battle to
the ropes and cut Barrett hard during the
frst three rounds, at the end of which
time 1t seemed that Cal had nothing but
friends In the house and Al had the
punches. The Rosebud was seconding Cal
and gave him some of his own pep"
before the fourth round with the result
that Cal forced the fighting the rest of the
way, closed one of AIS eyes and won
easily.
Whitley Fitzgerald stopped Tommy
Smith in the second while Ray Kesser
Knocked out Indian Russell in the second
round Of the opener.
Local Bouts Tonight
An interdistrict bantam match will be
decided in the windup at the Nonpareil
Club tonight. Young McGovern. of Rich
mond, will pair off with Andy Burns, of
trankfOrd. The latter has ben forging to
The front in rapid strides. The winner
probably viii meet Bobby Mcleod for
me bantamweight championship of the
mill district
Much interest is centred in the semi
lnal encounter between Eddie Mullen
and Joe Rooms, both of Richmond. This
: Rooms first season in fight circles. lie
: clever boxer and also carries hard
Tallop.
The feature fray of the Quarker City's
weekly card tonight will bring together
zoe O'Neil, of the 18th Ward, and Fight
hs Bob of Allentown. 1t viii be the
ipststers first appearance Of the season
o Philadelphia.