The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-18
AID SHADY FIGHTER
He Is Accused of Trying to
Steal Welsh's Title.
Details of Foul in Fight at
Denver Explained.
BY FRANK G. MENKE.

claim TO the lightweight championship
| of the world is spoofed by Otto F'loto,
the western sport writer who ref
creed the bout, and who terms VOL
CAST the foulest fighter have seen
in my 35 years acquaintance with the
prize ring"
Wolgast sets up that claim on the
peculiar third round of his fight
against Freddie Welsh. in Denver, on
July 4. The Michigan Wildcat" has
| been intiInating that he was "jobbed"
| in that round and that he clearly won
| the fight with a knockout punch In
the body. Floto, on the other hand.
declares that Wolgast's blow in that
round was foul and was sufficient
| cause for him to end the fight then
and there, in favor of Welsh, but that
he ordered it continued at the request
| of Welsh.
Different accounts concerning that
much debated round have trickled
| into the east. Here is one description
| of the round, clipped from a western
paper:
Third Round Described.
| Round 3-They mill in the center
and Welsh dances away. Wolgast
lands the rabbit blow to Welsh's neck
with his right hand. They clinch and
are broken. Welsh sends right and
| left to head. Wolgast misses with
his left. They clinch and might.
| Welsh lands right and left to head.
Wolgast strikes to belly with left hand
and Welsh claims foul. Welsh crurn-
pied to the floor in apparent agony.
Three physicians are summoned. Drs.
Baggott, Gulick and Robinson were
the physicians. They could find no
trace of foul. Welsh consented to
| continue after a delay of nineteen
minutes. A new round was declared
IN order. Wolgast's round"
The Wolgast supporters declare that
the facts in this round, as described
above, clearly show that Wolgast re-
gained his title via the knockout route
in that session.
''Wolgast hit Welsh such a terrific
body blow that the champion was un-
able to continue" one of the Wolgast
partisans states. welsh, in the hope
of saving himself. set up a claim of
foul. Three doctors were called to
examine him. Each declared that
| Welsh had not been struck with a foul
blow. Therefore, the wallop was a
fair one. Inasmuch as it was a legal
blow. and that Welsh, after being
struck, was unable to continue fight
ing for a period longer than 10 sec
onds. Welsh actually was knocked out,
and thereby lost his title to Wolgast
Floto had no right to continue the
fight. In all fairness he should have
awarded it to Wolgast.''
Referee Gives Details.
Floto's explanation of that fight as
a whole, and of the third round in
particular, sheds a different light upon
the affair. 1t disagrees with many
of the printed reports of that round,
and also it fatty contradicts the
statements being made by Wolgast-
ties.
Here is Floto's reply to a. telegram
sent to him asking for the real facts
concerning the fight:
| Frank G. Menke New York
When a fighter. under foul advice,
stoops to foul methods in the ring, you
} cannot expect fair reports from the
source whence sprung his method of
battle. Ad. Wolgast, in his last siE:
fights, has fouled, and fouled deliber-
ately.
LAS referee of the Walsh Wolgast
fight, was warned before Wolgast
stepped into the ring that he would
attempt to slip over a low blow and
hoodwink me into believing that he
had scored knockout. At first dis
regarded the report that Wolgast
would try to steal a championship,
but 1 could not go into the ring blind
to the fact that something was to
happen when I had warnings from at
least dozen reliable sources.
Blow in Third Foul
In the third round Wolgast fouled
Welsh. I saw the blow, as did hun
dreds of others at the ringside. 1
stopped the battle and was about to
give the decision to Welsh. but he
begged me to allow the fight to pro-
coed. Fearing that he had been in
Jured in a way that might cause him
| permanent harm, l summoned three
physicians to the ring to determine
exactly how badly he was hurt After
the physicians assured me that no per-
manent harm had been done. 1 al
lowed Welsh to continue at his own
request.
welsh was not knocked down by
the foul blow or any other blow dur
ing the fight nor was he put to the
canvas at any stage OF the battle. On
being fouled in the third he curled
over holding his groin and I supported
him until the physicians came into the
ropes.
Wolgast "Shadicst Fighter"
Several times later Wolgast at
least twenty times. He came in like
a maniac. seemingly trying to cripple
the champion In the eleventh
round after minute and one-half OF
t boxing, Wolgast shot the lefts in sue
l cession to the groin. Welsh leaned
S fused to allow the battle to proceed
S further, and pushed Wolgast back tc
t his corner. Welsh showed marks o1
the foul at the right side of his groin
t but did not complain.
"Wolgast is the shadiest fighter
D have ever seen in my career as ref
cree. writer or spectator at all cham
pionship battles of the last thirty-fiv
years. I can not believe a sane maj
could go into six battles in succession
and push his fists into the low por
| ton of his opponents anatomy
"Wolgast's championship claims ar,
on par with his conduct in the ring
(SiGned) lotto FLOTO,