The sun., 1916-10-08
Harder to Fake Bout NOW
Than in the OLden Days
Confession of Grouse Is First in More Than Twenty
Years-Fitzsimmons Was One of Few to Admit
He Laid D~own-O'Brien Crossed by Burns.
~ THE

realistic that the house was In an up
roar.
Fitz and Thorne came out for the Sec
ond round. and Fitz got Thorne In
trouble. but did not finish him. When
they faced Zach other for the third round
and the last Thornc fioored Fitx again.
and the Cornishman had the greatest
difficulty In getting On his pins. He
finally got up. and with n dying effort
aimed a blow that sent Thorne to grass.
The excitement Of the onlookers was in
tense.
Thornc struggled slowly TO his feet
and turned loose n swing Fitz hit out
at the same time. both landing stimuli
taneously and both went to the resin
dust.
The referee counted both out. and
about that time the crowd became aware
that Fitz and Thorne had been doing
some OF the cieverest acting ever seen
in a roped square.
Therefore II can readily be understood
that IL Fitz sought to make IL appear In
a regular contest that he was knocked
out lac had the ability to make II look
real.
"'Bri-n Wrote Confession.
While Fltz never found IL necessary
to confess 10 more than one bout. Joseph
r. ttdR1N CpVsl1tTfu tnHt ne CNulu not
do the subject Justice except in u series
OF articles for the newspapers, and he
wrote them.
Hagan In the ring was known as
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien. and while he
was In his prime one OF the cleverest
boxers In the country, lie decided that
1t would be easier to pay hts opponents
to take" u whack on the jaw at a given
time than to expend mis- strenet and
] gsinns. la I...tt,v tto,, ~. hta r,A,ta.
Most of this sort ~ work by O'Brien
was done in England in 1901. wher he
cainpalgned there for several months. IL
was his custom. according to his story of
the affairs. to Offer an opponent Il GER
tain amount of money TO take the count
at the tim agreed on. thus saving
oBrien the trouble Of training and Of
making any special effort In the ring.
II Is known also hat O'Brien was
compelled TO put Joe walcott under
bonds every time they met. the negro
thus being restrained from landing any
Knockout punches on the Quaker.
on one occasion when walcott went
over TO Philadelphia to clash with
OBrien the negro was approached in
the train by two New York sporting men
and asked n he intended to try his best
to stop the Quaker.
lie replied that II he could knock out
the Philadelphia, he would do SO. ON
the strength OF that abatement the New
Workers wagered on a knockout for
OBrien. and were chaRrined to see the
negro dawdle through six rounds with
out making an EFFORT to stop his man.
on the way home the pettors again
interviewed Walcott, and with fire in
their eyes asked what he meant by such
6uplicity.
1T was this way" said Walcott.
"fouah see. my managah had to put up
50 much money that l wouldn't knock
him out I Jess didn't dare to hit him
Crossed by Burns.
Lake all boxers who preferred TO pay
for bloodless victories. the Philadelphian
was bitten. ON May s. 1907. O'Rricn
met Tommy Burns ia a bou; scheduled
for twenty rounds. At this time Turns
was we'll along in his effort TO win the
American heavy weight championship,
which was open 10 competition owing to
the retirement of JeNrics. Burns and
O'Brien had fought "A twenty round draw
II 1906. and the Quaker evidently re-
earded Burns as tough game,
Realizing tina, II n. could beat Burns
he would he In a good championship po-
sit!on himself pNri-n decided to try his
old plan OF buying the victory. So he
made the proposal 10 Rurns that he
take nearly all the money In sight n
permit OBrien to pose as IN. winner.
Burns was nothing II not foxy. and
while he readily agreed to the Quaker~s
proposition he decided to double cross
nm. and did so. winning the referees
decision At the end of twenty rounds.
This practically settled O'Rrien as a
boxer. and he had few important battles
thereafter. The publication OF his con-
fesslon did not help his case any with
H.. promoters.