Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-07

I'd. .heir eyes Si
~ :, his life did Benny ever
ouly once ~ vent to Philadelphla tw0
.,r,L when n ,be story Of that trip Is SUI.
~, sso, anu an,nd A gang OF frienus ven
srsh 10 hs s,mowIng Bennys pIolou',u Ia ,bo
,sng anV :, ne map Of ms cou,r,' .iro
rpcs ol.ocseded o. TO educaIe aid nhi one "well,
vofd, pr sSt tower, Benny ,,tot | Of Washing
.,ts the r,oy rooi ~ would observe the steepIe
~ And bei'iS Congregational Church at
J. ne Thtut with new interest
vsssrford' N,,,,bied ~, across a culvert over a
ME- stream, :, :, down there, Benny! mat
see tnas sri,anic went down ..u,,r mo
Acre the lIs ,yben he was telling me me
Es augneSSS .before got down 10 ahl,.y
.e.y" he saiu' nointed out the ROCKY
,o,e guys ~ n" the Grand Canyon anu vlI
MAINTAINS orS anu and Bunker AN: LooNeu
usr Of Ensa me. but | couldn put up
ST Of funny didn't know whether II was
!. argument
J, Dreamed He'd Be Champ l5Ds1Di'vo,v re.
Nra ,bis happened comparauve'yy p,.,,d,,s yy,,tIo
But ell 'g me iainfuly thin, nervous stooJ ltoC,
Hnly snI me @ burning big eyes w,,o VA oF Tho
f w WIN ooners in the PACK yo,,, yaiu ,ittie
Ip ~ um club the quiet Sn,,s IN the
Elvf a." licked all the lrlsn uoS drnaroed
Nv STSood. Sny could never nav na,,e the
rfgn0,,ssar,'h ,sa, he would some uaS eabt % for n
hen ,onrney to Philauelpnl"
hns before real cruz; o.,or Willie. who
gHIss y. .pennys older orotmer i.o ",h who was
II vas ~ himself sometimes Wto N"S 5
4 I'D 70 nsns soiiower Of the game, ana
III irdeh' soye seen refereeing Benny )
Fhon -s.s We with Charley, that was re-
childish nsn- snr introducing him into hght-
+ as circles ,-so, hrotbers ran
~ :. ,nose days the Forden prot'i't - or, on
n s.A, Cub called the Fordeh a ..r,o,s 49,, 90
; neM .rsr Of Orchard and Grahu 'teJs. ai,,
Ffv lVrh, lVft,ur,r,aee for all devotees OF ooN-
jtcss OIL olpnesritstion p,Ie of the experts Of the
hg ,,S,, Vv"I soc,aI club was held, at which
silver n,l nsno,ded on the advice OF wine
Nas ~ honor of the district Benny
hal it ~ .,' down to Forden and get bout
sugn' Jo, after school-Benny is one
% VN V.rdeet graduates of Public School
q We 49,, and Willie went down town
..s line of boys and youths iron,
.s lnos ,bs city. and these moved forward
... " W. two trainers who punched cheSts
lssa.o,ss slapped thighs, said 'HoW
Ea ' ,,ou kid? What's your weight?
% ne w.. @you'l do for this kid" they'd
Any "a match Up two boys who hefted Anc
~ ~, IN about the came. In this anohN'
"a. NV Penny was matched to box a Ger
,.Ir pinky Burns-but it fell through be
-, tbe main bout filed up the evening.
hzed on Christmas Day
rvo months later however, on Christ
!. afternoon, 1912, Benny did go t2u'
s.as with Smiling Kene, whom he de
sr.d This. however, was only his SECOND
q, seht. Before II occurred, Benny hat
= pu.dered into his destiny at the FAR
n ntnt
n m Farmont was another place of grea
,nractien for all lovers of the fstic ART
Nav I'D town It used tC draw the fight ran
h nom the lower East Side and beyond, o
aght nights, especially when some neigh
#lorhood champion was to fight ana all III
H friends acquaintances, neighborS and fan
4 ii to the fourth generation and degree fol
+ cwed him to root for their paladin and,
. .secssary butcher the referee.
Willie used to take Benny up to tn
r Fsimont on big nights, and with a mo
d other kids who couldn't afford the pric
pi admission they climbed up on the fir
aape and glued their eyes to the sid
window, which looked through the ofIic
corner to the ring.
Il was the night when Kid Hermann, on
q the idols of Benny's nelghborhood. wa
10 fight; and every man and boy aroun
Eighth street and Avenue c had deserte
his home and gone uptown. Benny 81
there early, He was up on his favorI
perch, looking in the window, when Il
mass Of boys and men behind pressed 70
ward to see and showed Benny forcib
through the window-and in a shower
bursting glass he fell on the floor of Il
Office
81 special policeman grabbed him al
r. ffked him across the room to where Bill