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


bout in the old Fairmont A. c. put an end
to his fighting career.
Born on the East Side
Benny was born and brought up around
Eighth street and Avenue c, in a district
Of the East Side celebrated for its boxing
tradition. Many well-known fighters came
from that neighborhood-such as X. O.
Brown and Kid Herman. The old Drydock,
where, under the old Horton boxing law,
some celebrated fights were staged, was
just around the corner. on Tenth street
Everybody in the neighborhood was pas
sionately devoted to boxing. and little kids
running the streets three or rUur years old
used TO know all the fighters by sight and
name, and follow them as they passed
the heroes. And in countless attics, in un-
numbered vacant lots, hundreds Of little
boys went to pummeling each other in
secret each one nursing the secret ambi-
tion that he was TO become champ.
When Benny was about four years old
his uncle presented the boys with boxing
gloves. According to him, he was fighting
his brothers even before then; but after
that time he and Willie and Charley, when
ever the family went out Immediately
stripped to the waist rolled up their little
trousers to look like the tights they saw
in the pictures and fell upon each other;
that is TO say, Benny fought Charley while
Willie refereed. until Charley was all in
they simply went at it until they fell
down; but later on they spelled out the
newspaper stories and learned how to fight
iy rounds, etc,
Boxed Every Day
BY the time he was nine or ten years old
Benny was boxing almost every day in the
back yard of the Silver Hill Social Club
He met all-comers--the champion Of Tent
street, the champion of Ninth street, etc
and almost always won. He had to
it surreptitiously, because. as I've said
is mother was on his trail The Leiners
were practically the only Jewish family
lit was before the great flood of Jewish
immigration in a neghborhood almost en-
tirely Irish.
you know" said Benny. explaining to
me. you know how guy has got a
bulldog he thinks can lick any other bulldog
around, and he tells other guys with dogs
his dog can lick their dogs. Well, that's
the way the fellows in the Silver Hin Club
used to act about me to other clubs which
had fighters"
1t was an od-time, primitive back yard
where Benny Leonard's first battles were
fought. The club had part of an old,
shabby brick house. In the back yard,
cut off by high board fence from count
less other back yards, with perhaps long
lines of washing hung out on the line
and huttering in the wind,
The ring was circle of sharp stones
set in the hard-beaten earth, and when
n fighter crowded or rushed his opponent
out Of the ring he had to step back and
let him get in 1t again.
Joey FOgarty His First Opponent
Here was the historic scene Of Bennys
first recorded professional bout four
rounds-with Joey Fogarty. purse of
fifty cents collected from the Crowd-win-
ner to take thirty cents, loser twenty Be
tween rounds each warrior took his turn
under the pump, while his seconds worked
the handle.
Between watching out for his mother
and thinking about the purse, Benny's mind
wasn't altogether on the task in hand.
Nevertheless he managed to pound Joey
Fogarty to a pulp; and with the feel Of
that thirty cents in his hand Benny Leonard
became a professional fighter.
1--WE always been a professional he
told me. people say | was once an anna
teur, but it's not true"
CONTINUED TOMORROW