Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-30
HARRY POLLOCK
IS HARD LOSER
Refuses to Admit That Welsh
Must Turn Title Over to
Leonard

New York. May S0.-Harry Pol
lock, manager of Freddie Welsh. is
sued statement last night in which
he claimed that Welsh is still the
lightweight champion, basing his as
sertion on Rule of the Marquis OF
Oueensburg rules, which reads: "A
man hanging on the ropes in help
less state with his toes off the
ground shall be considered down
Benny Leonard and his manager.
Billie Gibson, are. l am sure, too
thorough Sportsmen 10 even consider
claiming Il championship based up
on such an erroneous Interpretation
of the rules under which the battle
was waged," says Pollock. NO man
can dare say wha, would have been
the ultimate outcome of the contest
had Mcfarland lived up to the
rules and given " elsh his due in Il
nine seconds count before calling
him out Fighters have time and
again been out. dead to the world
saved by the bell on the ninth count
and come on in the succeeding round
TO be determined winners
Rule 12 of the Queensbury rules
says;
THE contest in all other respects
TO be governed by the revised rules
of the London pHke ring
Rule 5 of the revised code of the
London rules reads:
THE referee shall have power to
stop the contest if in his opinion a
man is unfit TO continue
Rules Observed
Followers of boxing agreed that
this rule fully governed the bout be-
tween Leonard and Welsh and that
the referee. kid" Mcfarland, was
fully justified in stopping the bout
because Welsh WAS unfit TO con-
tinue" and giving the victory to
Leonard.
Benny Leonard did not celebrate
his victory over Freddie Welsh in
the general way that such events are
signalized There was no setting
them up" for all the boys by the
new champion.
But there was celebration - a
family affair only-and right in
Benny's own home. Within half an
hour after he had come into the
lightweight championship of the
world he was in the arms of his
mother. Caressing her and heapinS
kisses on her cheeks. That home
greeting was what made Benny feel
that the winning OF the champion
ship was worth ~nile.
Thanks His Mother
Mother. l have you to thank for
my success, was the new Cnall-
pions first words 10 his mother when
he recovered himself. Without you
| could never have attained the goal
that / did. 1t was my ambition TO
become the champion fighter of the
world. I'm that now, and the care
and attention YOU gave me had as
much, il not more, to do in the
attainment of my ICtories than any
thing else in the world
Now that I'm the champion" said
Benny TO his friends. I'm going to
be Il fighting champion. Anybody
the public thinks l should fight I'll
night, and just as vften as I'm called
upon. But l must fight for my
country. and, true 10 my word, I'm
going right down some day this
week and offer my services to Uncle
sam. I've realized my ambition and
I'm ready TO take my title right into
the trenches whenever called upon.
l want to show a few doubters that
"a champion fighter is not a Stacker.
I'm not going TO he drafted. I'm
going right in now
The total box office receipts of the
contest were S13,149. Deducting the
state tax of ~ per cent. the net
profits amounted to s12,162, of
which Welsh received 40 per cent.
and Leonard 3S1a per cent. on
that basis Welsh took nearly $4,000
and Leonard $4,000.