El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-09
TRICKS IN EVERY
TRADE BUT OURS
Craft and Nerve Played Large Part in Kid Mccoy s
Ring Career; Believed in Training With Past
Masters of the Fistic Game.
By ROY E3III<.

1.-THE greatest victory Of Charles
Norman Selby ("Kid" Mccoy
was his victory over Tommy
Ryan.
Yet Ryan gave Mccoy many beat
ing. In fact, McCoy's victory over
Ryan was a labor OF love in return
for the wallopings Ryan administered
to Mccoy while the latter was Ryan's
sparring partner.
Played TO Win
Mccoy didn't like beatinEs- He
was born that way. As n boy,
when he played marbles or base
ball. he went TO the last extrem-
ity 10 win. and generally did.
When he lost IL was tOlernbly
certain that there was no chance
OF winning, for he was crafty and
nervy.
As a youth the same determination
TO win in games and fights made him
both strong and cunning IN All the
games in which he entered For all
his adversaries he always showed a
cool disdain that was annoying and
disconcerting 20 them. Even before
entering on career of boxing, he
calculated the downfall OF those with
whom he competed, with a GOODNESS
that was heartless.
At the age of 16 in a small town in
Indiana, early one morning in Aug
ust Mccoy arose from his bed under
a tree at the outskirts Of the town,
and. being hungry, borrowed three
tomatoes from the rear OF a spring
wagon being driven 10 market A
young farmer some ten years his
senior Jumped from the wagon to
show him the error Of taking toma-
toes without giving first mortgage
security.
go back to your business. You've
got plenty OF tomatoes left" said the
Kid. 7 only borrowed half as many
as I could eat" But the farmer only
advanced IF 1 have 10 waste one
on you. will take another one" said
the borrower. Mccoy avoided the
first blow that was struck, running
q few steps and swallowing half a
tomato. He kept up the retreat until
he had eaten two Of them and was
then grabbed by the irate tiiler- OF
the soil
With the calculating GOODNESS that
afterwards boosted him many notches
towards the championship, he cOolly
reached up with the remaining to-
mato and sQuashed it severely in the
farmers eyes, adding TO the mans
discomfort by rubbing It in. Jerking
away. he ran to the wagon, picked
and vamoosed, while the tomato mer-
chant was getting the mist out OF
his eyes.
Followed Business Principles.
But McCOy's GOODNESS was not the
discriminating feature Of his success.
He was systematic. would have made
a success in business had his ambi-
lions ran in commercial directions.
Arising suddenly from a seat with a
bunch of friends in the same Indiana
town one day. he said: so long. III
see you again in a few years"
Whats the matter?" asked sew
eral with whom he had been training
Keep in fast company or you'll
never absorb any speed, replied the
slim. pale youth. you fellows are
all right. but I've learned about all
you know. I'm going to train with
the champion"
trains or walked from one city to
another for the physical development
it afforded. At least that is the way
he expressed it. When next heard Of
by his friends he was sparring part
ner of Tommy Ryan His pay while
he trained with the champion was a
subject the Kid was never very fond
of talking about to prove his financial
success. He served as the punching
bag for Ryan In hundreds of exhi-
billions and Ryan banked the kale.
so long" said Mccoy one day.
I've learned all your stunts. I'll
take great pleasure in giving you
trimming some day such as you have
given me many a time. I'm going to
train with the champion"
He didn't say that TO Eyan-O, no.
He was too foxy for that. But he
said it to himself as he left to hunt