The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-05

Jack skelly was another ringman whose career was one of romance; pugilstic wonder who entered the fight game through accident more than de- sign.
 Skelly, who now is a sport writer in Yonkers, N Y, began working at the age of IA, serving as an apprentice in a Brooklyn cooperage shop. On the very first day he got himself fin bad with the other apprentices because he indus triously picked out all the good slaves for his own cooper. which left nothing but an inferior lot for the other boys to turn over to their bosses. One of the other apprentices-Red Reilly-took violent exception to tho Freshness of Skelly. He challenged tho youngster to a fight. Only the fear of losing his job kept skelly from accept | to Reilly:
 "I'n fight you Saturday in the va cant lot back of the shop | At that moment one of tho coopers- | who was none other than Jack Demp- sey, who soon afterward gained world
 wide fame as "The Nonpereil' of the prize ring-came along. He formed an
 instant liking for Skelly and, calling the youngster aside. said to Skelly: 1 My boy do you know anything about boxing?"
 | NO. sir; nothing except what I have picked up from the boys in my neigh borhood,'' replied Skelly.
 Well, if you expect to have chance | against this Reilly you will have to know | a few fighting tricks,' said Dempsey. Come up to my house tonight and I'll | teach you. I've got set of boxing gloves there.
 | That night Jack Dempsey gave to Jack Skelly the first boxing lesson the young 1 ster had ever received. Skelly was an apt pupil and quickly learned the value
 of the left jab which Dempsey had de- veloped and soon afterward was to make
 world-famous The next night Dempsey gave Skslly another boxing lesson and | then pronounced him ready to give a licking to the red-head."
 | big crowd of coopers gathered in
 the vacant lot that Saturday afternoon
 to witness the fight between the skinny ! looking Skelly and the husky and power | full looking Reilly, who was more than
 20 pounds heavier than Skelly. Just be- l fore the battle began supporters of Reil- ily walked around In the crowd and of | fered to bet on their boy to win. Jack l Dempsey at once stepped rorwaru, ex- traoted a roll of money from his pocket,
 counted off $50 and said:
 That goes on Skelly to win at even money That started general betting Dee and when the two boys squared off some thing close to 5000 was at stake on the outcome of the clash.
 During the first round Skelly, care fully following Dempseys instructions IA ....+l nf MnA1ltffa
 who acted as associate second, felt oui Reilly. The big boy made several efforts to reach his slender foe, but Dempsey had taught Skelly enough in footworh to enable the youngster to get out oi the way.
 With the opening of the second round Reilly dashed for Skelly, and then 1t was that the young cooper apprentice began Il using the left jab. As Reilly came In Skelly struck out his left and it went smashing against the incoming nose o1 This rival. Reilly backed up momentarily but came on again, only to be met witf another left to the nose. From ther
 on every rush of Reilly was met by left-hander.
 \ The bulky Reilly rushed again ant lagain with tigerish fury, but little Skel lly never backed away. He merely kep showing out the left as Dempsey hat taught him and the use of that punci
 alone soon reduced Reilly's face to ;
 beefsteak appearance.
 At the beginning of the sixth round friends of Reilly realized that their bo,
 would be certain knockout victim some sort of interference didn't com
 about. So several of them rushed to