The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-04-21
COAST LEAGUE.
Standing Of the Clubs.
COn1ebQcks
Ring Favorites Show Good
Form at Butte.


long promised revival Of FistiaIM and
| sensing the mirage Of oft repeated
promises Of something doing soon"
from promoters and sportively inclined
legislators, were delighted few days
ago to see the well and favorably re-
mernbered names Of Leon Rens and
Maurice Thompson flashed on the
sport page.
Thompson, once the favorte Of box
ing fans in the Treasure State, came
forth from his ranch near Bearmouth
after three years Of voluntary retire
ment and administered an artistic lac
ing to Young Ike" Hayes. son Of the
veteran colored boxer, slowing the
plucky shine" away with a knockout
punch before the bout had come to a
fms. And the 200 fans who saw
Young Ike" box Ed Uren at the Fort
| Missoula gym in January will vouch for
the statement that the negro boy Is no
SLOUGH with the mitts.
Thompsons comeback was staged
| Just 20 years after he first entered the
ring professionally. 1t is just Il score of
years since Maurice fought his first
battle in Butte, his home town, begin"
ming a climb up the ladder which was
stopped by Young Corbett half IL dozen
years later.
| Thompson has been living clean
outdoor life on his farm for six years
and though he is now SO years of age
he is still fast and still has the same
old punch In both hands. Maurice
never was a dancing master sparrcr.
but clean two handed boxer, always
willing to take punch or two in order
| to land one.
| Beat ketchell Twice.
! Back about IS years ago, Thompson
twice in succession solved the famous
ketchell shift and whipped the famous
Stanley and also defeated other boxers
with good reps. In 1910 and 1911 the
game temporarily dropped into disre-
pute in Montana and Maurice carried
a dinnerbucket to the mines. but in
| 1912 boxing became the vague and
Maurice and his ready fist did much
to bring it back into favor. He was
successful in II series OF bouts In his
home state and then made a pilgrimage
to the Golden Gate. stopping at Boise
| for a fight, only to be "jobbed." In
California the original Montana Kid"
found nothing but the prelims open
and liked back to Montana.
| In 1913 Maurice went to Calgary to
fight Dick Hyland. and was again given
the double cross by foxy promoters, be
| Ing forced to give away much weight
to Hyland. He returned to Montana
and fought numerous battles, retiring
after Il particularly fierce fought con-
test with Paul Cantway. the Bitter
| Root Kid " on July 8 1915.
Bens in Comeback.
Leo Bens the big Butte butcher. who
met Jack Hill. who also appeared In
Missoula on January Is last, and
slowed away Hill in an early round, has
at last come ont OF his shell and ii is
hoped that he will begin another climb
towards the top.
RenS showed good form in bouts in
the northwest three and four years ago.
and was persuaded Ia take a trip to the
east. He won one or two bouts with
fourth raters. but finally ran up
against Al Mccoy back in New York
and was laid cold in the fifth round. de
teats at the hands of Battling Levinsky
and several other leightweights follow
Ing in such rapid succession that Leo
,Gonchded that the only Chopping block
at which he was Il success was located
in the old Butte butcher shop and sc
he returned there.
| Frank Barrielu, who once fought
Bens in a fare you-Wcn lo-ronnd &c
here, recently was whipped by Valley
Trambitas at Portland, after winning
eight straight fights in the south Bar
rieau had been meeting the best il
~. f, 4 ID