The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-17
Up- TO -THE- E-NlNUTE DOINGS IN TtiE SPORT WORLD
INTERESTING SIDELlGnTS ON CAREER OF SOLDIER KEARNS
BY TOBY OWENS. Formerly Manager of Soldier Kearns.
Continued from Yesterday. )

The next night which was a Satur- day we arrived at the National Ath- letic club and met the matchmaker, Fred Grundy, as we were entering. lie told me that he would like to get a big fellow to box Soldier Johnny Shaw tonight as the man who was to box him sent word that he would not appear. I then told him I would get him a man. He said, show him in I then called Kearns over, and when I introduced him to Grundy he laughed. l asked him what he was laughing at I said is he too big. He said no, that Shaw liked big fel- lows. He then said in a low voice, If he will only make good" 1 heard this and said that if lie did not make good I would not take a penny for him.
 l then told Kearns that the boT- was arranged and l took him to the dressing room. which was upstairs where nobody could see him as I was afraid that when Shaw would see him he would ballH because of the size of Kearns. After leaving Kearns in the dressing room l went down to see Grundy to tell him about last nights battle I then started to tell him about the fight and he shook his head and said never mind Toby If he makes half the showing Frank has made when you brought him here | will be satisfied. As 1 was about to go to kearns, Shaw accompanied by ex-MiddIeweight Champion Al Me Coy came into the club house.
 Mccoy was a personal friend Of mine and after shaking hands l told him 1 was managing the fellow that was to fight Shaw. Shaw told Me Coy to go up and look him over and see that he was not too big. l then accompanied Mccoy up to the dress ing room and introduced him to Kearns Mccoy and I then went down to Snaw's dressing room and told Shaw not to kayo him in the first rc9nd so that Grundy would give us some money. l was afraid that Shaw would not go on with him and took this chance to string him along. I then left Kearns alone and went around looking for Tim Hurst. I finally located him sitting in the balcony looking over the prelims. l then walked up to him and asked him if he had the tickets for Friday night. He said that he would meet me at the St. Bartholomew hotel next Friday morning at o'clock. The last pre- lfminary was just about getting fin ished at this time and Grundy was looking I'll over the house for me. He did not find me, though as l did not want him to see me talking to Hurst as I was afraid that if kearns got beat Hurst would go back on his word.
 | then went into Kearns' dressing room and told him under no consid- eration to leave it till I came after him. I went down to see Shaw anc told him that Kearns was afraid to come down so as to put more .contt- dence in Shaw. l was still little afraid that Shaw would be afraid to go on with him, so I tried to get him (Shaw) to go into the ring first. This I finally succeeded in doing. As soon as Shaw was once in his corner rushed upstairs and got Kearns and we both climbed into the ring in back l of Shaw. As we walked across the ring l heard somebody say, Toby come here" I turned around ana i Shaw hollered at me Toby"
 He says, what round did you sa, you wanted me to knock him out in :?
 I said, 1T asked you at first to Ie
 him go two or three rounds but now
 I ask you 10 get him in the frs l punch if you can, as 1t will look Iiilt a good fight anyway and anybody i! liable to get kayoed in the first chap ter" He said Alright, I will do tha little thing for you" The gloves were
 adjusted on each gladiator and Char
 lie Draycott, who has been a physica
 instructor for the Y, M, C. A il Paris since the war started, and a that time was a referee. called tht
 men to the center of the ring for in structiOns.
 Draycott told them to shake hand!
 and fight when they left the corners Shaw walked from his corner smilins
 and full of confidence, and afte
 sparring for a few seconds they cam,
 to a clinch. As they broke from tht
 clinch Shaw hit Kearns Q right hanc
 wallop to the Jaw which made tn,
 Soldier boy very angry as he did no
 like Shaw to take such an adVantag,
 of him. That was the starting eff tht
 finish of Soldier Shaw, as kearns hi him a left hand hook to the jaw ant
 down went Shaw as flat as a paneak, and was counted out.
 Soldier Kearns and I left the rin. in hurry and went to the dressin;
 room. We were met there by Tin Hurst, who was tickled to death witt Kearns showing. Kearns took thu
 bandages off. stripped and took
 shower I then told him to hurr7 up and dress as he had to get homt
 and get some sleep as he was to figh | again Monday night. We met dowI
 stairs and got our money off Grundy | For that star bout we got the larg
 sum of $25. As we were leaving tht clubhouse Grundy called me baci al asked me to let him box Jin l Stewart, who at that time was 1 prominent heavyweight who had jus
 come back from Paris where he haC
 whipped all the men available there
 l told him not for little while hu
 when it Is time for him to meet hin
 l will let you know, and I also ore
 dict that at that time he will kaecl
 Stewart out.
 tTo Be Continued Tomorrow