Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-27
OLLIE PECORD
OF TOLEDO TO
BE THIRD man
Tex Ricard and Major A. J. Drexel
Biddle Named as Judges
Of the Contest.


ledo boxing commission. will be
the third man in the ring when
Jess willard and Jack Dempsey
meet in their heavyweight cham
pionship contest here July 4.
Tex Richard, promoter of the
contest, and Major A. ]. Drexel
Biddle, a wealthy sportsman of
Philadelphia. were selected to
serve with Pecord as judges of
the contest. Jack Skelly, a vet
Gran ring official of Yonkers, n.
Y, was chosen alternate referee
and W. Warren Barbour of New
York official timekeeper.
Less That 20 Pounds.
Less than so pounds. instead of
the heralded 60 or 20 pounds. will
be the difference in weight between
Jess Willard and Jack Dempsey
when they climb into the ring at
Bay View park week from today
to box for the worlds heavyweight
championship.
Before starting his workout yes
terday the champion tipped the
beam at 24314 pounds This is Ga
pounds below the weight he made
for his championship match with
Jack Johnson. A week ago the
champion scaled 24S pounds.
Dempsey scaled 1877 pounds yes
terday.
Pec0rd Former Boxer.
Ollie Pecord of Tolaao, who will
act as referee, is himself former
professional boxer AMI ball player
He is 50 years old. Pecord came
to Toledo 80 years ago and began
his professional boxing career here
as a welterweight in the COS. Pc
cord was in the ring about five
years.
In 1898 Pecord was a member
Of the Birmingham team of the
Southern league and played with
the Toledo club of the Old Western
league the following year In 1895
he played on the Galesburg and
Rock Island teams Of the Three
Eye league His career as a ref
cree began in 1894
Since that time Pecord has ref
creed about 400 bouts.
Appointment of these officials
was made by Richard today upon
receipt of telegram from Adam
Empie. secretary of the army, navy
and civilian board of boxing con-
troll, which undertook the task of
making the selections. Major Bid
die is president of the board
Announcement Surprise.
The announcement that Richard
and Biddie have been named judges
was unexpected. Pecord's selec-
ton as referee had been forecast,
but the names of Richard and Bid
die had hardly been associated
with the official question.
Major Biddle was noted as an
amateur boxer and has been prom
inently identified with all amateur
sports. He vas in service, AMI
since the armistice has been in his
efforts to keep boxing on the high
plane it gained through the sane
tion of the government during the
war. He was one of the organizers
of the army, navy and civilian box
ing control
Is Popular Official
Richard stands high in the es-
timation of nearly everyone con-
neeted with professional boxing.
When Jeffries and johnson were
unable to agree on the third man
in the ring for their championship
contest at Reno, New, in 1910,
Richard, who was the promoter of
the battle, refereed it with the con-
fidence of both men. The fight was
the only contest in which he ever
officiated.
The selection of Pecord is re.
garded as a concession to the To-
ledo boxing commission, under
whose license the Willard-Demp-
sey match will be staged. Although
he is not widely known. he has Of
ficiated in more than 400 contests,
and was himself a professional
boxer. He is SO years old.
Demanded by Willard.
The appointment of Richard as
one of the judges was one of the
demands of Willard. Richard said
today.
Il would have much rather had
someone else take the job, but Will
lard held out for me, even suggest
ing me as referee. He was so in
sistent that I finally had to &C
cept," said RickardN today.
Pecord will be in complete
charge Of the boxers while they
are in the ring. II the contest re-
suits in a knockout. he will have
sole charge of the counting. If the
contest goes IL rounds. the two
judges will attempt to decide the
winner. and If they fail to agree
Pecord will cast the deciding vote. |