The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-29
Leonard.

Leonard.
 ..T will soon leave for the Coast, but before r leave the club tonight I want to personally congratulate Benny Leonard. I shook hands with hln III the ring. but that means nothing. am sorrv. that my career should have ended as it did, but I would much better have it said that Q real cham pion like Leonard beat me than a dub. Leonard is the best battler in the world---and I AjrIi1 J ss- per fectIy qualified to judge, for have
 met the best of them Benny Leonard celebrated his vic tory by purchasing a bond valued al S1, ,OOo. Rlrchie did likewise. It was 9 bond sale that will long be remen- bered for it nettc5 more than $100,0 coo John A. Matthews, United States ! Commissioner, was the speaker and he certainly did dig up subscribers. ! After his loan talk MT. Matthews was given Q watch by Boxing Commits sioner Smith, donated by a, friend
 MT. Smith pushed all of his diamonds into the arena and said a few kind words about Joe Humphreys who did ! the announcing. Tex Rickard then broke into the HmeHght by taking over a, $10,00O Liberty bond.
 The biggest laugh of the night came
 when Dave MacNay had it announced
 that he was prepared to give Tex i Rickard $500, GOO if he brought the Willard Dempsey fight to this city.
 But the battle itself was one of the most spectacular. witnessed in this State since the present boxing law
 went into effect. Except in the third round when Ritchie made Q rally Leonard had the best of the bout all ,I the way.
 ' Leonard's bitter punches began to
 wear Ritchie in the second round, and
 wicked rights and lefts to the jaw sent him down for the count of nine. He got up and staggered his way through this session gamely. His re- vival in the third round was a big surprise, and he tore into Leonard
 with such fury that the champion kept backing away. This round was
 the only one in which Ritchie had any
 advantage.
 After Leonard had battered his op- ponent with @ shower of blows in the seventh, Ritchie came up at the bell
 for the eighth round, d weary boxer. Leonard tantalized Ritchie with stiff iajbs to the face. Ritchie used all the defensive tricks he knew to stop the 7 snashes that were coming at him. Leonard SpeeO9u up HIS puAClleS olAO the former champion Imagined that
 two or three boxers were directing blows at his head. A stiff left jolt isent Ritchie's head back and when
 Leonard followed up this blow with a
 terrific right smash to the jaw, Rit- ! chie's knees sagged and he went to
 the floor AS Brennan tolled the nine
 seconds a5ove him, there was a for lorn look of helplessness on Ritchie' s face He staggered to his feet and Leonard again tore in with rights and lefts.
 Ritchie tried in vain to block the
 onslaught of blows, but once again
 IIeonard's driving attack broke down
 his guard, and again the rights and Iefts bounded off Ritchie's battered jaw. Another terrific right sent Rit- chic back against the roses. His arms fell to his sides and he sank toward
 the floor There was a glaSsy look in
 hi shalf-closed eyes and the referee l pulled Leonard away, and Ritchie had -,lcompleted the tough journey to pu- lgiltst1c oblivion.
 , Leonard weighed 13z pouzds and 5 iRzhctde Etppued the scales at 1ss Ia