The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-06
Occasion Marks Real Inception of Sport - Royalty Played
 Important Part at Show,


 Important Part at Show, HH first International puginstic 1 battle was staged on this date in I733 when Bob Whitaker defeat ed Tito Alberto di Carini, ''The Ven edan GondolIer," in London. The bout attracted much attention, as the boxing game was then just becom- ing popular in England. Tito AL berto was an Italian, who, after beat ing the best men in his own country was induced by an English noble to visit England. King George II. and his fair favorite, the Duchess of Yarmouth, and scores of nobles, oc- cUpfed boxes at F1gg's amphitheatre.
 The Italian Hercules gave Whit tal1er, a giant Yorkshireman. a ter r1ble beating, but Bob took it all and came back for more, and in the end British pluck and tenacity won the day and the Venetian admitted that ho had at last met his master. On one more occasion Whitaker was knocked clear out of the ring and landed on the heads of the specta- tors, but he immediately climbed back and resumed the contest.
 A S long as baseball lasts there Z& will be niche in its hall of immortals for Dennis A Brouthers commonly called "Dan," who was born at Sylvan Lake, N. Y, sixty-one years ago Wednesday, Pop" Anson, "OId Roman" Comiskey. Mike Kelly. Al Spalding, George Wright, John Ward, Ed Delehanty-brilHant stars were these in the early days Of base ball, but as a batsman Dan Brouth- them all Given his good old wagon tongue and Dan was ready for any sort of a ball that the pitcher could send over-a1though 1t must be admitted that the roper toir of tWirlers was not very large in Dams days, and a present-day slab artist might make a monkey of him.
 Dan broke into the game at Wap- pinger's Falls, N. Y, and that town was made famous by his prowess with the stick. The palmy days of the giant Dan were spent with the Detroit team when Ned Hanlon was it's chief. Later he played with the Boston club, and finished his base ball career as a scout for the New York Giants. At first base Dan was fairly good, and remarkably active for one of his tremendous size Dan set a National League record for circling the bases that has never been surpassed
 T wELvE years ago Wednesday.
 May ', 1907, Tommy Burns defeated Jack OFBrien in 20 rounds at Los Angeles. It was this bout, rather than his previous victory over Marvin Hart, which put the Cana dian in the running for the heavy weight championship When Hart whipped Jack Root in Reno four teen years ago and Jeffries present ed the victor with his title. the sport ing world did not take the affair ser iously, as it was considered that there were several better men than Hart
 Durns and "Philade1phia Jack' were the leading contenders. al- though both were light heavyweights. They first fought in Milwaukee in 1904. when the Philadelphian was the victor. few months after his defeat of Hart the Canadian fought C'Brien again, going twenty rounds to a draw in Los Angeles. The third session gave Burns the victory. al though not by any wide margin, and he comm snced the championship career which terminated when he ret Johnson in Australia
 
 VII. Cofroth, tho San Francisco , ampressario of box fighters, has pl lovided purse. pavilion and auspices for many a classy bout, but few that had any more class than the ketcn- el-Sullivan affair, pulled off eleven years ago tomorrow. Stanley Ketch ei. the puEiistic whirlwind from Montana began fighting sixteen years ago this month, when he was only fifteen, and by 1907 he had be- como so good that he defeated Joe Thomas three times
 Kid" Ketchel. as he then called himself, had arrived in Sacramento in May of 1907. Attired in som hrero. flannel shirt, trousers stuck into high boots and with Q suspic- ious bulge in a rear pocket, the Kid" was the type of wild and wool ly westerner now sEIdom seen ex- cept on the stage or in the movies, and naturally he had to take a lot of kidding. The cowboy soon show ed that he had the goods, however and the Sacramento promoters matched him with Joe Thomas, who had been eating up the effete East ern boxers and claimed the welter- weight title.
 Ketchel put Thomas on his metal from the ring of the bell and had the better of it, although it was call ed draw. When they met again Ketchel pur Thomas down and out, and he repeated the trick in their third battle. Next the cowboy took on Mike CTwin) Sullivan. Mike last ed less than two minutes and half. Tss.a. on May 9, 1908, comes the bat s-e between the Montana boy and Jack Sullivan, twin brother of the defeated Mike.
 ~ ROFF'ROTH staged the affair at N his Colma Arena and q big crowd of fans gathered at the ring side. Billy Roche was the referee Stanley was the favorite, but there were many who thought he would blow up when confronted by the game and clever Irishman. and con siderable morey was wagered. For time the Sullivan packers seemed justified in their opinion, for Jack