The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-16
BY TOBY OWENS, Formerly Manager of Soldier Kcarns

Soldier Kearns, 2O5 pounds, and not an ounce of fat on him, was in duced to go into the boxing game along about 1914 and started his ca reer against Sailor Burke. the most promising middleweight of that time, in a 10-round star bout. The battle was held at the East New York A. C. At that time I was handling Sailor Burke and took this kearns as a mark which he was in the public'S. eye.
 Burke was a wizard whenever he
 thought he had an easy fight. So as this Kearns was q large man l told Burke to go right after him; which
 he did and in the first round Burke
 practically annihilated him until along about the last 30 seconds in the
 first round. Just about this time Kearns hit Burke a right hand wal lop to the side and then the gong. Both men returned to their corners
 and Burke hollered to me and said in a low voice, Are we getting TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS to light this felow?' l answered in the aff1rma- tive Burke then remarked that he would give me $500 more to get him
 out of the ring for if you don't he will kill me, as he nearly broke me in half with that last punch he hit me"
 The second round opened with 1 Kearns very timid, which ttckled Burke to death, as he always liked to 1 j,I st 9 TT a ii and outboxed his man just to get a
 shot at him with his right hand.
 Burke finally landed this blow and | down went kearns for the count of 1 six. He got up and rushed at Burke 1 in a daze, swinging in all sorts of shapes and angles. Burke sidestepped i him and Kearns fell between the l ropes but turned. and Burke took another shot at him right oyer the heart and as he was sinking Burke brought the right hand to the Jaw and Kearns dropped again for the l count of ten.
 | As they were leading him back to his corner the crowd booed tnd hissed him but the fans did not have chance to cheer Burke as he ran from the ring to his dressing room followed | closely by me. When l arrived at the dressing room Burke was laying on a couch and as I entered he Was | just telling one of his seconds to look
 for me. I stepped up to him and af-
 ter chasing everybody else out he | locked the door and said to me, NO
 more of the fighting game for me as
 that fellow nearly killed me at the
 end of the first round" I asked him
 why he ran out of the ring. He an-
 swered that as they were counting
 Kearns out he thought he heard the 1 bell and he would not stay in that , ring another round with kearns for
 the building itself
 He then hurrisd and dressed him. self and told me to meet hlm In the
 morning at his house. When l met him in the morning he again told me that he was through with the boxing game and to make no more matches 1 for hinf
 1 I then tretted down to blacksmith 1 shop where this kearns was working
 and saw Kearns making horseshoes
 I asked him how he felt. He an-
 swered that he felt all right and that
 he had a fight with sailor named Burke the night before, but that he would certainly like to fight him
 again. This gave me the impression
 that he was pretty game man al
 though the fans the night before
 thought he was a big quitter. I told him then that he would make a great fighter I then asked him if he would
 fight if could get one for him ar ard
 he answered that he certainly would. then left him and told him that I
 would see him in a day or two. That
 niGht went to see Frank Moran and