South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-03
BI ED. UTGHES.
NJ Inmnus SnnriS CarinnniAI


Kid Mccoy ran away from home
as a youngster 20 become "A prize
fighter. The Kid had read a great
deal about Bob Fitzsimmons and his
peerless fighting style and he decid
ed 20 enter the Fitzsimmons school
OF ringcraft Mccoy enrolled under
Fitz as a humblest type OF scholar
an assistant to the cook in the Aus
tralian's training camp in louisiana.
When Mccoy finished his culinary
chores he often engaged i'm friendly
settos with the great Fitz. Ultimate
~ ne became full-hedged sparring
partner in the Cornishmans camp
and picked up many fine points of
the game while absorbing Bobs
heavy punches. But Fitz was never
easy on his help and the youthful
Mccoy finally tired Of thrashings
from him. Feeling that ne had
learned enough from Bob the young
ster quit his job and sought new
fields Of endeavor.
Mccoy drifted into the camp Of
Tommy Ryan then the best middle
weight in the world. barring only
I Fitzsimmons himself Mccoy served
as d sparring partner 10 Ryan, serv-
Z ing him faithfully and yet at the
same time deceitfuly Mccoy was
/ faithful because ne took numerous
thrashings from Ryan without a
] whimper-one of the prime requis-
ties of sparring partner His de
ceit laid In the fact that he needn't
| have taken one beating from Ryan
I had ne cared not TO. With Ryan,
Mccoy never revealed his true box
Z ing skill, the cunning and cleverness
/ he had picked up with Fitzsimmons.
= Ryan had no fault 20 ind with Nc
/ Coy's services-he was an excellent
human punching bag to try new
/ punches on-and ne could take a
lacing So gracefully that you didn't
mind letting yourself out" as Ryan
himself put IT, But Mccoy had a
I few grievances Aside from Ryan :
merciless poundings the Kid was fur
! Their Inundated 10y being made 10
/ put up" az a third rate boarding
/ house while his boss enjoyed the
/ comforts of a first class hotel Fin
ally when Mccoy had thoroughly
studied the Ryan technique and
knew every move in the Ryan roper
toire he quit him as he did Fitzsim-
\ mons
MCCOY Was smart
Mccoy sought some influential
/ friends and told them he could whip
I Ryan easily. Then he penned the
following note TO Foxy Tommy:
Dear Tommy I've worked up
this match for us so that we could
I both scrape in "a little easy money.
/ or course YOU recall how we used
\ TO box together and YOU also know
/ as well as I do what YOU can do
/ to me If YOU care to- Tommy will
YOU grant me a couple OF favors
Just for old times sake Don't
make q mess out OF me in this
/ l;ltle AFFAIR. And can't YOU arrange
/ 10 So that the losers end of the
/ purse will be "a little larger. I'm
/ pretty hard up YOU know.
I Your old sparring partner.
KID MCCOY.
RYAN read the note Then ne
/ laughed outright Like a wise fighter
he had been training aSSlduously Tor
I the bout until the arrival Of MCCOY :
intelligence. After that he abandon
ed further ideas about training and
sent Mccoy the news that he had
increased the losers end from . .
| percent 10 50 percent OF the purse.
7 Ryan probably didn't give a further
I 5Aought 10 the night until the
night of March - 1896 when he
/ crawled through the ropes at Mas
\ peth. T. T.
Mccoy Won Easily.
Tommy was hog fat" and when
/ he galcd toward Mccoy and noticed
. the Kids superb condition trace OF
I doubt wandered through his keen
I mind When the bell rang MCCOY