The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-06-30
Ry Ed. HuxheS)

Copyright, 1890, by The Wheeler Syn dicate. Incl Years ago Tonany West was re- garx1ed as one of the toughest prop ositions that any weater, middle, or West was only a welserweisht him self What the enemy soaied never bothered Tonmy who originally hailed from Cardiff, Wades. In fact he was a clever exponent of the old Fatz- simmons adage, --the digger they are the harder they faal.'' West was so generally and sincerely dreaded by other bruisers that he was often genious schemes to lure a man in the ring with him
 In Vests day there was coiored gentleman by the name of Craig. but who was more commonly known as "~The Harlem Coffee Cooler" Craig was a heavyweight and a good one, too He had designs on the worlds 5 cham pionship and was held in high esteem by the colored gentry who fol- lowed ring doings- About this time there was another dussy rival of the Cookers named Byers West created a sensation one night. when he whaaed l the daylights out of MT. Byers. The Harlem Coffee Cooler arriving from England after a. successful invasion heard of Vests triumph and promptly declared the fight had been fixed :" ] This made MY. West very mad West l made up his mind to whip the Cooler out of revenge if nothing e4se-
 l A few days after Craig's charge of fake Tommy West regaled himself In l the smallest and tightest fitting black 1 suit he could find Then he donned a pair of shoes the heels of which were worn nearly flat The effect desired and achieved was to make him look considers ably smaller than he really was Then with murder in his heart, but an artificial expression od innocence cast over his features Wee: sought the Cooler.
 1 MT. Craig,'' said Tommy, "you and ought to make a mach I have a local reputation and of course every one knows ypu- Wed draw biS. And if you didn't want the winners end to be too large there'd be enough in it foz me 10 recompense for the beating ;know you'd hand me-
 The Cooler surveyed West, who looked almost diminutive in his tight black suit and he couldn't suppress a smile Craig made the match readily: In fact Craig was so enthused over the prospects of an easy 'caean up ithat ke forgot to mention the division |of the purse in the articles of agree iment
 When the men stepped into the ring ithe Cooler suddenly remembered Iabout the purse and asked West how inc wanted it split West told George IConsidine, the npabchma3zer, to en-
 deavor to get the Cooler to hold ou' for winner take au'' Tommy winAee
 when he told Considine that, So Con
 
 corner and whispered to Craig
 You've got him in the ring now
 Make him fight winner take aH!' Bu Craig was a generos1s-souled fStcuHe e, and answered.: -Oh, no! Mr- Wes must get little something for hi , services Make it eighty to the win Iner and Tonmy can collect twenty De
 cent'
 West took all the fight out of tn , Cooler with the first blow---a terrid' i, left hook to the stomach. It was ; punch West was famous for. As tn towering Cooler doubled over ol Vests shoulder Tommy snarled, ''Yo' said Byers laid down, hey? We'll, Tn , going to make you lay down the sam
 way"
 Then Tommy began a systenaah process of slaughter. He beat Craig
 face into a miShapen mass of cut andr bruises and foored him repeat
 edly. He could have put him out an. time but deliberately allowed tn 7 Cooler to recnperate after a heav, punoh---so that he could mete ou
 more punishment In all the Cooler
 who was game enough went dow nearly dozen times Finally in tn fourteenth round West decided his re
 venge was complete. The left hook t l the body which first took the figh out of Craig ended the carnage II Soon after Craig sa1ed for Englan
 and never returned to this country