The Washington times., 1920-04-13

Carpenters version is that he slip
ped to the floor and that just as he
was rising Smith hit him a heavy
blow behind the ear. American fans
who witnessed the bout stated after
ward that Referee Corri's ruling was
an Injustice to Smith. but admitted
that Carpenter had much the better
of the Gunner.
Immediately after the bout with
Smith Carpenter started back to
Paris to answer his country's call to
the colors, but before going into the
army he had one more bout, winning
from Kid jackson on a foul In four
rounds at Bordeaux. The boxing he
did while in the army. where he won
the Medal Militaire and the Croix de
Guerre with three palm leaves, was
negligible. But he did enough box
ing and took enough exercise to keep
himself in the best OF physical trim,
and, though wounded twice. he man
aged to escape serious physical dam
age. He was in the aviation branch
of the French army.
Puts Away Dick Smith.
His first bout after being mustered
out of the army was fought against
Dick Smith, the British heavyweight,
on July 10 Of last year. Smith faced
"arpentier in a scheduled fifteen
round bout in Paris. and was knock
ed cold in eight rounds. Carpenters
showing in this bout against a boxer
# Smiths caliber was not consider
ID brilliant by any means, but fistic
fans made allowances for the fact
that It was his first bout OF any i'm
portance in more than four years.
And now we come to the most re-
rent triumph of the debonair Georges
his bout with Joe Beckett.
England, despite the urgent busi-
ness OF fighting the Germans Tor
more than four long years, found time
o develop several heavyweights who
were considered likely candidates for
the European title. One was Goddard.
Another was Beckett. And England
fondly nursed two rivals for the Brit
ish heavyweight championship along,
loping against hope that one of the
pair might bring back the ring su-
,remacy that once was hers.
Beckett finally met and defeated
Goddard decisively in a battle for
the English heavyweight title and
Immediately took up the trail of Car
pentier. challenging the Frenchman
to meet him last fall.
Deie"Ns Joe beckett
Descamps, always wary. determined
that Carpenter should not be enticed
into the ring until he had time to get
into the best of condition, and thus u
was not until last December thai
Beckett and Carpenter faced each
other in London to decide who was
who in heavyweight fistic circles In
the Old World.
The ease with which Carpenter de-
Tended his championship against
Beckett Is all too fresh in the minds
of American boxing fans for recount
ing here. Suffice It to recall that he
knocked Beckett out after fifty sec
onds of lighting in the first round
with deliberately measured right
smash to the jaw and then lifted his
Dpponent-heavy though he was-and
helped him to his corner.
A feature connected with this bout,
and not generally known. has to do
with the Prince of Wales. The prince
was in the royal box at the rinRside
He was smoking cigar. After
watching the boxers for perhaps half
a minute he stopped to tread the fire
out of his weed and when he cooked
up again Beckett was on the floor.
with the referee tolling OF the fatal
ten.
The prince had missed the knock
out punch, but he cordially congratu-
lated Carpenter and expressed his
sympathy with Beck cit. trying TO con-
sole with him:
Never mind, Joe. Better luck next
time, old chap
Ito Ne Ce.tisueA-)