The Washington herald., 1920-01-11

stout, stumpy arms. useful only for
punching, and a thickish neck too
harms way. Carpenter, long and
1.-THE. has a terrible pair of arms.
very long. with the forearins heavy
just where the weight should be.
He has long chest, a long reach, a
long, flexible neck. and. last. but
not least, a long head. Nobody who
knew the a B C of boxing could
doubt for a moment that unless
Beckett could wear him down and
outstay him, and stand a good deal
during the process, he could not win
at the physical odds against him.
except by lucky knockout.
When the men stood UP, another
curious asset of Carpenters raised
the extraordinary question whether
he had not been taught to box by a
lady. Some years ago Mrs. Diana
Watts. a lady athlete who believed
that she had discovered the secret
OF ancient Greek gymnastics. repro
dnced with her own person the pose
and action of the Disco bolus and
the archer in the Heracles pediment
in the British Museum, both OF
which had been up to that time
considered physically impossible.
Her book on the subject, with its
interesting photographs, Is still ex-
tant. Her method was to move and
balance the body on the ball of the
| foot without using the heel. and to
combine this with a certain tech
nique of the diaphragm.
Carpenter Too Fast.
Now the moment Time" was called
and Carpenter was on his feet in the
ring 1t was apparent that he had this
technique. He was Ike a man on
springs; and the springs were not in
his heels but in the balls of his feet
His diaphragm tenue was perfect.
Whether his lady instructor was Mrs.
Diana Watts or Dame Nature, she
has turned out a complete Greek
athlete. This really very remark
able and gymnastically important
phenomenon has been overlooked,
partly because IL has not been under
stood, but partly also because the
change in Carpenters face when he
sets to work is so startling that the
spectators can see nothing else. The
unmistakable Greek line digs a trench
across his forehead at once; his color
changes to a stony gray: he looks
lO.OO0 years old; his eyes see through
stone walls; and his expression of in
tensely concentrated will frightens
everyone in the hall except his op-
ponent. who is far too busy to attend
to such curiosities.
There was no fight. There was only
a superb exhibition spar, with Beckett
as what used to be called a chopping
block. For a few moments he wisely
stuck close to his man; but Mr.. Angle
gave the order u did not hear 1t, but
was told Of iD, to break away; and
Beckett then let the Frenchman get
clear and faced him for outfighting,
FROM that moment he was lost. Car
pentier simply did the classic thing,
the long shot with the left; the lead
on and getaway. The measurement
OF distance-aHd such a distance,-
was exact to an inch, the speed
dazzling, the impact like the kick OF
a thoroughbred horse. Beckett ex.
cept for one amazed lion-like shake
of his head, took 1t like a stone wall:
but he was helpless: he had not time
to move a. finger before Carpenter
was back out of his reach. He was
utterly outspeeded. Three times Car.
pentier did this, each hit more bril-.
liant, If possible. dhan the last.
Beckett Dased.
Beckett was for a moment dazed nv
the astonishing success of the at.
tack; and in that moment Carpenter
sent in splendidly clean and finished
right to the jaw. 1t is not often that
perfect luck attends perfect style I'm
this world; but Carpenter seemed
aoie 10 command even luck. The blow
found that mysterious spot that is in
All our jaws, and that is so seldom
found by the fist. There was no mis-
taking the droop with which Beckett
went prone to the boards In an old
ct hight he would have been
carried by his seconds to his corner
and brought up to the scratch in half
minute, quite well able to 60 IN
Under modern rules he had to lie un
helped. and at the end of ten seconds .
Carpenter was declared the winner.
Carpenter had made the spar so in
tensely interesting that the seventy
four seconds 1t had occupied seemed
like ten; and l could hardly believe
,, that four had elapsed between the
moment when Beckett dropped to the
boards and the jubilant tspring into the
ar with which Carpenter announced
that the decision had been given In
his favor. He was as unaffected IN
his delight as he had been in his
nervousness before. Time was called
when4h Ne had asked his bottle-holder
for a mouthful of water and thereby
confessed to dry mouth. The usual
orgy followed. Pugilists are, a senti-
mental feminine species. much given
to kissing and crying. Carpenter was
hoisted up to be chaired, dragged
down to be kissed, hung out by the
heels from the scaffold to be fondIed
by lady. and in every possible way
given reason to envy Beckett