The New York herald., 1920-01-16
JOHNNY WHITE.
SPORTING MAN AND
IS DEAD
Was Famous as Prize Fight
Referee in Days of the
Horton Law.

John J. White. politician. sporting man
and owner OF several theatres In the city.
died yesterday morning AZ his home. No.
H7 West End avenue
His death was due 70 heart disease and
was unexpected.
Johnny" White. a. ne was Familiarity
known. was one OF the best known prize
fight referees In this part q the country.
He was horn I'm Oliver street. 1 nthe old
Fourth Ward. one bolcx from the present
city home OF Governor Alfred n Smith.
In the days when boxing fiourished IN
the city. hack IN the early niuetiss.
Johnny" white was the cffcisi referee
OF the old Broadway Athletic Club. In
Broadway near Bond street in the build.
ing known "a Old London streets lie
refereed the featherveirht championship
fight between George Dixon and Terry
McGovern on tho night of January 3,
$780, when McGoyern won.
Dixon's manager ana second. Tom
o Rourk. saw that he was about TO lose
and saved him frop being Knocked out BY
throwing up the sponge. Immediately a
storm OF protest arose from that element
of the betting fraternity who wagersd that
McGovcrn would not knock out the negro
champion. They said that although Dixon
was defeated, he had not been knocked
out. But White quashed all contention the
next day when ho declared that those who
wagered on Mcs3ovorn 20 win on a knock
out should be paid the vagers. amounting
TO $4,000. and through his decision he be-
came one OF the best known referees In the
country.
One week later Johnny white re-
ferecd the famous fight between Kid Nc
Coy and Joe Choynskl for the light heavy
weight championship. Choynski was
Knocked out in the third round. but White
was roundly censured by the sporting
fraternity on the ground that he saved
Mccoy from defeat in the second round
when he permitted him 70 continue the
fight after he had taken a count on the
floor for twelve seconds.
johnny White was the son OF an Ital-
ian merchant named Blonchi. and when
a young man changed his name. Long
before his first vote he became interested
In politics and, as q sideline. conducted
the old Nonpareil Athletic Club In Oliver
street, where he also acted as referee.
Many prominent fighters were developed
under his management of the club.
Later he became member Of tho Sulli-
van clan Of politicians OF which the late
Big Tim Sullivan was leader. White
was one OF the young men whom big
Tim once declared he could always trust
because they did not drink booze"
when Little Tim Sullivan. cousin Of
Big Tim" died about twelve years ago,
big Tim" selected Johnny White TO
succeed him as representative Of the Bow
cry district in the Board OF Aldermen.
| Johnny had by that time followed the
lead of big Tim by entering the thcatri-
cal business and. in par tnershp with Will
lam Fox and William L. Long. he built
the Memo. the Riverside and the Riviera
theatres on the upper west side of the city.
city.
On tho death of "Big Tim" Sullivan.
White. much to the surprise OF Tammany
politicians all over the city, broke from
the Sullivan clan," then headed by
Paddy" Sullivan and Larry Mulligan.
and joined Senator Jack" Fitzgerald In
a primary fight for the Tammany leader
ship of the Bowery district 1t was one
OF the bitterest political contests ever held
in the city. but the famous Sullivan clan
went down TO defeat for the first time In
It's political history.
Johnny" Whites theatrical affairs be-
came so large that several years ago nc
retired from politics, but he couldn't re-
frain from interesting himself in Tam
many politics. When the Tammany ticket
received a setback last November, White
went to Tammany Hall that night to hear
the returns.
"The boys are losing their punch" he
said TO a friend when the returns indi-
Gated that Robert l.. Moran. Tammany
candidate for President OF the Board OF
Aldermen. would be defeated. "1n my
day on the Bowery we would have pushed
him over the top on such small vote as
that"
1t was announced last night that Gov
ernor Smith, Charles F.. Murphy. leader
of Tammany Hall; Thomas F. Eoley. OF
the Downtown Tammany Club, Frank
Farrell, Representative Daniel J. Riordan
and Magistrate Thomas ]. Nolan will act
as pallbearers at the funeral Of Mr. White
GEN: CHARLES Fl. LAUCHHEIMER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Thursday.-Brig-
adler General Charles III. Lauchheimer.
ad1utant and inspector Marine Corps. died
today at the naval hospital here, after a
long illness. He was born in Baltimore In
1859 and graduated from the Naval Acad-
emy in 1881.
General Lauchheimer was chiefly
known for his work in building up the
Marine Corps and during the war he had
charge of the training Of all men OF that
branch OF the service before they were
sent overseas. He was born In Baltimore,
in 1859 and was graduated from the Ann
apolis Naval Academy In 1881. After two
years of service at sea he was commits
stoned a second lieutenant In the Marine
Corps. He was made brigadier general
by President Wilson In August, 19l7
MRS LUCY RYERSON LAWRENCE.
Mrs. Lucy Ryerson Lawrence. widow Of
Henry G. Lawrence. died yesterday at her
home. No. 1863 West Eighty-eighth street.
Her husband was senior member OF the
brokerage firm Of Cyrus j. Lawrence q
Sons. She is survived by her two daught-
ers. Mrs. w. J. Hutchinson and Mr.. w. o.
Hubbard.
Cousin Of President Dies.
SAN DIEGO. Cal, Thursday-Francis
Marion Gray. seyenty-seven years old. a
cousin of President Wilson. died here to-
day His home was in Chicago, but he
spent much time here with a son. He was