The New York herald., 1921-11-13
CANS PROVED HE
COULD STAND GAFF
Severely Punished by Haw-
kins. But Won Two Bouts
by Knockout.
n, CHARLES +. MATnIsoN.

The question has frequently been
raised as 10 negro flg>isers possessing
courage. In substance, can the dark
skinned pugilists stand the gaffy
The records Of peter Jackson. sam
Langford, Joe jeanette. George Dixon,
Joe Walcott and other famous negro
lighters furnish an answer decidedly
h, the Affirmative. Those who saw .Ioe
Walcott I'm his memorable battle with
Kid Iavigne at Maspeth arc aware that
few boxers have received so terrific q
beating as the Saginaw Kid admins
tered to the negro. and the TACT that
Walcott was on hls fee. and hghting
desperately In the fifteenth and last
round is proof positive that the BLACK
Demon was game.
During the early career OF Joe Cans
his courage was often questioned nut
the Old Master finally convinced al
that he was one of the most courageous
fighters lin the ring.
Cans demonstrated this fact through
the medium of three battles he had with
Dal Hawkins coast lightweight. who
created q sensation by his frequent
knockouts OF opponents. Hawkins had
deadly left hook but his right hand
wes rot OF much value in attack.
Hawkins arrived ia the East I'm 1899.
and his first match was with Cans. WHO
was then beginning 60 show tho form
that finally won the lightweight title
for him
Cans In TcoubIc.
Charlie Genslingcr mad just openea
the Bohemian Sporting Club. and he
matched Cans and Hawkins for fif-
teen round encounter on October 6. 1896
Cans was by no means a crafty rlnS
general at that time, and he had been
advised to beware Of HawlSins's terrible
left hook. The negro was so busy look
ing out for Hawkins's left that he for
got to score any points to speak OF. and
Hawkins received the decision of Honest
John Kelly on points at the close OF the
| fifteenth round
! Hawkins returned 10 the coast after
! this bout and did not come back to New
| York till 1893 After losing to Spike
Sullivan in twenty-five rounds June "a,
| 1898. and stopping Kid Mcfarland in
! eight rounds December 90. 1898, Haw-
| kins once more returned to California,
| where he was knocked out III seven
rounds by Frank Erne. The Californian
| journeyed back to New York in 1900
and he engaged in two sensational bat
| ties with Joe Cans at the Broadway
A. c. The first was staged May 20.
! 1900. and the second on August 81 OF
| Cans by this time had become the
! formidable pugilist who two years later
won the lightweight title from Frank
| Erne by knocking out the champion with
! the first punch in the first round mark
| ing the first time a leader Of the class
had been disposed Of so quickly.
! Hawkins, with the recollection Of his
! fifteen round decision over the negro,
/ eagerly accepted the match and big
/ crowd turned out to see the combat
! Hawkins. intent on scoring knock
out over the negro. maneuvred with the
| object of getting an opening for his left
/, hook. and Cans. who had avoided the
! Hawkins left for fifteen rounds In their
/ previous encounter. felt confident he
| could keep out of reach Of 1t again.
| But the Baltinorean was mistaken.
| for Hawkins suddenly whipped his left
| over to the Jaw Of the negro and Cans
hit the floor with great force.