The Washington times., 1921-01-06

So the crowd opened it's
throat in unmercenary rapture. The
King was dead-cursc him!-and long
live the Battling One! For ten min
utest after the determining blow, hell
was lidless.
but more touching still in
that near corner was Old Man. Britt,
pillowing the gore-fecked head of his
heretofore undefeated first born. He
bent his body over his broken son and
made of his back shield against the
flying cushions.
AS well as fake the prize ring has
it's tragedy, and one sees ii with
CHASTITY vividness at the ringside.
During the fiercest rounds, Mr.. Britt
was the only man that stood in the
great open-air auditorium. Others
that attempted to keep their feet were
Kissed and cussed down.
THE OLD MAN STOOD.
But the Old Man stood, and even
tt ose directly behind made no muir
muir. He stood with his black hat in
his hand close against his black coat,
like a mourner at a funeral. When
big Dean Naughton turned and said,
Nothing but miracle can save
Britt" the foreboding was echoed in
the face of the father. When he said:
IT'S all over now for Jimmy; we have
only to wait for the rounds" the Old
Mans mouth was working with every
blow and his breathing was hopeless
ness against hopelessness.
Before the finale came, the Senior
Britt had surrendered. To have taken
his game youngster out of that padded
square, he looked as though he would
have given one plumbing shop and
some flats.
l.
beaten only after he had been lifted
to his corner. It's pity that such
grit has to be sold in the market
place for purses and per cent. It's
crime against what we are pleased
to call civilization.
Some OF the spectators should have
been excluded. They were women. A
few Of them looked like decent wo-
men. but the most gave token of be-
ing jaded jades in search of some new
torment for their sagging nerves.
Hoots OF mock applause properly met
the entrance OF each.
NOT A POLITE ANIMAL.
Man at prizefght is not n polite
animal. In fact he has no politeness
at all and is much more animal than
man.
If we must have the fighter
in drama, let him be dramatized ac-
curately cit him have Spider
Kelly In his corner screaming:
That's the candy, Jimmy! once
more he bleeds! Draw more of the
claret; l like to see It run! Go in,
you tiger, you, and finish him before
he faints on your shoulder"
I admit ladies. that this sounds
brutal. but 1t Is only scented YER
sion of what actually happens at tho
ringside.
am not depreciating the
courage of Battling Nelson. No one
can but admire the sand and strength
and skill of him. There were times
when his Greek body seemed to he
stung through and through by the
merciless logging from Britts left.
But invariably Nelson returned for
more. He had rounds to spare, yet.
like Britt, he wanted no boxing. The
man that called this n boxing match"
was a merry Jester. | will leave IL to
the experience OF Otto Floto and Bill
Naughton II a harder, bloodier battle
has ever been fought in the vision
of paying spectators.
WOMEN AT RINGsIDE.
II we must have the ring
on the stage, give us the real sur
roundings; the telegraph instruments
the worried correspondents
and IL we must have the
prize fight on the stage, give us an
actor to play the part OF a Naughton,
so that in one Of those deadly
climaNcs where the tension Of the
crowd is too great for clamor, when
what Jack London calls the blood
cry" Is checked in the throats. then,
say, give US Naughton on the
stage. talking like photograph TO
his telegrspher. "A-couple-of-