The Washington herald., 1922-12-07
HOW KETCHEL
STARTED OUT
FOR HONORS
Peevish Johnny Norton Hoped
Joe Thomas Would Win, and
Lost His Undershirt.
By FRANK C. MENRE.
copyright. 1879. by King Features
Service Inc

Copyright 1922. by King Features
Service. IneD
6ST HE greatest thing about
Stanley Ketchel was his
almost unbelievable abil-
ity TO take punishment" declared
Jack Kearns. "If it hadn't been
for that Ketchel's career, instead
Of being one Of the most brilliant
the fstic world has ever known,
would have been ended almost as
soon as it began"
And then the man who now man.
ages Jack Dempsey, but, who, years
ago, handled fighters who battled
Ketchel, recounted some Of STAN
ley's deeds:
''Ketchel was az VIDE open az a
Nebraska prairie in Nhis earliest
days. 1t was no trick 20 ny hfaa
When he was yust starting. and
for quite a long time afterward.
men did hit him with everything
but the tops Of the Rocky Noun
tains. They'd floor him again
again-and again. But they couldn't
keep him there.
and sooner or later Ketchel
would get up and. with that fu-
rious, wild man attack OF his. bring
down the other fellow and go on to
victory.
BEAT HIM TWICE.
"I once managed a fighter-Mor-
ris Thompson-who fought Ketchei
twice in Butte. Mont. and beat
Stanley both times. Ketchel didn't
impress any one very much in those
days. and no one thought he'd go
very far along the pugilistic roads.
'Ketchel might have remained
an unknown IL Il hadn't been for
what might be called q freak break
in luck for him. II all came about
through his fight In Marysville,
Cal. with Bennie Hart. a negro.
mo one paid much atten ion to
the fight in that hick town. But il
happened that Johnny Norton. who
was one of the big men in boxing
affairs in San Francisco. was IN
Marysvflle al the time. He liked
Hart-and bet a big bunch of
money on Hart to beat Ketchel.
That fight was a thriller IL ever
there was one in pugilism. The
men started TO slug with the hang
Of the first gong and the air was
fun OF flying gloves. One of Harris
pile driver smashes caught Ketchel
on the jaw in that first round
and down he went.
BACK HE CAME.
But he was back on his feet
and slugging with the bell
They tore into each other like
wild men in the second. ripping
and smashing away at each other
with all the fury and the power
that was in them. In the third Ket-
chel caught Hart on the chin and
down went the negro. But he beat
the count.
so IL went until the seventh.
BY that time both men were near
10 collapse because Of the fearful
punishment each had taken. Ketchel
swung-a sort OF dying swing at
the staggering Hart. missed-snd
Hart, in noundering out OF the way,
happened to ram one to Ketchel's
jaw.
And down went Stan again.
CLIMBS TO KNEES.
As the referee was counting over
him. Ketchel climbed to his knees.
he tried to get TO an upright posi-
uon, but the power to lift his body
fully seemed TO have gone from
his arms and legs. But he lifted
II,
closed, nose smashed. blood cover
ed. staggering. wobhiine above him
You dirty, black skunk-vou
dirty skunk" muttered Ketchel
through lips swollen TO twice their
size. I'll get you yet-IT get YOU,
and Ill Kill YOU. D'ya year, I'm go
ing to kill YOU"
"As nine sounded. Ketchel, by
some superhuman effort. got 70 his
feet and toppled toward the bro
ken. bleeding negro. II was too
much for Hart. He turned, stag
cered 20 his corner-and n fused 10
fight further.
HE SOUGHT REVENGE.
That victory in itself wouldn't
have made Ketchel-or given him
the golden chance. The thing thar
made him was the fact that Nor
ton has lost on his bets 20 the
Marysville sports. They razzed
/ Norton-and il infuriated tho san
Franciscan. He swore to get re-
venge.
He went hack to Frisco. got Joe
Thomas. then ranking as the mid
dleweight champion OF the world.
took him TO Marysvflle. matchad
him with Ketchel and bet a COB on
Thomas TO win.
I'm the first round Ketchei hit
Thomas so hard that when Joe hit
the floor some folks though; an
earthquake had taken place. They
insisted that only one and onc-half
minutes OF the first round had gone
up to the moment that Thomas
went down. But when seven or
eight had been counted off and Joe
was still dead to the world. the
bell rang, ending the round.
1T may be explained that John
ny Norton, who had bet so heavily
on Thomas. and who was supposed
10 be Joe's manager. also was time
keeper for that fight.
THE showing Ketch made
against Thomas that night made
him a national sensation. The rest
is history. But in that history the
name OF Stanley Ketchel never NAV
have appeared II a man hadn't bet
against him and lost one night and
then sicked a worlds champion onto
him in the dual hope OF getting re-
NRnRa-and