The Washington times., 1923-10-24
FIFTEEN DOLLARS HUGE
PURSE WHEN DE FOREST
STARTED BOXING


By JAMES (JIMl
When 1 got to America, which
came up for air and food out of
bling from a petty officer, after W
glad to find me becaue kid helper
l had no trouble landing, for
birthplace New York. l did SOM
ton officers that convinced them
days later I had connected up W
performer. Somebody who knew
me and write them, and then it
again.
/ took a job as chambermaid
monkeys. On the side sold
freaks pictures. When winter cal
Back of my head all the tin
boxer. From time to time in th
Davenport Brothers had been in
Forests. They did burlesque bo
1t was because they knew box.'
ing mighty well that they could
clowR it so successfully. Their act
would be funny to children and
women, but twice as funny to any
spectator who knew anything Of
the game. Their stuff would send
sports" into Mysteries.
] had pestered the life out or
them to show me some real stuff,
and when they found I was game
to take a drubbing in order to
learn, took q genuine interest In
showing me the main points OF
attack and defense.
When winter came and the cir
Gus closed was all keyed up to
try and see what I could do in a
real scrap. And had been told
oil tho fiOhfinp
] wanted If was looking Tor II.
This was in the Bowery days.
Every night Of the week, with
O longer, more important card on
Saturdays, fights were held in
the big back rooms Of OWney
GeOghegan's and Harry Hills re-
sorts. We fought in a small size
ring where there was no chance
to run away from the other fell
low if you didn't like his stuff.
You'd have to take il anyway.
FOOtwOrk didn't count for much
In those rings. And you couldn't
staII-nOt if you expected to get
any money for the nights work.
You fought for no set price, but
only for what the favor of the
crowd that watched you might be-
stow. When the scrap was done
you and the other fellow scrambled
1or what coin was thrown into the
ring.
And you had to make every bout
q whale OF a battle If you expected
to cop anything worth while at the
end of it. If you had licked your
man you hogged most of the show
er Of coin, or the other way about
at.
I took some fine hastings I was
pretty young and usually had to go
up against heavier boys. But was
willing enough and the crowd liked
that and sometimes some sport
would shove me a greenback as
special reward for gameness. Any
time one of US came away with as
much as SIS out Of a battle it was
q big night.
Fight managers hadn't come in.
70 existence. There were no
shrewd sporting men Of
the type Of Kearns, Harry Pol
lock, william A. Brady, Billy
Madden and so forth TO take q
Lad ON his string, engage him .
trainer and quarters and work to |
bring the best in him out.
If you were good enough to at
tract attention you acquired q |
hacker. In England such hackers |
were usually young noblemen OF
sporting tendencies. In New York |
and elsewhere in America, it would |
be some resort-keeper or politician,
wealthy contractor or perhaps q |
racing man who would take you
under his wing, get you a trainer, |
supply bed and board and then |
fight you for a big bet.
If you won you got a slice-just |
O slice. II you lost, you were
likely to find yourself shucked off
without a cent and no place to
eat or sleep. Fighters worked un-
der about the same system as jock
eys in those days.
Butting around in Hills, Geoghe-
gan's and q place in Blocker
street, can't remember the pro-
prietor's name or what the place
was called-under the name Of Kid
Woods, I met my first prize fighter
Of consequence, Pete Mccoy. It
was another McCoy-the Kid him
self-who was to bring me into my
first important prominence as a
trainer.
But this Mccoy taught me. He
taught me a lot both about the use
body and, liking my aptitude, took
near Bridgeport that was q fight
erg' camp.
a