The Washington times., 1923-07-24
PRESS BARRED
AS FIGHTERS
WEIGH IN
Secret Sealing" of Leonard
and Tender Brings
Criticism.

NEW YORK, July 24.-Ring ex-
perts today are convinced that the
| lightweight title was not at stake
when Lew Tender battled Benny
Leonard last night at the Yankee
Stadium. The weighing-in Of
Leonard and Tender took place at
o'clock yesterday afternoon at
the offices Of the Cromwell Athletic
/ Club, under circumstances which
caused no little criticism. Through
| a blunder, apparently, although
some said it was a pre-arranged
| plan, the press Wss barred from the
room, although all the regular box
ing writer's were in the building.
When the newspaper men were
finally admitted Leonard and Tend
Ter were dressed and preparing TO
pose for photographers.
On Sunday night the MANAGEMENT
OF the Cromwell A. C. announced
| that the men would step on the
scales at Philadelphia Jack"
OBrien's gymnasium, Fifty-second
street and Broadway. Lew Tender
and his party arrived there at 1
p. m. and the challenger undressed
and was given an alcohol rub
while he awaited the arrival of
Leonard and the representatives Of
the boxing commission, who were
to superintend this ceremony.
An army of newspaper men and
photographers blew in while Lew
was being rubbed. They waited and
then waited some more, but neither
Leonard nor the officials of the
boxing commission put in an ap-
pearance.
When the challenger had been
rubbed to the satisfaction of both
himself and his trainer, he re-
marked:
"We1l, as there amt anybody else
to weigh me guess I'll weigh my
self" He stepped on the scales and,
according to Jack O'Brien, who
manipulated the weights for him,
tipped the beam at exactly 1917
pounds. The official weight for
Tender, recorded later at the Cron1-
we'll A. c., was announced as 1881
pounds.
Tender had hardly stepped off
the scales at the gymnasium when
the phone rang informing him that
he was to weigh in at the offices of
the Cromwell A. C. in Forty-third
street. No explanation for this
change was given then or afterward,
although Leonard seemed to have
been informed Of it before he left
his house.
There was such a jam Of ticket
purchasers and persons anxious to
catch even a fleeting glimpse of
champion and challenger in Forty.
fourth street that an extra detail
Of police had to be called to clear
the thoroughfare. The fighters had
to battle their way to the building.
While Leonard and Tender were
being weighed, Jimmy Johnston,
matchmaker for the club, stood at
the entrance to the little private
office where the scales were and
refused to allow any newspaper
men in. He said the proceeding
was being handled by the boxing
commission, but didn't say that
the officials had ordered the press
barred.
When the weighing of both men
had been completed, Walter Hook,
representing the commission, rushed
out with the official figures and ap-
peared to be thoroughly indignant
at the way the newspaper men mad
been treated. He quoted the law
which permits representatives of
the press to witness the weighing OF
fighters, but by that time it was too
late.
1t will be recalled that when
Leonard and Tender weighed in
for their last fight, at Boyle's
Thirty Acres, the newspaper men
were barred by the Jersey COM
mission.
When Comm ssioner Hook
emerged to placate the press yes.
terday afternoon he had a printed
announcement in his hand which
gave Leonard's weight as 1S4 and
Tenders as 1881.