Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-20


We heard that Battling Nelson was
going to Hot Springs, Ark, for a rest,
so we decided to disturb that rest.
We landed in town with as much
noise as possible. He agreed to fight
Maxwell to cut down the Spring
overhead. My Sammy was going
sweetly until the 18th round, when
Nelson raped him in the belly and
out went the light O. my life-too
many Alaskan beans and too great a
lapse since his last plate of them.
Bat Came Back.
Charley Haughton had a big saloon
there and had fitted up a gymnasium
in the back of it. They wanted to
give Nelson the acid test and asked
Charley McKeever, celebrated
fighter of the time, to do the testing.
He Knocked Nelson down so many
times that they lost count, but he fail
ed to keep him down and, in the end,
Nelson got up and knocked McKeever
kicking. They branded Bat a world
beaten then and there. l shipped to
st. Louis and began to train with Abe
Attell. worked with him for the
Benny Yanger fight. one of the
fiercest I ever saw in the ring.
1t was to have been decided at the
end OF the 18th, but they ordered FIVE
18th.
From there I went back to San
Francisco. l Joined AL Neill, Biddy
Bishop, Louis Long and Aurelio
Herrera. Then, with Long and
Herrera, toured the northern part
of the country. We'd fight, wrestle
or manage each other as the occasion
demanded. Those were exciting days
Herrera, Mexican, was the terror
among the hitters. He was meeting
all corners for us and poor All Conner
didn't last long, no matter what
town we hit. Herrera would spin
them on their heads in no time at all.
When one is counting the hardest
hitters of all time. 1t is well to re-
member this fellow. He could punch.
Herrera Real Hitter.
1t didn't make any difference to
Herrera who the man was or what he
weighed when / dug up ."all comers'
for him. Never lick of real training
would he do. Firewater was his pas.
sion and half picked he was better
than ever, a rattler in human form.
You ask Battling Nelson to this day
which man of all that he met hit him
the hardest and Bat will instinctively
rub his head and say Herrera"
In their bout of 20 rounds at Butte,
Mont, Herrera hit Nelson on top of
the head with a wild swing and Mel
son spun through the air like a pin.
wheel. He didn't stop Nelson, but he
all but caved in his head. You can
readily understand why l didn't linger'
long as a substitute 'all conner"
against that fellow. There were
easier ways of making a living, though
at the time / didn't think even F'itZ-
simmons himself could stop or even
hurt me with a punch. You know.
Now and then I'd enter into a real
match for myself and when / look
back at some of the purses / got for
my victories. it makes me crack laugh
ing right out loud. Frequently 1 got
no more than $3.50 for my bit. / was
quite elated on the night when SO
was dropped into my hands for having
finished a tough, big logger in three
rounds. With us it wasn't money.
Achievement and the spirit of adj
venture kept us going.
Managing job Grew.
l. took to managing more now.
had Fritz Holland, Kid Scaler, Indian
Joe Gregg, Freddie Weeks, Me- rice
Thompson and Tommy Reilly on my
string and there was plenty of action.
/ brought Kid Scaler and Reilly down
into San Francisco, where Scaler
knocked out Billy Snailum in seven
rounds and Reilly was stopped by
Young Peter Jackson in eight. In
those days, a $500 house was a bang
UP success, though my string grad
ually got to playing before houses
that had gates Of $1,000 to $500.