New Britain herald., 1926-12-16
(BY JOE WILL1AMS)

New York. Dec. l6.--ToN Eickard, the promoter, sat in his office iii Madison Square Garden the other morning digostins the sport pag-s of the metropolitan dailios, q
 With a long. black cigar screwed into his teeth and his eyes scanning tho endless columns Of type with Q quiet, fixed interest, the promoter read an account of what the boys call lsric upset that had occurred tho night before out in Cleveland.
 An unknown lS3-pounder by the name of Billy Wallace had knocked out Louis Kid" Kaplan, former feathcrweight champion of the world, in five rounds.
 Funny how these kids you never heard of come along every once in q while and knock off the stars" drawlcd Rickard, not without q slight trace of annoyance. because he had been figuring on sending kaplan against Sammy MandcN, the light weight champion, in an indoor battle during the winter.
 Wallace oughtn't be an unknown 10 RicSard of all persons. for it so happens that Wallace was born right next door to Rickard up in the ice country twenty-three years ago.
 This was early in the present cen 'ury. when Rickard was living at Dawson, Alaska, during the gold rush. Tn those days he was member of picturesque community of prospactors, merchants, gamblers, Coldiers Of fortune and plain. un- vanished, nomadic buns
 Rickard and his first wife lived in q little house not less than boots throw from what passed as the heart Of Dawscns commercial and speculative center.
 Next door lived the Wallacos, father, q mother and q baby. The father was Of Spanish dosccnt. The mother q Scotch English girl. The baby bluo-eyed boy
 The Wallacns didn't finger in Dawson long. They moved 10 Port land, Ore, when baby Billy was about year old. Later they shifted 10 San Francisco. II was in the coast city that Wallace was first lurrd by the charms of the esthetic sport of nose spreading and ear ruffling
 H. worked in q gymnasium. The
 
 Frankie Burns, q retired professional 1 al. Burns was good enough in his day 70 battle against the champions. A1 Wolgast and Burns, for instance, Nal a couple Of hard fights. Burns taught Wallace the groundwork of tine game. and showed him how 10 hit.
 Wallace today is a standout con- tender for the lightweight cham pionship ana mainly because he is a great hitter. He dropped kapidn with a right 10 the chin that didn't travel more than six inches. Six inches of death" they are calling bis punch now. The blow landed with such speed and ahrGptncss few at the ringside saw it.
 In a previous fight Wallac" dropped Babe Herman, one Of the tOp-notchers of the game, with the same punch and in the same way, not once. but four times. Had he been more experienced he would have knocked the Portuguese boy out. Wallace lcarns quickly. Fac iHS similar situation against Kap- Ian. he made sure Of his knockout. completely hattening his foeman.
 Patsy Haley refereed the Kaplan fight. Haley Is one of tho best referees in America today. I know of none better. Haley was i'm pressed by Wallace's finishing blows. It's a trick to keep q caGey fighter on inc floor" says Haley, "KapIan Is all of that Yot Wallace bounced him back 10 the canvas each time he got UT. and finally kept him there"
 Wallace is in Inc for a cham riorship bout with Mandell He isn't the boxer Nanie'l is, nor the rtn@ general, but he,i five times th.