Evening star., 1927-12-06

| NV to finish. / was % years
cid | had acquired lot
of boxing skill, although l
| didn't need much science, certalilS
not much defensive science.
was a quick, hard and accurate
nuncher. with plenty Of spring IN my
lega. 1t seemed almost Impossible to
hurt me seriously. at.
While training for the Soto hght'
met Sam Fitzpatrick in Danny Neeu,
| hams saloon in Oakland. TWO years
later Fitzpatrick became my manager
at Boston. He had Griffo there 10
foht .Johnnv Griffin. but they had a
row and split.
While l was at Frisco John l.. Sui
livan and Joe Choynski came nome
from Australia, where Sullivan had
been playing an unsuccessful theatrl-
cal engagement. A benefit was ar
ranged for Sullivan at the Paclnc
Club. and l went on the program.
| boxed Danny Needham four ROUNDS.
Sullivan was a warm frlenu ot
Billy Harrison. manager OF the cruz
and through Harrison | met Sullivan.
The champion saw me box Needham
and watched my fight with Soto. one
day he said to Harrison in my pres.
ence, This kid is going to be the next
lightweight champion
Soto and | met before an enormous
crowd. He was fiashy ana popuiar
boxer. We fought bloody battle. In
the early rounds, as usual. / took a
ma sting. But I kept everlastingly on
top of Soto.
About the twenty-fifth round l felt
the coast champion beginning TO
weaken. In the thirty first round ne
ui1it
Harry Jones. an English boy then
living in Seattle, who had been night
ing i'm this country several years. was
a favorite in the Northwest. He had
RECENTLY fought hard engagements
with Pixie Johnson and Jimmie Muir
phy. Portland. Greg. promoters Of
fered me a match with Jones. l ac'
cepted. Again 1t was for nnlsn
| fight.
NV brother Billy and l got word or
the death Of our younger brother,
| John. It was a shock to me and !
quit training. However. l knocked
Jones cold in the eighth round. The
referee who counted Jones out was
lack Dempsey, the original Nonpareil.
| who, in his prime, was the greatest
middleweight the ring ever produced.
NV next important engagement was
with Eddie Meyers. brother OF Billy
| Meyers. the famous "Streator Cy'
clone" We meat at Dana. ILL.,. in 1898.
| The weight was 122.
! There had been a lot OF opposition
| to the fight. and warrants were out
| for us while we were in the ring. The
sheriff was a sport, and wanted to see
| the fight. He waited until it was over
to serve the papers.
DOdging the Cops.
I got news of the warrants while
| the fight was going on. In the twenty
second round / hung knockout on
| Meyers chin, and ran for shelter from
| the sheriff. / managed to avoid arrest
then.
For two years I lodged the police
| supposed the thing was forgotten
| But when I went to Roby by way OF
| Chicago to fight Young Critic ! was
arrested. and it cost me more to keer
out of Jail than I got for beating
| Meyers.
That Griffo match fell through be
cause Gov. Matthews of Indiana. or
dered out the State militia to prevent
Critic and me from battling. The sol
diers had enough gatling guns pointed
| at the clubhouse to kill all the fight
ers on earth.
Critic and I stayed around Roby
two weeks. hoping for an.opportunity
to meet but in the end we had tc
! give it up.
| I went back to Saginaw and opened
a saloon. Critic got busy at Chicago
| with his dazzling science and became
a boxing sensation at the old Battery
| D ArmOry. He made monkeys of such
| crafty ringsters as Tommy. White. Ike
| Weir, Solly Smith and Johnny Var
Heest. There were times when these
| experienced boxers would be swing
| ing at the air with Critic behind them
| A Chance at Critic.
| had a strong itch to try my fists
| against such marvel, but it was not
| to be for several months.
In the meantime l had beaten Billy
| Gaffney in 10 rounds at Detroit. Dick
O'Brien in six rounds at Boston and
Stanton Abbott in four rounds al
Providence.
In February. 1894. came my first
chance to get into ring with Young
| Critic. We were matched for eight
rounds at Chicago. George Siler was
the referee.
| Griffo's science was q revelation.
had never seen such speed with hands
feet and head.
For the first two rounds I thought
all of Griffo's seconds were in the ring
helping him.
For the love of Mike" said to my