New Britain herald., 1930-03-04
JACK BRETON A SHRINKING VIOLET
Former WelterWeigbt Champion
 Once a Resident Of This City

] members JACK bElIlOll well, but re- members the former worlds wclter- weight champion not as warrior but rather as q timid and shrinking youth.
 Jack comes to Hartford Thurs day to fight Ali Schcll. formerly Of Germany, and news of his signing for this bout here has set New Brit ain men, who were Jacks contem- poraries as youngstcr in the Hardware City, to talking of his boy 1 hood there.
 Britton, whose real name is Will liam Bresln, was born at Clinton N. r., and was brought to New | Britain by his parents when he was but an infant. He lived in New Brit ain more than q dozen years, leaving | there when he was If years old, the elder Breslin deciding to try his luck in Chicago.
 A prominent local man who Was eager to talk of the former worlds Champion's days there gave hi, i rccollcctions of Jack Britton as | l Hardware City boy and it is inter. csting reading.
 Jack lived here all of l2 years he said. "Ot course, he was ther ! just boy like all of Us and, mol having become famous as yet Wa} known under his right namc, Whicl was Willie Breslin.
 He went to school here witt many who are now prominent mel | in this city, and, believe it or not he was known as the most tinliC kid in the neighborhood there WaI nothing about him to indicate tha' he would one day be a world. champion in q game requiring fight. ing ability-aud courage.
 He lived for while in "Nigge, Hill" one of the toughest sections in the city, and it was there that h. learned, of necessity, how to use hi! fists.
 Jack had a brother named Frank who labelled Jack yellow belly and this none too satisfactorI a nickname stuck to him, all tn, other boys taking it up.
 Willie Brcslin had to take many a lacing as I youngstcr down hero il those days, but he began to lcarl how to take care of himself and 10 ward the end Of his making hi' home here. the other kids began tC find him not so soft as formerly That always inspires respect and ] was so with Jack. Before his famil, packed up and left for Chicako, h' had been accepted as O. K. by th' gang and was as good as any O them in street warfare
 This narrator says that it was il Chicago that Brilton made his dcbu as q boxer. In reply 10 the usua query of the announcer, he said My name is Willie BrcSliu and Tn from New Britain. Conn"
 That was too much so the an. nouuccr introduced him as J&c) Britton. And so it has been thfougi a long career. diamond studded witl victories over most of the good mol of his days,
 Jack Britton has been away iron New Britain so long that he is no generally associated now with th' Hardware City. but even as he ha changed his home town from tim' to time, the Hardware City stil holds claim to him.
 Jack came back to the Hardwar, City nearly 10 years ago and boNe' in an exhibition bout at an afiai staged by the Knights of Columbus
 New Britain will be well repre- scntcd st the ringside Thursda, nigh as the crafty veteran, now il the shadowy lane between 40 ant 80, steps out to pit his boxing skill and ring generalship against the de vastating punches Of the youthful German.
 Last winter. down at Miami, Jacl was there for the Strihing -Sharkc bout. 1t Was ill Florida that Brit tons comfortable fortune tool wings and the suspicion Wonld l. that he would not care 10 revisit 'h scenes of 90 uuch misfortune, bu there he was and, apparently, cu . joying himself
 Britton has always been an ont standing example of clean living an he has always been very jealous o his good name.
 A New York physician, who was a Miami tor the battle last year, tol of an incident that Illustrated jus that.
 He said ho had some of the stu . that cheers duo 10 arrive at Milan , and when word came that it wa . there he asked Jack 10 drive dow , 10 the station to l;ol il. Jack was willing to loan his Ca ! for thn moving party lu Wouldu go along himself. lie said he Ma
 unwilling 10 run tn" risk Of bas OF the good name of Brttou.