Evening star., 1932-01-12


1t may be their last chance to toss
bouquets Of expression at the Hon.
Charlie, for the boy from Baltimore is
going to be both Judge and Jury at fu-
ture boxing bouts in Alexandria.
Short is in a tough spot. Places
In this country where the referee
alone gives decisions are rare. IL
takes an exceptional ring arbiter to
satisfy the clouting customers. OF
all sports fans they are the most
critical and the most biased in their
views.
Heretofore the Judges helped to share
the burden of blame. With the fans
ire scattered three ways, 1t dimmed the
wrath showered upon each individual.
Short now stands up there alone. sure
to take few shafts of denunciation no
matter how just his decisions.
But Short has been taking bumps
for long Uhile, and kroW OF no
man mould rather see entrusted
tOtth the honor OF alone making boz
ing decisions than Charlie.
Name me the best half dozen boxing
arbiters in the country without includ-
ing Short and I'll tell you your guess is
wrong. I've seen the best of them, and
in so doing my appreciation for Short S
work has grown. Few spots in the coun-
try the size of the iourishing little Viz
ginia town of Alexandria can boast OF
being able to put its boxing decisions In
the hands Of referee Of Shorts type.
a~t.t q
referee for IL years. He has judged
amateur, service, professional and
Olympic tryout bouts. In all he has
refereed nearly $4,000 boxing bouts, a
record second to none in the world.
Digest those figures and you will
understand just how fortunate the
boxing officials of Alexandria, Va,
are in getting this fellow.
AS judge Olympic and service box
Ing bouts have watched Short at close
hand. He is the coolest keenest ham
dler Of men in the ring I've ever seen,
and I am dealing in no pollyanna
melarkey, either. He is young and he
Is honest. And when a referee can go
through nearly $4,000 boxing bouts
without having some one toss few
stones he Is unique
Do you knoD that the boy from
Baltimore handled 1000 college dual
boring meets and championship
clout1ng matches tDithout hdUtng to
call q foul? And do you kno1D that
q fighter has to be really touled be-
fore the blond from Baltimore DtH
dUdrd him the duke2
Bring out your best referees and pit
their record against Shorts and then
you will agree with me that here Is
championship boxing bouts and in de-
mand all over the country. But there
is provincial streak In this boy from
Baltimore, and he has been displaying
his talents around his fireside, with only
occasional trips to New York and Bos-
ton to handle amateur bouts.
Few fans here know that Short had
long meritorius ring career as a
lightweight. 1 met him in 1921, when
he came out Of the West, tired, after
13 years Of battling some Of the best
lightweights Of his time. He never
reached title status. He was just a
good, rugged lightweight who fought
everybody they picked for him.
He said at that time: "pve Just
had long talk with Charlie Short,
the fighter, and he tells me / better
quit while 1 am able! before some
younsster comes along and knocks
my block or"
Short then had fought since 1903
having totaled 800 fights. He lost 81
decisions, was stopped once when both
Jaws were broken and won the re-
mainder Of the fights by knockouts
and by decisions. There we're few
draws.
His fighting took place in the West
In barns, stables, ball parks and thea
ters. He had been up In the money
and down in the small change. He
would appear one night in a big arena
and the next evening in hen house.
| Shorts taws ,Dere broken during a
foht In Tulsa, Okla., In 1914. He
went through the f1ht Without leap
"a