Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-07-28

maze of talk and smoke greeted John
had learned that he need only fight
one opponent. at a time, and he knew
that leather gloves were far less dam
aging than brass knuckles. His point
Of view was typical Of his experience.
Generally he got five dollars for a
! fight, not an inconsiderable amount,
and here he might earn fifteen.
"But you got to win. Remember it,
| John, you got to win to cop the big
money" John and Sol were being
pushed along a narrow aisle to the
ringside as Gilbert and the Judge took
their seats, chatting with the Nc
! Manus. Blue smoke lifted in the air,
drifting in flat wells like unsteady sau-
| GERS of mist. "A hum of talk rose be-
tween the scraps. 1t was a male audi
ence; it was a time of hard heroic
fighting. A hush fell over the hall as
the announcer appeared. John had
! climbed into the ring, and a million
fierce little eyes, terribly close togeta-
er, in pairs, seemed to be boring At
him from all sides of IN endless void,
Immediately about him, under
streaming light, was stark reality.
1.-THE next bout, gentlemen, an |
hope it will be a bout, There was a
slight pause filled with boos and jeers
lis between the stout man
| under the floodlight in the center of
the ring brought a piece Of paper clos
er to his eyes-"is between Rasper
Jorgan," he waved his hand toward
a corner of the squared circle-a
dark-skinned muscular youth rose to
the introduction, grinning at the
crowd, known as the 'Polack Won
DER and"-his other hand pointed &C
cusingly at John Breen-'and Fight
ing L~ipvitch!"
The fighters had their bandages ex-
amined. The gloves were adjusted
The stools were pulled from the corn
ers. All but the retire. left the ring.
The fighters shook hands. The gong
sounded. They were off, shufflins
above the resined canvas. The COLI
white light pelted down on them
: Their bodies glistened, like animate
I specimens on some monster operatin
table. The calls of the crowd rol
more violent than ever. The Polac
Wonder was picked to win. Cries o
Kill the white-washed kyke! KnocI
his block off! Bust him up! Mix 'er
Kill him!" interspersed with oaths
, greeted the senses Of John, reelin|
backward from a hard blow on tn
nose. The warm salty blood tricklin|
over his lips, sucking into his mouth
filled him with an ungovernable rage
dancing before his narrowed eyes he
saw the thing he wa after, a crue
| fighter who, in those red moments
epitomized the enmity Of man.
During the first minute Of tn
round, as the fighters, by their &C
tons, revealed a lack of science, man,
. Of the audience turned their backs t.
, the ring, preferring to discuss mat
tiers of greater interest while await
ing the main event of the evening,
: much touted bout between thlrd-rat
: heavies. But, as the Rasper drew blood
! and the fighting kyke showed spunk
the fans, alert on the instant, turne'
back to the ring. The TERED seats an
r the gallery bent over, glued to thei
Y chairs and benches. The mephitic ali
heavy with stale tobacco and foul wit
|, the fumes Of whiskey breath, vlbrat
ed under the impact of tight fight
. ing gloves pummeling human flesh
The Rasper landed again and agair
then John, seeing an opening drov
his hard right to the chin and lal
y bare the lower teeth of the Polacl
Dark blood oozed from the cut Ii
t in a sluggish stream. A quick left t
the jaw, partly blocked by the RasI
e er, spattered blood wei both fighter:
the gong sounded the end Of II
round. Cheers rose from the ringsid'
-, cat calls and boos mingled with tn
din. The stamping Of feet and tt
dust and smoke that lifted above tt
crowd attested their approval. The
d were getting blood and action te
their money.
! Stools were showed into the rim
and the Rasper wa rushed to his corr
er. A towel tosser, gulping lare
mouthfuls Of water from a bottl
b sprayed the contents over the face an
body. of his man, while W. othe
massaged his arms and legs, and advi
a ers from the Greenpoint section viii
h pered breathless instructions for tt
continuation of the battle. Bets we
81 ~orf1c