The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-06-17
Registered U. s. Patent Oflice)
By JACK CUDDY Limited Press Staff Correspondent

By JACK CUDDY
 United Press Staff Correspondent
 New York, June IT - (U.P0 - Lady Luck has been good to Billy Petrolle, the old Fargo Express the Indean -beaked battler who wore 8 Chippewa blanket into the ring for 12 long years - who gave the customers such @ run for their money in every one of his 255 pro- fessional fights that the melody of his mauling fingers fingers on, a decade after his retirement.
 Pugilism's respect for Petrolle was expressed in thunderous fashion Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, where he fought so often and so magnif1cently in the olo days. When he was introduced be- fore the Armstrong g-Davis bout, the fans almost shook down the jernt' with their cheers.
 Betting Billy, visiting in New York for the first time in nine years, said T was SO surprised at the cheering that my knees almost buckled. I got butterflies in my belly. I thought New York fans had forgotten me completely, after 10 years. Anyway, it was mighty fine feeling when they told me so loudly that they re- membered. I'm a pretty lucky guy"
 Chatting with the 39-year-old ex- gladiator at the Hotel New Yorker last night, the solid, middle-sized man with the sparse black hair grayed at the templeS-said, speak ing of luck, look: I come to N. Y, where you can hardly get room; and look at this swell suite they gave me; and look at the number on the door-711. Seven come eleven!
 Petrolle, who hammered out more than $25o,000 with his fists, now owns a steel plant in Duluth, Minn It manufactures material for ship yards. Different from most pugilists of the roaring twenties, Billy saved his money and invested it wisely Today he is head of his own plant happily married, and the father O. two attractive daughters-Kathleen 16, and Joann, 8. His cup is over flowing; and he thanks luck anc the fight game for it.
 The man in the brown suit-th' man with the slightly scared brows Indian beak and permanently cracked lower lip-continued, If had my life to live over, wouldn' have done any different. I wa! working as a car checker at Fargt North Dakota) in the Northern Dooi6o ,,ordc at e1On O y,ooY,tb uyaS offered $60 to fight fellow iron out of the state. That was two weeks salay; so I took the offer. Il was the first time ever pulled on boxing gloves. was lucky; wor --so I kept on fighting; and I go the grandest manager any boxer ever had-Jack Hurley. He did won- ders for me. He later tied my righi hand to my side, and forced me tc develop a left. which the experts said was pretty good. Anyway, went on fighting and making money.
 T had only gone to the seventh g-cGe z. ecnaol If I hadn't taken to fighting, today I'd probably have advanced to a yard clerk in Fargo at $l50 a month. Oh, I'll tell you, was lucky"
 The last time Petrolle fought wal on January 24. 1884. when Barney Ross-then lightweight champion gave him such a licking at the New York Coliseum that he retired. In- cidentally that was the first fight Mike Jacobs ever promoted.
 Concerning some of the men he fought - Bat Battalino was the greatest all-around fighter he ever met. despite Bats receptive awk- wardness. He had everything" Jimmy McLarnin was the most over rated man he encountered. "McLar- min always wanted a big weight ad- vantage, and he couldn't punch or box like the writers said" Tony Canzoneri was a grand fighting man; bue he couldn't take 1t like Battalino.