BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 23

BOXING

by 'Aeneas"

FIGHTING BUTCHERS

THE TRADE'S QUOTA

bahe'-knucklr days

It is. strange the nu'nib.eivof prominent prize-fighters who havc;beeii butchers by trade.,.. Amoiig. niaiiyV«'|iosc : names arc writ large- in. '■ tlie'/.annals . of - British fisticuff's is'Y.Jleiiry-' ••'Pearce, better known as the ; "Ganie' Chicken." And Poarce was'only one of-a long line of "fighting butchers."'' -.': In addition ,to contributing more-first-class bruisers to the ring than the ■members of any other trade, butchers;,appear, to have had .an exponent of fisticuffs:.'as-far back as 1687. Intlie:"Protestaut.Mercury" of January in; that year' we read :— '' Yesterday a' match of boxing • was performed before his Grac.e the Duke. • of Albemarle;'between,the duke's footman and a butcheri' Tli'e latter won tho prize, as he, hath cloiie many before, being accounted,, though but. a little man,' nie'best-at'-that;'.exercise in' England." .: ..,', •■;■• ;,;,'; , * King George;, IV.jvwlien -Prince of ■Wales, was.proiid'.'of..'His .fighting prowess, and often.told..the story of his "mill" with'.a-big.butcher^of Brighton . who had offended, His 'i-lighuess when . out with his' harriers.,. The pair were said to have'fought-if .but'-'with' the members of the:-hunt", forming a ring and seeing .fair. play.;... -The.-battle was stated to have lasted 'one' hour and twenty minutes, ■ahd-Hhe ' .butcher to have .been, carried-, awayi senseless. •■■••. The first professional;, stage fighter who was also ja ''"Knight of- the Cleaver," to ;get..,rnto;.prominence, was Thomas: Cook,_the:.sqii-: of.'.a'Gloucester butcher, who attaihe,d.;:-mjich '.proficiency as a boxer and; singlestick player,' and jouraeyed to Lond6n,:'.where he exhibited liis skill .in both;;branches of sport. At that.:period^Mayfklr;Zwas.a 'place greatly .'fre'quentedv,-by;'stage -fighters, as pugilists werei,thcn:'c'ailed,'.and . i-oguos and .vagabonds'of r/both'; sexes. These gatherings. became;'' jsiieh •:a t.. menace to public decency th&vf:Qu'e,on 'Aline, issued her proclamation ■■fb.f/.the-suppres.sion of vice and immorality,Vwith fa; particular view to -th:is!;fair; lfin-', consequence of ■ wli ich the justices ;,bf i tpeace..]ssiie(l their warrant •, to tlie'lii'gH'.; "constable,"-.' who summoned aii;theanfefibr;'cpiistablcs to his assistance. •Wh'eii'.:these.'officers of the law came to,suppress, the fair, Cook, with a niob of about'-thirty soldiers and other persons, ..sto'qd.^'.in : < defiance of them. Cook, as\tiie:jingieader ' of; the rioters, 'drew '.tiis>;:sYro'rd ■ and' attacked Cooper, one. of(the'i'c'p'nstables, -ivlio was ■ Very persistent'infcarryiii'g: out Ins duties. After; a brief-struggle;. Cook stabbed his bpp'ongnt'^'in-vthe stomach, and the .constable'; succunibed'to: the injury four clays, 1 lateri:.' Hereupon, Cook fled to ■where; :liis, bullying pro- 1 ponsitios gotUi'im 1 into'■.trouble. 'Entering as public-house'one-.night he ciialInnged '■ any ■'mah-ipr^sent ;.to ; fight ■ him, either with -'.the 'fists, or >^broadsword: .Upon..- the 'landlord.censuring him- for liis coiuluct .CQpk,:bWsted: of i'tho.spart he had '.takeii; in'; the:;. Mayfair . . riot.; Cook, having-i-epcate'dly;-"talkca in this boasting and .insoldnt'. manner, „was at length takenjant6.'.'"eustody' '• and;'coiiveyed to Chester,- I.whence <he was removed by writ-;of>, habeas.corpus tp- . London; 'and, .being '', 'tried.'.at. the Old Bailey, was ■ convicted.', and received , sontence. of .ideath.v v Having .■roeeiyed the sacrament*■ on ;;.21si''"Jiily,''.1703, ''lie ' was takeii ;frpm_ rfcwgatp.to. .Tybuni,' but wlien'.'heVgoti to 'High Holboni, 1 op-. . posite Blobmsburyj/.a^vrepricvo: till ;tlie following'Triday. awaited; him. On his return to' Newgate ; ,li'e .was visited by numbers'of,-his^acquaihtance's, Who rejoiced at his narrbw I.:escape.' On the ■Friday, he received/aiiothor'respiteuntil , 11th August,..wheii;-. ho' v was "turned, off" at Tyburn^inJ'the? proseneeof aii immense crowd.' 'A,riot was.created by . a,, number of "h'is.o'ia, "a'ssbeia'tes, ■ with the object of rescuing 'him,', but ;t)ic hangman ; andv;his; assistants hurried through the-execution whilst' the con- , stables and soldier's kept.the .in6b away from the gallows.;: .',■,'. Champion-of-England. ■ \ Jack. Slack, iofi.Nprwichj-Avas the first'butcher. - prize-fighter to ■'" win the ■ championship, of;'. England. .Slack appears to. have j'been,;what would nowadays be termed'a; wrong 'un,. as,' not' only- did bo sell fightsjir? ;which ho was taking part, but assisted'in the arrango- . Mont of' other ,"cros's';'-.affairs of the, knuckles. . He'; gpt'liis;., title through beating honest;. Jack : Broughtoh, the waterman. The-Duke Vof Cumberland thereupon transferred,, his. patronage from BrougHton' 'toiSJaek, i who, in his turn, was depriv.ed... of, the;championship by Bill Stevens,'" 'the /nailer;. The "Butcher Duke of Culloden," as ho was then called"'by"his^'enemies, lost £10,000 by; the /.defeat-; ofSlack; and never afterwards 'backed .a' pugilist. After his defeat by .Stevens,'Slack returned to- liis'■ business, as. ;, a butcher," near Covent- Garden market;.and, being a public man, thecuriosity/of the people in going to seo!a'great:pugilist,brought, him considerable.custom."He rather rejoiced in what, he-^ termed ."giving thet natives . a small; taste, "■•which meant that he. enjoyed' .- shoeing .up" a yokel when circumstances. -igavii him the opportunity. ■'. At;.avcountry.'-.fair i-in' Essex oneday, he-aSrbritedia'"Johnny Baw," who, being a.-.spirited;, young fellow, conveyed: a;straightSleffchander: to -the

champion's nose,'which'laid,him on his back. Taken by'-surprise,'.the'Norwich', butcher, upoiv regainuiglbis foot, crowdfid in blows .'.with.'-batiH-. liyncls, but found that tho- rustic know; more."-than the average .countryman about ' the science of boxing. Slack was disconcerted thereat, and, upon ihis opponent placing him flat for. the.secoiul time, excliiniicd: ""What! ■Achaw-.bncon attempt, to beat Jack Slack! " His! opponent was thrown off his.'.guard and tho butcher, sailing in, gained a, victory. •''Terrible Jew.. Tamed. j Dutch Siiin/'-'tlie 1 Terrible [Jew," one oli the greatest jiugilistsi'iylipsc names have graced the:pages of, sp'pfting-jour-nals, onel, met more than his ■match in a casual turn-up with-a -•.butcher. He was training if or aiiight 'in/May, 1805, and was passing across "Wimbledon Common, from Thames .Dittpii to London, when lie met a man, with whom lie had words,.and -purposely fixed a quarrel upon him. The.result, however, did not pan out as Sam expected, for' the strength 'and resolution.- of the ■jvielder of the'cleaver, over tho science of the. Je.wish iighter, who was felled like a bullock '■ in every round. One olSam-'sifrieiujs, in. order to intimidate the. butcher,; told him that he was contending...: the, famous Dutch Sam, who up, to .'then .had not been beaten. ' Unlike Slack's bucolic opponent, -the-niau of .bloo.d ,was in no way affected.' ' .''Be lie "the Devil," said the butcher, ■' ' I'll-;bang him well now I am afrit';'—an.d so.Jie did.. It transpired that, .thp'name'io'f.-this.gallant piece of fighting,'material .was James Brown, who was in business ..at "Wandsworth. . : : ■■.■■'■. ■ ■- ■'■.' On 3rd April, 1817,' Abraham,Belaseo, another famous' Hebrew "pugilist, beat Jack Playne,. the butcher, after a contest Of 17 minutes, at'Moulsey Hurst. Payne, out of. eight battlcs'-in' the ring, only won two of .them. He was accused of being, deficient :in: gain en ess. ;'■ L Henry Pearce liad.a'short but brilliant career-in, the ring. .During thetwo years and four months which .constituted' the period: of ,his fisticfactivi-; ties, he fought and ;won six' battles against the best men in' England, including Jem . Belcher, andVJohn. Gully, both of' wliom, like "himself, 1 were but-: chcrs.. : ... f... .... •,. . : .x After Jem Belcher 'met, with- an. ac-: cidont at.the ,Eacquet Court, by which: ho lost an .eye,"he.induced Pearce, .whowas known as ''t]ie:.Game Chicken,", to : journey', to -. London, _by ./promising, to! -use his influence'^ advance him in the '' milling. profession., It :•; happened^ that at that- timeV.'Joe Berks, another ' butcher wlio -hailed-, f roni 'Shropshire,i had designs;'upon : -.the cjiampionship. Being very oilensi.ve^.in.-his >cUps," he! irisultod.ihe nesy. arriyal fronr.thc West.' An off-hand match.'■■■between, them -was at once :n'.\ed.:up,- 'and 'they, fought; by candle light, between'eleven a.hd:twelvo: at ..night, in i''.a!''room ;■ in; Sf:' Martin's street,. Londpn.,;.in. .the,; prcsenco of a. number, of .Corii^thiani.patronsi'of pugilism. The Jigfit! was,'b'f-;!a-;..dcspe"ratb' character, andy-blooil.' bespattered the coats,; vests, .and', cr'avatsjof; many .of ■ the spectators'...'-lined^up ' against f the walls. Fifteen-Grounds' ;wer'e -registered , in twenty miiiutes,,!, at'the •-end. of .wliich Berks, .was-:so':-'badly, stupefied ■> that, his seconds; gave'in'"for, him. H;e was: badiyi punished, whereas- ..'tli'e" victor.-showed few marks, .and:Oret'urnecV:to'.hi s 'lodgings little the;worso: : fq'r wear. : ' Pupil Beats Masteiy:'.; -1.: •■.■3 ■■ -'..'.■■; Berks had' many.'faults,,-but.'coward-ice was not amongst;theirf.and,-.'in response to ■' his:,,importunities, he' '.was al lowed, aiib'th er-'". trial ""with- f, the Br is-; tolian... ■■• They'met-.pii'.Wimbledon Com-; 'mon! on'23rd. January,.; 1804^- and Pearee duplicated'his,'.-previous;wiiiiiii one hour 17 minutes.-' .-.;■ -yictories-,-..■'.,' over ..Elias :.Spray■■ and ;John ;•• Gully, ■ followed. Jem; Belcher, who ihad become 'jealous, of the fame.' achieved''by--;his.;;pro't6gc, . much ' against theradvicoi.of his-friends/, chal-. longed ■' 'the Gariie' iChicken;'';,who:.for, some time was' averse , to; fighting' hisl former friendpto'.wKoni"ho owed; so much, but; eventually. 'he:was , taunted iuto making' a 'match for 1 500. guineas, 'which ho woii;:in'-orie'-hour"3s^'minutes, near Blytlie,:iNbtts;;.oii.;6tli /December, 1805. ■ This' was.-'theflast regular' ring engagement iii-whicli-lPearce.participa-ted. He took.ito drinking.heavily, as the result of tlio;infjdelities of his;wife, and died on.'3otli v April,;: 1809,,.an his thirty-second year:',; Many stories hav^ been related of ■ his'heroism: and kindlieartcdness,'['and ;.'■' f e>V- ;!pugilists have enjoyed that' measure of respect' which, was his;to-:the. last.',v ; •.■■;. ■■''•'-, ; Josh "Hudson,Va; manipulator .of rthe steel from Kotherhitliei 1 .Was,vtho,fattest man that eyer'f ought' in ■the .prize ring.' There. are; some men; ; whose;.superfluous flesh is: absolutely' necessary to sufctalin their health and strength.-.Josh Hud: son was. one ■ of'■ these,'.and: the consequence was that" he .generally looked a huge, -unwieldy mass- of/'btabbcr ■when he., stood up stripped 'to 'fight, insido a 20ft ring. But- his > appearance belied him, as no man of his-time could fight \vith more dash arid devil; for, half an hour'thair' '.The' Jolin-^ull. Fighter,'' .as he was commonly called;."And-in tliat 30 miiiutcs he"-"generally managed .to inflict sucli punishment upon his.adversary >as: to make the ' battle safe-, for himself. ' Thus it was that; in' his five-and-twenty. fights against; the .'best men of his day, he' only, suffered, nine defeats and three of the::men■ whio '.beat .him he subsequently turned ; the jtables.up.oH;: : As.might, have'"been-, expected froni a man of his Falstaffian'build,'Josh was as jovial.a-soul, as Shakespeare's fat knight..ihimself-.! ,- He. .was.' at, his best .when presiding 'over, a f; convivial gathering. in? his, popular:.house,: the., .'.-Half ■ Mpbn, Smith'field;. .;'lriiKis':character -oi churchwarden,;-he; i,was -dignified,-.;and, being well; respected,;;his f joint ; prof es-

sions of publican and pugilist were not considered to his; detriment. - He. was a plain,- honest Englisjiman,::who did his best to play tho part well, 1 nnd lie certainly was n substantial', pillar of the church. ' ; / ..' •'- American Boxers. ' .' .. . Three of the- team of. Anie'rieaiv'and Canadian boxers who: were-engaged by ■Mr; Lean, of Stadiums; 'Limited,; Sydney, called upon Miv J} H. 'AVatts, secretary- of the Northern Boxing, Association, oh Monday while tric.-Aorangi was in port,, states the' "New. Zealand Herald." They -were; Ba.be', Herman, a light-wciglit who is spoken of. highly, Sam Shack, s a feather-weight, . and Pinky , Silverbcrg, a bantam-'keigh t. All were inquiring-about the'prospects of fighting in Auckland ; arid -New' Zealand when, their contracts;expired in -'Australia. ".•'■'.' . ' ■' . '.'.'• Donovan Again. "',;■-■. ' .Tommy Donovan wiHfhave' his' fifth professional contest at 'New Plymouth on Saturday night : next, when.; he.meets Leslie TJrquhart, the' New. 'amateur featherweight' champion, who has just turned professional. ; "TJrquhart ! defeated'Donovan onpbints"whqn:they met at the New. Zealand amateur/tourney last year. < ' . . ■ ,- ; Northern .Association. .. : ' . . .' The twenty-fourth annual', report', and balance-sheet of. the-Northern; Boxing : Association will, be' submitted"^.'members ;on. Monday-night.; ■'There-.is no doubt it has been the:-most: successful season in the history-; of ■■ -'.the'-'associa-tion. The profit of £ ; Sl6'bs' lid shows the result of good • match-making. It will be remembered-'the association- had a deficit of- £89 the'.previousl season. Tho purses and expenses for. professional contests amounted;to £2257 10s and £.2911 7s lOcl for'amateur .trc-phies and expenses. -. The; assets-;'of tlie association now stand-: at .£.'2668'2s - 7d, which places the Auckland, body- in, a sound position. ' The'rtienibership now staiH]sat'-26D. "';•"■' '.;:' •'■■', ••'•-'> ..'" • From Australia. : „>..»-- -■• An Australian-boxer;;with ;.a; creditable record, Roy O'Brien, arriyed; this week from Sydney, i-and; is-vwilling. to meet, any-middleweight lii'tlie.iland., At present he cscales 10.12.; . A -few- weeks ago. he was .considered:' .bjr -.'fSolar, Plexus" a suitable opppnent;for:.Jock '■Carroll, the Australian > welterweight champion.. O.'Brien; has ■>• beaten':.: such prominent performers .as, Jim .'Patterson and; Jim -Miller: bythe :knock:-out'route. Wellington's Nexti „/ ..'' „' ,' The "Wellington .Boxing .': Association will -, stage an .-*•' amateur;,> tourney on. 20 th.- May. . Tho:■ actual.! prpgramine has not yet,been drawn/up,;ibut there will be enough talent, offering :,to':,provide a good.'night's entertairinient.':,':" Bob: Fitzsimmons. ■ : ■, : '■■> . ■ ..-,' Bob KtzsimmOns .{was! the-'greatest master ■ of 'defensive, v'boxing-.-Vaifd aggressiye hitting :eyer ;'seen. '■; ;Six :feet tall arid.-only' a; middleweight, .'-'builtfor hitting power,' ,Tvj.th/liglit lejgs andwonderful; fighting' ,V.equvpnient /V jabove the waist, with long;, arm's,'- great -forearm, and. ■ hands ';-that;: Jw.er.e', perfect for .punehin g,' until- a'^efma^eJKisi bones brittle,. Pitzsini'mpn's ; :was )\ 'the .'ideal fighter. 'He'had,anjalfirt' and;cunning fighting/brain. : Somejiimes.'/Mtz; r was dazed and staggering'' I'and '*i sometimes when Jic'.was -Mt hard 'he' preteiidcd to be dazed;. and istaggerirjgv'. In -'either case :he.;was as]dangerb.us'/asVa'foiled ■rattler.-; An' opponent'-couldn't '*resist the impulse 1 to go'in': and-: try. to, I. finish old; Bob". ;• And: then«Bob'wouldi weaye a. bit, spread his 1 legs,* and; sink'in the body punch: he'd .been;'saving for. just that occasion. : And^/h'e'heyer/^.misse.d. The only.man- he. cbuldn't'i: knock; out was Jeffries.- Bob. finally. admitted3that Jeffries, was tlie, one.", man- ,':he'd-./ever seen, .who .couldn't bey .knockjed 1:-rout. 1 And in-Jiis'fighting, days,;before','-that six years' retirement/.from ; '(Which- hewas dragged,.aged, 36,.torfight.;J'ohnson, he was' tireless : and :, piinchproof.' _ Besides, . Jeffries ; was : a::first-class ■■ -boxer. The ..only- man. who :eyer::;marked-nim, in a fight was. Fitzsimmonsli -. '■■■_ ;.-.,'.,. : Heeney -Finished. - ; l-•'-'•. ;'•''' '■*'■' The; case-'with' which- Jim -'. Malpney, of Soiith'.'Boston; iwhi'pp'ed'tom'Heeney recently proved again ;that Y -6eno Tunney used discretion in ; selecting Heeney as his: opponent 'when^EickanT,wanted to; put Jack Sharkey. in, with-.Him last July, writes Kobert. :Edgren. yAn .'■ easy - mark for Maloiiey could\- hardly; have been- aiiything' but ; : an', easy? mark * for Tunney. .The Tunney'^ fight7 : -'.li'oSv.fever, may■ have softened:!;He.en:e^;:;a:; 116t", for •Maloney ' eight, month'sf'later.."r'jT^inney plastered Heeney through'-el^yen rounds like a mail punching "a; punching bag. It'would; have ;been'better for' Heeney * if ho had not been so game.. Gamencss was' his quality' as a' fighter. He was too game in the. pne-sidetl^'match with Tunney, and; took too much hammering. Gene couldn't; knock, him, out, and the referee had'to step'in,-finally, when Heeney; wW still on' his 'feet, but too dazed and weary to'put : his .guard . up. Heeney showed a temporary' streak of intelligence when he" came.back to this country and announced i.that r he intended to desert-tKe ring;anql,"go into business." It is no business;.to'go out and bump your'.chin'lnto punches for ten or 'fifteen, rounds. ' 'That,, 'was Heeney's. specialty, -, and ' ring ; ' history proves that the. fighters: wh;o'liked to show their' ability'!to''';'tak'e^if "'"never lasted long. '. As for;Malpney,'^the" boy . from .the South Boston,iish'' 'markets seems to: have' developed a. new- heart. After Sharkey had knocked -him 'out he seemed:..to lose'he'ar,t.: Nobody-..figured Maloney among the heavyweights/ any more. .And- here telis/ . This; complicates matters still^more:;for.; 'Sharkey 'and company, titlefsearch;ers._;,''":',',,