FAMOUS BOXER'S PLIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 22273, 26 February 1936, Page 12

FAMOUS BOXER'S PLIGHT

Many boxing enthusiasts will remember Battling Kelson, states a special correspondent of the ‘ Daily Express,’ London. He is a Danish-American, and was light-weight champion of the world in those days before the war, when we spoke in bated breath of Joe Gains and Jimmy Britt, great masters of scientific boxing. Oscar Nelson beat them both. And people said it was impossible to beat Gans, who had reigned an undisputed master of the light-weights and as the most scientific boxer of his time. Nelson retired from the game with £60,000 ... a recent message from Chicago said that he is now penniless. , The last thing he possessed, a wooden house, was seized to satisfy a court order ,for £640. He lost his money in real estate. Battling Nelson was one of the gamest and cleanest of fighters that ever entered the ring. He holds the record for the quickest knock-out ever made. On April 15, 1902, he knocked out William Bossier at Harvey, Illinois, in two seconds. In London nearly 30 years ago he was a tremendous success, and he was engaged to appear at music halls for 12 weeks at £2OO a week. Jack London called him a “ fine fighting animal,” but he was a good citizen, too. When he gave up boxing he became Mayor of the Illinois town of Hegewisch. He is now, 54—and broke. But you can’t' keep a good man down.