BLIND BOXER IN THE RING

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 27 January 1933, Page 8

BLIND BOXER IN THE RING

TRIUMPH OVER; FATE. HOMAGE OF A CROWD. A blind face grinned to the arc lights. It turned and gazed over the heads of the crowd in the New Valo Hall, ICilburn, London, recently, out over the ‘wreaths of smoke and the pattern of caps and hats —into nothmg. Andrew Newton, ..the middle-weight, who passed from light into darkness during his last fight four years ago against Marcel Thil, the present mid-' (Re-weight- champion, .was about to give his first exhibition of sightless ball-punching and 'boxing. Half a dozen lads had already given of their best in the ring, to the delight of the crowd. They could see. This man has no eyes; and the crowd watched him show such mastery of the punching ball as is denied to inanv normal champions. The thud of gloves on ball developed into a machine-]ike rhythm. It slackened as he took the ball on his head, shoulders. and elbows. It thundered again as lie went a,t it with both hands. Then some shadow-boxing. “Phil Fellows!” said Newton, ms he swung wide, and the crowd roared with laughter. Fellows is well known for swinging- his- blows. Newton has never seen him. hut he parodied his: -style perfectly. Then came a round with, his father — “the fine points of the noble art.” Next came a brisk round with Tom Donnelly, an especially promising boy. Xl>'seemed incredible that Newton was blind. At the end lie staged a fake knockout, and, rolling on his back, he sang, “Underneath the referee’s hand 7 dream the count atvay!”—A sense of humour? Mato than that. It was unconscious heroism. Into the ring came a shower of coins-. The _ crowd was paying its highest compliment to a man who has climbed the highest peak of misfortune.