WORE PATCHED PANTS

NZ Truth, Issue 1199, 22 November 1928, Page 11

WORE PATCHED PANTS

Billy McAlister s Rough Road To Fistic Fame WIFE WINS LEGAL BATTLES (From "N.Z. Truth's" Melbourne Representative). Billy McAlister, the young Australian bantam-weight boxer, who is well-known m N.Z. boxing circles and who had such a meteoric rise to boxing fame, is also somewhat of a ladies' man, according to evidence given m court recently. He unsuccessfully appealed against an order made at Fitzroy Court on September 10 for 35/- a week for his wife and 15/- for his child. His wife, Ethel Thelma, told Judge Foster that he had 'another baby to keep m; Sydney, aiid his own counsel mentioned that he had been mixed up m a divorce case m the Harbor City, and the costs had proved a heavy drain on his income, i ;

AS m his two bouts. with Von Reeden, McAlister suffered a defeat. His honor decided that the maintenance order mU3t stand. His counsel (Lawyer M. S. Williams) had handed up a list showing- McAlister' s winnings and expenses for the past' 12 months, iudgre Foster cut out some" of the items of expenditure, and decided that the bantam's'nett income for the 12 months was £536 out of which he had given his wife only £70. He ordered McAlister to pay £7/7/- costs. 4 Mrs. McAlister, who lives m Young Street, Fitzroy, and works, m a boot factory, was married exactly three years before the day the maintenance order was made. He was then 17, and just starting out on his boxing career. She was some months younger. It was not surprising that the match was a failure, and that they separated , after two or three weeks. She complained bitterly that he could find money to dash about m taxis with his friends, but begrudged her the wherewithal to buy food. Lawyer Williams: Did you tell him you would not go • _ to Sydney because you could have a better time here? Judge Foster: What has that to . do with it? ■ Lawyer Williams: Is it correct, that you would be content to take much less than the amount of the order?— He can pay £2/10/-, so why should I take less? . Is it the order you want or is it that you seek vengeance? — No. It is not vengeance I'm after. Mrs. McAlister said her husband' had an excellent prospect of getting a match with La Barba, the world's champion' bantamweight, should, La Barba. accept the invitation to visit Australia. Lawyer Williams, who apparently is not a "fight fan," inquired who was this La Barba. Judge Foster was more au fait with matters of such moment as the championship title holder among bantam boxers. "There, is no need to tell me that," he said. "I thought everyone knew that." Lawyer Williams said McAlister's nett earnings during the past 12 months amounted to only £2 a week. His fights had not brought him m very much money and his expenses had been very heavy. ; . When he won the championship from Cowan m September, 1927, his share of the gate was only £80. For his fight with Walker he got £4S; with

The Only One

Jackson £60; Flynn £50; Johns £125; Green £125; Thurgon £33; his second fight with Cowan £125; the same for his fight with "Winch. His biggest sum was £424 from his fight with Kid Socks. The Melbourne bout . with Von Ree.den brought him £157, and the one m Sydney £102.Since he took the championship from Cowan he\had paid his sparring- partners £121. He had fought 41 times before he became champion and had won a total of £1,008 spread over four years. Up till he beat Cowan he could not afford to buy a new suit. His pants were patched and his clothes were shabby/ arid the only "things he bought were boots. * He owed ! money for board, and it was only m the last 12 months that he had caught up to any extent. Judge Foster: At what age did he start boxing? — Before he was fourteen — on Boxing night, 1914. '.- Lawyer Williams said McAlister had only £6/10/- m the bank arid had had to borrow £20 from, friends m Sydney — to pay his ex- ? ■ penses to Melbourne- His reputation.' had suffered considerably owing to; the bad beating, he had received at the hands of Von Reeden. The fixed fight between Von Reeden and Kid Socks had practically killed the fight game tn Australia for thY present.; Even if McAlister got a match with La Barba he stood "to get only a championship or a hiding f and ' there would, be very "Tittle money m it for him. - There was only one boxing promoter m Australia — ■*- Judge Foster: There is only 'one McAlister m AustraHa. 1 Lawyer William's explained that his client had been battered oh the ears and head, to such an extent that the punishment . had already commenced to show on,; him, and his boxing career would,' be a comparatively short one. It . then a problem, as to what other occupat^h he could turn to, seeing that he -was entirely unskilled, andlacked the physical strength to become a laborer. - '„ ■ =■ ■ : ' McAlister was not put m the wit-ness-box. His honor said that if nothing stronger than the list of winnings and expenses could be placed before him, the order would, have to stand; He gave McAlister leave to apply later if he could produce cvi- ! dence that his income had decreased.