1961-07-25 — Page 9

Page

FAME in their FISTS

PARE THREE

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1961.

HE WAS THE MICHIGAN ASSASSIN

The poleaxe puncher who tricked

Stanley Kotchel was the greatest middle - weight of all. He was the first boxer to’knock' down the famous Jack Johnson. But his violent carcer ended with a bullet when he was only 23

The bar of the garish Honky-tonk Eldorado saloon in wide-open Butte, Montana, was jammed with thirsty customers prospectors, gam- blers, husky, miners from the nearby copper fields.

The din of their voices vied with the blaring ragtime beat of a four-

piece orchestra.

Suddenly, a woman's scream lanced thin and high through the hubbub. The cry of distress came from "Goldie" Smith, the pert, high-kicking dancing and singing Blonde who was the suloon's stur cabaret turn.

A bearded giunt, egged on by four

other whooping toughs, had grabbed her by the waist and was wrestling furiously

to be taken along too, the one- time nlekel-and-dime walter set off solo for California to win the world title and his fortune.

crown with

one-round K.O.), and the ripping, lear- Thunderbolt," ing "Inots Billy Papke. with her on the dance floor.

One man Ketchel particularly. Soon the blonde sweetheart of detested was Papke, of At "Goldie'"

a blond, screech alarm the salon boureur, who fat-off Butte was forgotten. For massive killer from Spring regarded the provocative Queen It was out there, in the sun and Valley.

America's rolstering of the Eldorado chorus line as warmth of Lis

property.

West coast that Ketchel, with special

daring eyes the suddenly his charging through

and brutal mouth, became a veritable two- silent crowl,

Asted Bend of destruction.

came

Eut someone else had moved

even faster.

With two tigerish strider, o slim. boyish-looking

waller

spran

Osts Hailing, at "Gnidle's" lowering tormentor.

Stanislaus Klecal was โป poleaxe name and with one

spreadeagled punch he

the drunken bully in the sawdust.

WILDCAT RUSH

Papke was the only fighter ever to wrest the middle-weight title from Ketchel - and he did it by a particularly dirty trick. As Kelchel, at the start of the

word.

Jack

that's when I'm going to knock you cold."

Papke laughed, but not for long. For Kelghel kept kila A rip-snorting right to the head in the round Hotchel had predfeted he would win back the title, the 11th followed by a loft to the pit of the slamath and Papke collapsed in grimine- Ing ogony,

*}

Johnson

Ho had crashed every heavy weight around. He could block blows with indolent case and course of his own punches in mid-air. He had the must devastating right upper cut over seen; and a lett jab which weaved and stung liko a serpent's head.

Page

By ALAN HOBY

bozer to knock down the great he was 30, vollapsed in a groan- 1 Jack Johnso

5. Ming:heap ----, shất |`Through the As the count reached seven, lungs,

Johnson moved. Slowly, pol The murderer, a hired hand derously, te levered himself up - called Walter Dipley, quickly until, at nine, he was on his ransacked the boxer's pockets foot,

1 and cecaped. Now the loolt on that black th the kitchen the new cook, moon of a taco, the hate in on hgelbe, fading blonde, silled those rolling cyci) isûted oven Thinly '' herself, She knew that roaring, rioting mot Kelchel was dying, hio We

that later

Was

KILLER CAUGHT

As Ketchel, scenting victory, ebbing away but she dild As treacherous es* he was ing rights and lefts to the body started to move towards John- noth courageous, ho tought Dad and down slipped the chai gon, the latter, incalling like a Eventually the alarm

who lenger only to jump up im- roleased spring, bapf'. alean givan by d nelghbour who had double-crossed the man

across the ring.

heard the slot, and doctors and was probably the greatest world mediately flushed and furious.

On paper, of

In tho heavy-weight, champion ever to

course, it was

same flowing, fuld nurses from nearby Springfield “Johníon had only

movement he unleashed a shud- welý milch

ruslied to Conway in a draw on a gloveACK JOHN- no

to lean his black bulk on this daring uppercut which seemed relal, train SON, The Black Panther.

Extravagant, pleasure-loving, puny part with the milk to come right up from the flöde. But it was too late, Stanley

It was a punen delivered with Kotchef had seen, given 1 a strutung ebony giant, Johnson White skin....to popper his

rival's nose and face with his such speed and timing that final knock-out, was considered invincible.

ong, wicked left and the points Ketchel fell to the canvas as it *** dend. piled up.

Yet, in spite of the drubbing in fast, such was the power

And the küllera? Whon behind the blow he took from the sixth round

when they pooled pff Johnsbu's Dipley, washavn and starving, unwards, Ketehel. still clung la

right glove they found Kei- was caught high in the Ozark the fanatical bellot that he

chel's front teeth embedded in Mountains saverul days Inter, ha could flatten his huge tortur

Blond confessed that it. and so win

the cook back the most glittering

After this fight Jack Johrison in the ranch-house prize of all the heavy-welga:

was his

I was against

went on to scandalise the world accomplice. this arrogant championship of the world,

his excesses, his whito "What's her name?" snapped legalised assault For round after round, in one with specialist in that Stanioy Keichel, giving, or the strangest conicsis a women, and his carousing before the investigating sheriff.

"Goldie Smidi," Dipley re- away more than 2st, staged his history, Ketchel, snorting ant winding up reviled and p virtual most astonishing

plied. struggle at snarling, strove to chop down outcast in his own country.

grinning, shaven patod Calma, California, on October , the

Negro.

And, in the 12th round, buttered, wonry, with the blood running from his sore noso like

dre, Stanley red

Ketchel's chance came....

Suddenly, a grin twisting his bruised features, he darted in,

change the ONE-TWO Опо

of Ketchel's greatest bateswa against õe San Franelson Thamas Fought against the surrealistic backdrop of a terriflo thunder- storm, Kelche), with bis relent less, bout-crushing attacks seemed to the awed ring sidera like a fighter straight out of hell.

the rain Thirty-one times,

In the ring he fought ilke a spitting jaguar., Scorning de- Aght, extended his hand in the lashed down and the ring was

Sensation-the great champion was down

1900.

HE DODGED

Why astonishing? Because the fight was crooked from the start. When the articles were signed it was arranged that, as Ketchet was only a middle- weight, Johnson would grace ously allow him to fast distance provided the amalter

that

Another wildkat rush by the fence, regarding retreat". us accepted manner to top gloves, it by eerie flashes of Hghtning man did not try any "funny such force 1 landed Alush

youthful, white-aprunert walter and the dange Nous was writing, milling free-for-all

Women

screamed,

met

cheered as the good-looking, ridiculously-young stripling- he was just 16 and weighed under 11 stone-bigated In blows with maniao fury. Then, the crazy

OR

melce ended as abruptly as it had begun in a whirl of fists and falling bodies, an astonished gasp broke from the onlookers. On the floor, cursing, moon- ing, or just out stone cold, lay five powerful men, including Joe the bouncer!

The patrons of that smoky, ill-lit, razumatazz Butte saloon way back in 1903 did not know It then, but they had just been given their first glimpse of an untamed fighting animal whe, in soven heelie years, was to curve world-wide fame with his fists-before dying as violently as he had lived by a murderer's bullet at the age of 23,

Indeed, the story of STANLEY Stanislaus KETCHEL born

Kiecal of Polish parents in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is so fantastic it could come only from the lurid and Incredible half-world of boxing.

RAN AWAY

HOW, as a neglected, unhappy hid he ran away from home, starved, rode the railroads, and dreamed of toiing a gun and. reping wild broncos.

HOW, after years of roaming the West, with his backbone often is only mattress, he came Butle whore, as a direct 11

sequel to that bar-room brawl, The turned professional and began the tortuous climb to the .middle-weight championship of

the world.

In his first fight with gloves be met a locul "knock-out" king called Jack Tracey, This tock place on a stage in Buite and the wily Tracey had an accom- plice stationed behind a thread- bare curtain at the back.

Whenever an opponent's head touched this spot, the mun behind the curtain hit the bulke with a sandbag.

But Ketchel, then

2

raw

novice, of 17, had an outsize Tation of luck working for him

on that Arst outing.

By acaldent more than design

he crowded the

surprised

cur-

tain. As the lattor'a

head

Tracey baek ugainst the

touched the worn draperies the Invisible stocking full of sand whistled down and Ketchel

had won in 30 seconds flat!

FEROCIOUS

In spite of this comedy siart to his professional career, the boy from Grand Rapids goon proved that there was nothing remotely funny about being on the receiving end of those ter- rible Katobel Siets.

In his first 17 nights he scored

13 knock-outs. - in 30 bouts und

243 rounds of berserk

He allftened, 33 rivals.

slugging

The epitome of fuld savagery

as he softened up his victims

ho

with ferocious body slams, brought his own referce into the gruda rings of those limos a tremendous right which ́ŋnished, the job,

During this period bis .con- atant compantar was "Goldie.", Although yêurn older, abe tint fallen' passionately in love with the lipndrome, dare devil Ketchol,

But her love was to last long- er that his

For Kalchel soon grew (ired of her, lle teo grew tired of the dust and dirt ot Bite:

And one day in 1907, despite tha's profista" of a petulant, weeping "Ooidle" who pleaded

dirty word, he became known throughout the States as "The Michigan Assassin' - a raging demon with a murderous wallup to either hand who, during in brief career, lost only four out of 00 contests.

Once the bell bud clanged he would fight out of a hulf-crouch, boring in and raining blows from all angles.

His reflexes were as trigger fast as a gunman's. If he missed with one hand he would nail his adversary with the

other.

smashed

Papke landed sneak right the lights had gone out"The

Mich

Ascursin" straight between the eyes.

The blow 30 blinded the Thomas to the canvas. champion that he never

Twenty times the game and recovered, being knucked out,

belted despite an amazing display of

infuriated Thomas Ketchel himself to the floor. For courage, in the 12th round.

nearly 21⁄2 hours the bloodshed and punishment went on.,

round, the 32nd Then, in

HIS REVENGE

MX37,"

Jul Ketchel, unpredictable and vainglorious, wanted no

purt of a "fixed" fight. He was out to win and to hell with phoney promises.

QUITS BOXING

But for Ketchel, still in his early twenties, the Ackle sands of Lime were running out.

Restless and moody, ne decided to quit boxing except for

I

At their telat both Dipley and his

anistress-for. implacable years "Goldie had burned with revenge after being discarded by, Keichel like a soiled glove were found guilty of rst-degree murder

women was net

fun and buy himself a ranch. Later, on appeal, the verdict While he was waiting to take agains! ready to shoot.

humbing right cocked over his now property he went aside and she was freed, never Dipley, to a friendly millionaire's camp to be heard of againy Smashing down. guard he threw the punch with holiday.

Johnson's, al Conway, Missouri, for a however,

forte, was jailed belha released on parole in Here, on the carly morning of an October 18, 1910, he was waiting his breakfast when one of the servants told him ja

woman

the

Negro's

Uke $aw

heard Iri

JIT

the

the

for

1034.

of jealousy and late, perished Thus, on this macabre note

"The Michigan Assassin"---

NEXT WEEK Champion of Champions

exploding hand grenade.

ONLY 12 STONE

new cook had been hired. A character straight out of a dime novel, but a champlon whose Down, down crashed

name will live on in the Disdaining to shake hands, black champions with a thud his back to an open window, long as there is u priz: ring.

Ketchel, who was sitting with legendary folklore of boxing ar cheered on by a smouldering that could be Negro-baiting crowd, Keichel, furthest corners of the arena.

took no notice.

Nobody saw the tall, sinister from the first bell, dodged and All around the ring, bawlung ngure who crept stealthily up to But Ketchel was not one to Ketchel, summoning his last danced round his

algantic and bollowing, stomping and the .window, ride in: hàng. forget or forgive an injury..remnants of strength, caught opponent secking an opening for scuffling their feet with Joy Silently the intruder wok nim From the moment he lost the Thomas with his dreaded one- his machine-gun volleys to the stood the delirious fans.

There was ustaccato chick championship

for two... solar-plexus, then the body.

It reemed as though tha and Keichel, who had vitch Wenving. rest jaw.

ducking, rolling, loathed Johnson's reign was predicted he would die before revenge.

the

and keeping up an endless char over and the amazing Ketoke), until he got Papke inte ring again..

ter-Klichel was notorious for weighing no more than 12 ston talking to himself during a fight 215., had won back the heavy- the world middle-weight weight file for the white race. champion wiped away Johnson's patronising leer when, in the As the count was tolled a second round, he got home with sardonie smile created Ketcher's

whistling uppercut.

rwollen ips. He was no more Johnson, outraged by such than a built-up middleweight impudence, retorted with crush- net he had become the first

He

he lived could not

It was all over. One more Ketchel victim lay draped on the ground, cold and twitching.

In front of audiences whip- And when he did — a month ped to frenzy by his ihudding later in San Francisco he

But Ketchel's most unbeliev- fista, ke tamed the top middle. hissed at his arch-enemy, be- weights of his day'../ ́ationg tween gritted teeth before the ble night-the fight which wrote his name in the record books in them Joe Thonzas, Mike bell sounded the first round:- /Twin" Sullivan (when he "Haye your eyes wide open ludelible jelters-was one

won the vacant middle-weight in

the 11th

round-because lost.

JONES

Four D. Jones HAS BEEN BY MADDOCKS ARRESTED

OH WHAT WONDERFUL

RECKI HAVE

J 1430

*E MUST WARN

YOU THAT ANYTHING YOU SAY WILL BE TAKEN UPSIDE

DOWN AND MAY

BE

FERDINAND

NANCY

NUTS!

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

IS GETTING AWFUL. TOUGH

BRICK BRADFORD

HOW WE'LL WAIT POR MY FATHER:1 HOPE HE OSTE HERA BEROSIS. PARUS THE

PIRATE

JUST

́LOOK AT 'EM,

A RIGHT LOT OF WIDTS I MUST SAY

YES

HAVE LOST FAITH

IN HUMAN

NATURE!

he

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