1961-08-15 — Page 9

1

Page

FAME

in their FISTS

PART SIX

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1961.

Pago

8

The fight that created a legend

of the ring

'GENTLEMAN JIM CORBETT

BATTLED 61 ROUNDS...

THEN THE REFEREE

SHOUTED: NO CONTEST'

At 9.30 pm on the night of May 21, 1891, the long bar of the famous California Athletic Club, San Francisco, was deserted. In the billiards room,

with usually thronged players, the untouched cues were standing in their racks like soldiers of attention.

At the nearby card tables not a soul could be found-not even a solitary waiter clearing up the scattered debris of mangled cigar bulls and empty beer steins.

For on the, palet, and esplanat

ayonet Ta

in the out Tig, a oved yn bi.mt pla

"Callasoa“ a Tala priate

winch

afterke arah i att stream vilketended prender, anbe

auke topsigel

of

West

ንዓኒ።

Here, al this gill-and-plursla center of wesici arul Coast smelety, battle abant to begia belween two extraordinary

battle

FLEET

so unbelievealde and nine i will be tatted about as long the brave ohl game

!1+

boxing endures,

Tightly packed

Cometh me back thjourh the lot drum corrido of lume to the misty Flight d 11:0 Dunebeath

In 1:14

Stri

Hin packed faelcome · Alfdel Cuba that wear rentaba much ne San Frator are

a

FIT!

Armite the ring the spielt - fors stre pander the earth araula 1 we prest.

Betour.

civic divantaries, në re plenient

In loppet: to inti

Jaewy

wietl

Idurof

at 01- Letstret KAY Se

8:42

Ima

CATIZON A, tin, Sow. lank inname to oldu a etstrider foku

Her and there, shtetin pat vividly at the swirling: borike bf white are star in any late shirt Iron'.. Starter 12 featureleseinad. Negaran y lo had ptor domed a way that mich the lowes

Student pacing the choke and bun daal ku al drone of vaire, el mald be lavard for bar 1. the balt

14

felterwort interesting din of yells, ejacula- Bon at if whistle of

fi

A

Opt. Jon where the on- print, No Redone! Finategando Sund thepeded and netted their feet dot food p theep rodhon, "war of welcome me this nov preval tile a make the final this entrar al Bob the Faith Coke had ver Bown was about to begit

Thu.

in ade that tarinte and ornate club-tem, with its ruspidon and Prick-pile carpet, every aan was suddendy his

Por. walking closely down the staie, such hylle, were two of the plus simal

01:

svart farmettere up in the iwapen

riz

and

EBY

ALAN

How, as Peter Jackson quietly wasted to enter The w. 4:11 then pand bannibations and di- argomitments were forgottens.

Benywhere 712 that hot, weating roomt men wore eran- int nou tipične and spuding on Phim to match a glimpse of the Tallons Back Prince and young il trempelplanly pop iter opptat, Gentleman Jins Corbett, the focal boy..

What a complete cortica in La fer. relour, and backend

the ww nivovaurios provedork.

Batone he began to lius Jack som had sailed round the world

WelionT. That was it e days after 1. PRAVCILA hew! Laught hit to Sydney, Aur- matia, from the West Intes where he was bear.

And we in Sydney, after the young Negro had thrasherf ship's belly on the high ses, this schouder's slopper - troduced bite 10 Larry Foley a meg who runs an ill-lit spiona amit school of boxing in 30 ultra-tough quarter of the CB2.

The

BELLA

Learning

1k

"Master

pecffid Peter was to call his

tort

dark, guttering look at the row yose To eined the crude, Testue med rug like a gliding val, then rasped; "Red do....”

1

Show, uiter the darkening jets ad tas which bathout th

hesaving bodies of the boxers in

hile belire fight, Peter Jocksun Tearned the fundament tais br bridal trade.

Parh msion east in Gl but the inwledge be picked ap In reticen ciel but he gleei today for £6,000.

Sion the strapping Negro has! trietered and nerfected the pile- alriving one-twa which was in become his tardisputable trade mark wherever

"I had no more idea of spor- mog than on infant. I had seen my elder brother spur, however, and had noticed hin itoking at his opponent's stomach and hit- ting for his face.

did the same thing with Pulty, and was overjoyed at the resell. That longer ww furght the more enthusiastic 1 became. I was not angry; I was simply delighted with the scrap olit I hart him admest pounded when there came a wild cry of

Pulice."

Black eye

Fully butted. I bolted. to, In the same drection. We went on to altolher hat and gul at it again. He was bigger and stronger than 1. and started wrestle and pummel me fa the grouki,

to

"He was topidly doing m GH when a man with a gold-hended ee interfered, He pulled Palty off and stood us both p Por said: Wow go at him and 31 he flows to fight fair warin him with this cane."

11

I

"I was a long fight, but licked him at last. Then I went home tired out and carrying a block eye,"

That was James J Corbells first contest-and, in some ways, the most important. He line! learned the invaluable lesson That "the bigger they are the harder they fall..........

After this. Corbett ured to hox The heighbourhood boys t his frther's livery stable," where he kept pair of gloves.

It was about this period too. that he joined the foral brunch of the Nationa! Bank of Navada. Starting as a messenger bey and rising in five years the position of assistant teller.

Brawling

to

"Each month I would take fought my wages back to my mottur, teeth-jarring straight left to he once said. "İ The would the heat falloired by a ferocious enter my salary in a little book. right often slammedt straight at There were ten of us frish borg the heart.

and girls and it all helped.”

Then, after he cumming gipsy had taught him af he know. Jackson went Duel Into 1:

sluggers and bruisers. vivinut, hanngry world of the

Man-tamer

He fought in borns and fejds, fre was fall, mailedthard, the med a home cart as a dress-

hot.detur ace un Trushing-room and single, bloed Apo; with: qpnek, Paz (Brena! eyer How has and thick. brown hair but he straight bark.

Noble art

stain town et

POWNL

Meanwhile Corbelt continued. to indulge his life's passion for boxlux. But he only competer as an amateur,

As he grew ever faster and cleverer with the gloves. Cerbelt, Recompanied by a friend, would ven venture down in San Frans cisco's brawling, bawdy Barbary Coast where they would haunt he #inderworld lives aud auons in order to Bad suitable opponents.

A druschig

Ae tuned

with: annelon Corbett was always a snappy like plate armour and roughs dresser and at first his white who, with me punch, eqüft enllor. nilk cravat, kid gloves, break an opponent's jaw.

and sannrtly pressed wit Thi was

Offen Jackson, as chivalrous brought him a torrent of abuse BETT, the

Inside the ring as he was un- Young bank herk

from the buma and hard-eyed son of an frisimuat from County failingly courtenus auf of it, ladies of the town who neanie Mayo, who, in ร [ brief

deployed his priceless

n ring the local rol-gut fur few selenice an haling ine- cents o nip,

JAMES J CON-

years, hud fled boxing from the hands of thug and brawlers n transformed it into a "noble urt,"

The other was a man whose rotrades rippled und gleaned under the blazing Hghts like black aldi

skater' footwork for the price

But the barrage of launts and

of a bare meal. But he never cuises som grased when he pro complained. never moaned, ecerlevt to whip n succession of and arver dreamed of unitting. shorefront thighs. Tragically. The breed which produced Peter Jnekson and his kin is as extinct texty Ethi

A man whose name, in these dinosaur. furbulent things, rang out like

Before he meet Jackson. Corbett's most gonnational fight was against his old boyhotel rhah, Jop Choynski,

Seething

Big and tund as tough us @aleed hawker, Choynski int bren making disparaging re- marks about Corbell and the local papers had wasted no timu In priting them.

Incensed, Corbelt defed ble father email

who detested Be schoolboy, young James John thought of any non of his

Sighing Corbelt wat as quick as a whip

turned For money, and twice as sharp-willed - us

professional and met Chayn- the average kid.

kki on a barge moured lathe middle of the Sacramoplo River.

ሰ DS

In those days men fought in the lines of a gelden bell a falsh, winner tube all. When from Sydney to Nan Francisco, kwo men went out lo Bain; they from New York to Landout.. married b# unili atie $39 the PETER JACKSON, the nest other dropped. boxer in the work.

Yet Jim Corbett, a brillant The Black Prince they call- and picturesque character, dis- ed him ar never fas iltere played ne outward feur at All been a trurr

file. For he at the prospect of meeting the Was a sepla-skinned aristo- dreaded Jackson- cral of the plug, a Brown But then, even prince umang prize Ogliders, As the big Negro, with the velvety, glistening sein and the classical, beautifully chiselled head approached the ring. The coloured enthusiasta aruong the crowd went wild with joy.

Hore, right in front of their awed, warshipping eyes, way the man who had vanquished the best heavy-weights in Aus- tralla, Ure United States and Britnin.

Here, in All hela huvincible tlory, stout the gloved warrior every Yaukee heavy-weight except Jins Corlet!~had nvold- ed during the past year.

And that abjeet'roll-enli of runaways included, of all poo- ple, thu champion--the bunstfyl, borbestie Jolin 1., Sullivan.

Expelled from two schools for slaning up to hulking bullies. Corbett admitted

later Успех

Here, under a nonling 501 that in the Art Rebol fight; with his right horul broken, his Whs terribly nfrald and bruised Judy savagely burned wanted to cum bomr."

and both feel cavered with However Corbell, like Jock→ water blisters the Irish- sung had Inmetise sobal Aueriean was wearing the pride.

wrong sheen Corbett, with t sidn't run home," he superhuman effort, knocked out. added, "Instead, I walked his bristling opponent by the right up to this big burly boy, 27th round. Fatty Carney, and naked ilin what he wanted.

זין

"I'm goin' ter Bek yer out of yer boɑle” he replied. I hauled off my cont without a word and went over to a vacant jut,

This then was the marvellous boxer who enrried the colours of the United States ipto the ring against d'eter Jacksoù of Austro- Wa In San Franefsco. fighter who was poull to win

the

JAMES J CORBETT, who transformed boxing into the "noble art," fought "The Black Prince," Poter Jackson, in the most incredible ring marathon of all time. It fasted 61 rounds and four ex. hausting, violont hours. At the end both men could hardly lift their

arms

universal fame as "Gentleman Jim," although his Arst action as the two men reached the lngside could hardly be called gentlemanly.

Knowing that Jackson húted to be the Arst man to enter the rlar. Corbeti. an adept jad "getting the other man's gunt," determined to try to rule the superstitious Negro.

At the last moment, after lift- ing un the rope as if to go through. Corbett ducked back - both men had agreed to enter the ring together - and Jackson fyll for the ruse.

Frowning and fuming the handsome Negro

came as near

The debonair Gentleman Jim' is greeted by film stars Pauline Frederick (left)

and Mae Busch when he visited Hollywood in 1924.

Mesmerised and enthralled, shouting and cheering. they welched the Black Prines go after the ducking. werving. clinching Corbett for round after round.

Jackson, who punched straight as a rifle shol, could double an

that

to losing his temper as he had oppement in two and make him ever done in his life.

cry out in agony with colossal right.

Puzzled

But this time he was puzzled. No matter how fast he moved, he Indeed, if any Kinder had seemed to be chasing a slim, teen needed to ignite the ten- white wraith rather ihan 21 sion crackling

that human being. through sething, suffocating room, this incent supplied the spark.

Straight from the bell Peter teaper Al Corbett like puincing puno.

R

Time and again the 30-year- ld Negro tired his lethal one- kwo at the elusive, dancing Corbett,

Armed with

murderous

Hight hard, Jackson-ft. 11⁄2in. in his boxing pumps, and weigh- ing J4st, Blb. belted after the 24-year-old, Jenian

12st. 41. Call

I was an absorbing Struggle and, for the whure of the frat hour before they grew weity and sank back on their

in chairs tol

the apar audience sat down.

il

Four D. Jones BY MADDOCKS

CLOSE

the

By now, however, more perceptive ringsiders wero becoming increasingly hwaru than legend was belog created within that bright, roped square --the legend of a feast of selence and nesse which wore on and on and on, to culminate In the meat prodiglaus context of all time.

Indeed, only the clock can give tan any Idea of the marathon match waged between Peler Jackson and Jim Corbet; on that Immortal night.

The clock whose bands stood od just after 0.30 pm when the bout

began pointed to A jyje afzer 130° pos when the referee finally declared the night "no coplest" in the 41st round. By that time, both men hud slowed to a walk, and could hardly at their arms. So capr lo an end a battle between two men who wore thin Goz. gloves without bandages pod received only 2,500 dollars each.

Afterwards Corbett was loud in his protests that he had been robbed. But he had no reason for complaint,

Not only dld this encounter win him international renown but, in the following year, as a direct acquel, he became chun- alon of the world, heating John L. Sullivan in 21 rounds."

Tribute

pale swaying body. In vain he managed to nullify the explosive tried to clobber Corbett with one power of that wicked "one-two." thundering punch which would In the 28th round Corbett, send him limp and lifeless to the

As for the noble but luckloss after being elipped by another, floor.

terrifying right cross, hurted Peter Jackson, riddled with tuberculosis, disillusioned. and Jackson back across the ring pendless, he died In Australia nine years later. But he was not forgotten.

After he was burled In

Crunching

It was like

frying to light darkness or heat or the light-

h

ning which struck from the sky. Then, in the 16th round, with the spred as scorching us it had been at the start, Peter Jackson at last caugh! Corbett with erusning right hander.

Into the American's ribs it sank with a crunching thud and, A superlative boxer. Jackson white-faced, elenchlog back

himself up against

an terrible groan, Corbett shuddered astonishing adversary who, if and went cold as death. not the better, was certainly his equnt in the finer points of the page.

Found

So searing was the main which forked up his side, that, when And so the incredible duel he returned to his corner, hu went on with Corbett somehow came out in a cold chill which staying n his feet and the prickled his skin and

enused bystanders

perpetual him to ask an offcial to close uproar,

the windows.

#

The eighth round.

and still. Jackson could not mall this brash, indiarubber ball of an Irishman with Eis dazzling foot work and leng, sweeping hooks which he ceaselessly throw from the most extraordinary angles.

In vain the Negro threw short, hard lefts and rights of

THE DOOR, JONES!

FOR A MOMENT

I THOUGHT IT WAS

- JAMES BOND

I'LL WRING

1454 YOUR HAIRY NECK

FERDINAND

NANCY

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, NANCY ?

PLAY

BRICK BRADFORD

GARVISÍ COMES BACK HERE! BRICK HAS RECONSIDEnsol HR ACCEPTS

YOUR PLAN!!

COME DOWN

Yet, amazingly, just when it seemed he must go in the next renund. Corbett rallied.

By sheer quickness of font. by shifts and feints which had the spectators alternately gasp ing and applauding, he careled

fight that the

10 Jackson and

NOW. NOW TEMPER, TEMPER,

JIM LAD

AND FIGHT, YOU

SWING

I HOPE IT'S

A SERIOUS,

| EDUCATIONAL

SHOW

INGNEW SH* WOULD SWING EVERYTHING MY WAYLI MUST GET RID OF BRICK

AT THE FIRST „OPPORTUNITY,

THOUGH!

OH, YES

in R

furious

frenzy

big

12f two- isted punching-and, for one

moment, the trembling Negro stood helpless, his lent ums dangling weakly at his side,

But then The Rong sounded ....and the golden chance had Kone,

Toowong Cemetery, the citizens of Queensland erected a monu- ment in his honour.

James J. Corbelt, who became an actor and socialite, us well It was from this stage on- #5 running through several wards that the exhausted on-

fortunes, also paid his tribute lookers became almost as laut

to this tan among boxers. and numb as the clenched fists of the two glants up In

the ring.

Marathon

Stunned by the violence and

the of

light. they drar i

red- with Deering. Wate.ed rimmed eyes as the hours fled away and the rounds peeled off 38 ....29, 30, 31....36, 37,

"Why does he

43, 44, 45........50, 51, 52.... At the end of the 55th round the rapidly Uring Jackson called so the referee:

not lear?" Curbelt immediately replied: "Why don't you? [P% thing to one on you, and I'm

the mag."

NOT SO MUCH OF THE IDIOT, JIM. AT LEAST CAME DOWN HERE

WITH MY EYEG WIDE OPEN

AFTER ALL, YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR

MAN

WHAT! GOOD GRIEF

IT IS HE, THE ¡CowBay inla

YOU MEAN, THIS IS.. THIS IS THAT PLACE 7

CLICK

IT'S A

PLAY WITH A IMESSAGE

MEANWHILE, PARUS HAS ROARED THROUGH VAST WASTED OF SAUCE TO THE PLANETOD WHERE HE HAS HIS HEADQUBATORG 19

CHIE WS VISION READY

TO FIRE ON

You!

By Mik

By Erple Bushmiller.

Boo

By Paul Norris

I STOLE THIS SHIP FROM SATURN SANKIE! IT POBSN'T HAVE A RAPK. GET THE MEN TOGETHER İVE A SCIRA ID GOTTLE WITH

SADER 1»WHREE'S THE ASTRON- "OMER ¥ I WANT TO DRB NIWA AT

ONCE!

In his book "The Roar of the Crowd" he wrote: That night thought Peter Jackson Was R great fighter. Six months later, s being tired after that night, I thought him a greater "one. "And today, after 33 years as I sit on the 15th floor of a New York skyscraper writing.

It maintain that he this. was the greatest fighter I have ever seen."

NEXT WEEK:

The amazing Kid from Aldgate

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