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Show SOME DERELICTS OF PRIZE RING Somebody once said "There Is no gain worth while without loss." This maxim, if maxim it be, has been applied ap-plied in the game of pugilism with results most unfortunate and under circumstances which make these results re-sults more regrettable than the toll exacted in struggles for success In other lines of endeavor Particularly Is this true of the last decade, for in that time there have passed from tho the scene many masters of the art of fighting. Some of them have paid a heavv cost, a cost that has been paid with" life, while others have met an even more unfortunate fate, a fate that means the remainder of their days must be spent In confinement for their own protection as well as that of others Perhaps that subject would not have been chosen for the writer had ho not learned a few day3 ago of one of the Instances of the cost In the fighting game. The Information that prompts It romes from a little place named Norfolk, In the state of Nebraska, Ne-braska, where there is confined in the asylum a former pugilist one looked, upon as good enough, possibly, to win the world's lightweight championship. Kid Parker Went Insane. It was not so long ago that "Kid" Parker of Deuver was a shining light in the lightweight division Today Ibis same "Kid" Parker Is among the insane in the Norfolk asylum. Those in charge are of the belief that he will remain there for the rest of his days. Parker is fighting his battles now in a padded cell, for he possesses the hallucination that he is a champion. cham-pion. Ho constantly slates that he is readv to fight Joe Gans and Battling Nelron. He punches the walls of hla padded cell. In order that he may not hurt his hands, the attendants have provided him with a pair of boxing box-ing gloves. Down at Blackwell's Island, off New York, there Is another famous fighter of other days. That Is "Young" Grlffo, whom many critics of pugilism declare was the cleverest boxer that ever pulled on a glove Grlffo's boxing box-ing was called uncanny, for it 1b doubtful if ever a man could handle his fists as cleverly. But ho 1b down and out, a victim of the dissipation of years, which have affected his mentality men-tality as well as his health. He paid the "cost of success in pugilism "Con" Got Joe Gans, Those who have passed out entire- ly long before their time form a long lisL On this list are found tho names of many cbampIonB and near cham-pIonB. cham-pIonB. Joe Gans, who for years hold tho world's lightweight championship, died tho victim of tuberculosis. The Baltimore negro was a wonderful fighting machine, but ho fought until the machine broke down. Constant training to make weight had much to do with hastening tho end. Then there was another little colored col-ored man a few years before Gans who came to tho end of his string long before the average man reaches It. That was George Dixon. "Little Chocolate" they called him in the heyday of his succeBses. Dixon died practically friendless in Bcllevue hospital hos-pital In New York. His once wonderful wonder-ful constitution was wrecked by dissipation. dis-sipation. "Wilmington Jack" Daly remember remem-ber him? The time when he was at the top of the heap wasn't long ago. But old King Barleycorn got Jack In his grip. Ho drifted out or the fight game, soon contracted tuberculosis, and is dying In Philadelphia, which city he had called home for several years. Jack O'Brien recently wrote that "Wilmington Jack" couldn't last much longer and that there was no use sending him west, that it would be best for him to stay In Philadelphia, Philadel-phia, whore ho had some friends. There are many other instances of the cost of success in pugilism, but they are too numerous to mention here. Why is this cost nccessary7 is asked. Tho answer is easy. There are some fighters who wreck their constitutions by training to make weighL There are others who, through hard punching on the head, suffer a weakening of their mentality. But to that enemy of all athletes, Mr John Barleycorn, is attributed tho downfall and the ultimate finish. Combine dissipation and training to make weight, and the wrecking of physique and mind Is a matter of only a short time. |