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Show DID NOT HEAR GLAIMOF FOOL By SAM P. HALL. Chicago. 111., March 13. Harry Stout referee of tho sensational glovo contest Involving Willi Ritchie and Ad WolgaBt at Mllwnukee last night, made an astounding statomcnt In tho presence of Tom Jones and the writer in a hotel after the battlo. It certainly cer-tainly astounded us, and we know It did Jones, for Tom Invited the official of-ficial outsldo whon ho heard It. wany declined, and Ad's manager and no apparently parted enemies. Tho followers of the glove Rame all know by this time that Wolgast went down in thc seventh round ot the fight after Ritchie had clubbed him twice in thc body with, his right, and lodged a claim of foul. When he sank to the floor Ritchie was b e-tween e-tween him and Stout, WilHc backed away and Stout walked quickly to Wolgast's side. Every ringslder was positive that Stout knew that Wolgast claimed a foul and that ho refused the plea and ordered him to get up and fight, which Wolgast did, at any rate. But horc is what Stout said: "I did not know until after the fight that Wolgast claimed foul. I thought he went down from tho two stomach punches and I counted four on him before he got up. I was not In a position to see the blows plainly and I did not detect a low punch, If there waB one. for that reason. If I had known that Wolgast was lodging lodg-ing a claim of foul I would have stopped the fight then and there and called in a physician to examine him." Jones looked at Harry in amazement amaze-ment and then exploded. He declared declar-ed that not only did Wolgast claim a foul, but that he did also, and shouted shout-ed from the Wolgast corner loudly enough for the referee to hear him. Tom wound up by allowing that Stout never would officiate again in a ring contest In which he had anything to say. Stout's statement certainly is ti queer one, when It Is considered that It was palpable to all anywhere near the arena that Wolgast was asking that Ritchie be disqualified for striking strik-ing low.. The statement of Dr. Morter, member mem-ber of the Wisconsin boxing commission, commis-sion, made following thc fight, to the effect that Wolgast was fouled, gives Adolph an excellent alibi for the newspaper decision that went against him in the majority of tho newspapers. newspa-pers. If he really was fouled and there is no reason to doubt Dr. Mor-ter's Mor-ter's official word then he surely is the victim of a fine piece of hard luck. The disqualification of Ritchie would have made Wolgast champion again by popular opinion. In that case he would be able to dictate to Ritchie on the weight and have a much better bet-ter chance against him if they collide col-lide again. However, it's a strange thing that most of those who saw the two Ritchie body blows go home are willing to swear that each of them landed a couple of Inches above the Wolgast belt line. It's a fine little mixup all around, and means that Ritchie will have to give Ad another an-other chance in order to settle that old superiority question. |