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Show H , -r ' ' -- - . - BttaM SB3 si iSsBs aj s eMii W f LiLiLiH ..asiaBssBBsSSssssssMfcsWSCB& ' ' ' . cm aaMm aaejBSB i j&M H iH t - &r . ..-...- IH vBPIIk iPHra 'VA could bo welterweight champion of the world. J ill. TV T 1 xi 4 TTO! TT i WVW'mSMfflOTHP - M . This Matthews docs not admit, lie docs admit Q K TT 1 Tl (3 P ftOlft lift VJTCXQY H I Wf&' WmmSsSSm ffl however, that he has no ambftlon to attain CiO UClbLllllhi 1 UlOUIHil S JL V,VX ' W wS&MIBBSsllssssf $1 ' K" ereat ring honors. TTT'I . 11 LH , L WMMiBffliW A l would not glvo 6 cents to win tho cham- . . TVT-xr-rA-rT-rf-Ini W h. 1 T H : Ife WEffllL "i - P'on-hip of the world," I. the .ay Matthews q CtCX IVlOlfteY Willi WillCll 9 I . iWWJMOSmmmW HI puts It. "Imoiely fight to got enough monoy to bW V i XVXVAtJ " ' ' " mkLmiSKKtfm' M complete my ministerial studies. When I be- TV T . . 7 1 I LsH jis$Kri5llS & ."Ji come a mlnlstor of the Christian Church I will . "J . j fl A miCTAT'in T jElPBf E . Sk , nave done with the ring. Now I fight only Q ltftlSil JTTlS IVlllftlS XGI Icll , 'I BPPi0r I- enough to keep me in funds." tW JLiiU11 " " 1 sss9 I JKSWMS&Wir M I r :JK '! Young Matthews always has had a strong re- !l pSlf!f 14, ' H ? llglous leaning. He wanted to be a mlnlstor Ql-Jz,-, fl ifewS4iw w- n- lone bcforo h0 bcCttmo a pr,zoflghtcr-Do l oTUQieSo J H md1 h0 "vva8 D0BSeS3Cd by th0 Bplrlt of l0V0, Ho waB B I WSk Petor rancr who aftor h0 had boen bctllen by I fllK ,hShu?ritgS not 'a man at all. ho Is, It's a H BfesM liPWI Now Fltzslmmons has got rid of his punch, HjPV WJmml Wondorful how many men over 50 find them- H HbMbbBP JMBIJPIM to deliver and that young men always refuse to M MUml&K&fflFKsB hiii?'ffSi n,s orlSln:i1 messago, and when ho can no longer H j jHHWfffHp t S tno wlld days of nl3 youth that would havo put H j --iHiiSBBSls3 N K 1 K-r-mPJBP J Fltzalmmons, himself, was not a good listener isH sssHESK. mw y yrTxf ' ''NlBjmsm Ibbbbbb! ilisssssfPi ftaoUnBBKBIfsSSsi H I BY J. B SHEB,rDAIT. H j ECENT advices to tho effect SBBBBBsl V S tnat Bob Fltzslmmona, r tho famous pugilist, has H J J J J foresworn tho prlzo ring H i f and w111 hecomo an ovan- 1 IJ I 1 gcllst directs attention to H J . I I the fact that there ofton H (vX s ha3 bcen a cl03e conncc" H lion" between tho preacher and tho prizefighter. H Many of tho lights of tho ring havo gone Into H ' the ministry and many ministers havo loved to H put on the gloves Thero must be something H Jn the phraoo "militant Christianity." ! One of the most famous of nlnctconth century cen-tury evangelists, George Borrow, a man who did much to circulate tho Bible, and who translated trans-lated the great book Into sovcral tongues, -hh, loved prizefighting and, as ho called them, H ' "bruisers." Borrow was a roan of exceptional J education and character and tho author of oov- H eral books. He waB a zealous evangelist H though he never assumed orders. Ho did tre- H mendous nervlc for the Bible Society of Lon- ' don In circulating tho Inspired work in Russia, H j China nnd Spain. Borrow was a wonderful 1 ) natural philologist, or student of languages. !Ho was also the author of sovoral books of an autobiographic nature. Among them was "The Bible In Bpaln." a H story of his advontures In tho Spanish Penln- H tula whllo circulating the Bible there. HU H "Lavenrro" and "Romany Rye" aro stories of H his own life and adventures among the gypsies, H tinkers, wayfaring men, boxers and country H alehouio keepers of Knsln BSSSSSSSHBSh In Favor of English Ale. One of tho very finest appreciations of the old boxers of jEngland appears In "Lavcngro," whllo his own story of his Impromptu bare-knucklo bare-knucklo fight with Blazing Bosvllle, the "Flaming "Flam-ing TInnian," Is a classic of pugilistic dcscrlp tlon. Always a temperate man. Borrow writes strongly in favor of good old English ale, which be says is food for the faint of heart. Borrov. never was averse to engaging in a. sparring match for the fun of It. Ho once engaged en-gaged In a match without glovc3 with a gypsy named Pctulcngro. who loved to fight. Tho pypsy thought that ho could whip young Borrow Bor-row casllr enough. So, quite unattended, they dismounted from their horses, and, at the Insistent In-sistent demand of Pefulongro, stepped on to nice groon spot which appealed to the hearts nf both as a very' fit placo for a tusslo. Indeed, all through his books on philology, authorship, rollgion, etc., Borrow nover falte to speak with ardor of tho glory of boxing and of the honoBty and virility of tho old-tlmo brulsors of England. Thero was Bondlg-o, too, a champion of all England In the eighteenth oontury, who became an evangollst, Bondlgo was a really great fighter. Conan Doyle writes of him with tho utmost rcspoct and admiration. At the vry height of hla puglllstlo career Bondlgo, aham-plon aham-plon of England, "got religion. ' He abandoned tho ring and took to tho gonpol tent, wherein. It Is recorded, ho did good work for the word. Now comes Bob Fltzslmmons, one of the very groateat fighting men, Thoro hfto beon nothlnc In X'ltZBlmmono previous llfo to lndlcato that Ono wife was divorced, another is dead; th? third, after many advontures and .disagreements .disagree-ments with her famous husband, "got rollgion," too. Indeed, It was hor lnfluenco that fotchod Bob to quit the stage and Join tho church. Fltz was en tour wlUi a burlosquo company when his wlfo joined him, after a separation, or scries of separations, of many years, Tho famous fa-mous slugger could not wait to finish his tour. Ho begged his manager to release him that he might carry his message to young men. Old Men's Advice Not Taken. "Why always tho messago to young mon? A smart young man has said that tho best advlca he ever got was from an exceedingly wlckeJ old man or an old man who had, when ho could, been exceedingly wicked. Why Is It that devils become saints In old age7 Why are old mon always trying to do tho Impossible put old heads on young shoulders? Most of tho reformed pugilists. Jockeys, baao-ball baao-ball players, etc., wo have known, have bceit old mon or men past the glory of their youth. Howover, St. Louis has a preacher pugilist who Is neither old nor decrepit nor worn out. nor without his punch. This young man was born In Mleeourl and educated in ring ways and religious ways In St. Loula. Ho is Pierce Matthows, aged 28, born near Frederlcknburg, which is 100 mlloi east of St. Louis, on tho Missouri Pacific Railroad, Rail-road, and ho la a first-class fighting man. Matthews Is In the very flush of his manhood and ring career. 'TIh said of him that were ho animated with a desire to excel In the arena ho Fredericksburg they woro wont to Bay that ho ;vould ono day bo a Methodist minister. Boxer by Accident. Ills family was of tho Methodist faith. When Matthews camo to St. Louis to work his way through college, ho was still a Methodist. Later ho became a member of tho First Christian Church, of which Dr. John L. Brandt Is pastor Matthows never meant to bo a boxer. "I Just Bllppcd Into It," he says. He was around tho old Crosccnt Athletic Club, near Twenty-ninth nnd Ollvo streets The boys thero put on the" gloves a good deal. Matthew 3, a stranger in town, sought companionship In tho club and was Induced to try his hand with tho mittens. Ho proved to bo strong and fast. He Boon picked up tho rudiments of boxing. Ho was asked to spar with a young man at a club smoker. Ho did so. Tho match was bo gcod that tho boys were asked to repeat It They did. Matthews got a watch for hlo Bharo of tho prize Employment was not easy to obtain. Ho found that ho could make money by publlo exhibitions of boxing So, driven by economical econom-ical necessity, Matthows entered tho ring. t "I did not know whither I was drifting," ho said. "I am suro that most young boys of 18 and 19 do not know where they aro drifting. If left to tholr own dovlccs, thoy do tho best thoj can to got along. A place to cat and a place to sleep marks tho Hmlf of their horizons Eat J ing and sleeping seem to bo necessary. When a boy must think of thorn abovo all things, ho quickly comes to think of little else. "I am frank to say that had I known, could I havo foreseen, whither I was bound, I would not have taken up boxing as a profession." continued young Matthews. "I havo no wish to make light of my occupation or of tho men who follow It, but I do not like tho ring. I goz into It without knowing what I was doing. I have stayod In It to get money to pursue my theological studies. That i3 alL I box as llttlo as possible. I do not caro for money. I wish that I had a lot of money, but only for tho good that I might do with It. Pays Tribute to BIng. "I wish to say that I moot many fine boys In tho ring. Thoy mean well, they do tho best thoy can. The atmosphere of tho ring, tho terrible ter-rible competition, somo of tho camp followers of pugilism, tho betting men, tho money chas-crswho chas-crswho follow tho boxers and boxing, creato a bad atmosphere, let tho fighters themselves bo evor no clean. "I object, also, to wicked, vicious, finish and long-dlatanco fights. If I had my way, all matches would be limited to six rounds with heavy glovos. I hate to eco a game boy boaten up in long, hard fights. I hato to aeo two mon get angry and maul each other all over tno ring, Theso vicious battleB are always tho ro-Bult ro-Bult of long-dlatanco fights. I havo seon' matches that havo gone beautifully for six, eight or ton roundB dogonornto Into brutal slugging slug-ging matches when both mon got tired, 111-lemporcfl 111-lemporcfl and worn. "Thon tho very conditions under which boxing box-ing cvlats brings the tomptatlon for dishonesty. Take a first-class flghtor. Ho fights on tho level all tho tlmo. Tho first thing ho knows ho has fought himself out of oppononts nnd out of a living. Ho has boaten nil the mon In his class. Ho must do ono of thrco things, glvo up tho ring, go out of his class, or stay In tho ring, his class and fako. "I wish to say that as far as I know thoro is hltlo faking In tho ring, though tho temptations tempta-tions aro great. I havo noticed that long fights make for faking. Tako two mon of high rank who aro evenly matched for a long fight. Thd man who loses will lose a lot of reputation, monoy-maklng power and so-called honor. They both know that tho tight will bo long, hard and fateful. Thoy got nervouB about It. "Thfn, some one suggests that It will be better for all parties that both men shall tako It easily, 'stall,' as It Is known, and have a draw. They aro told that they will make mors money, run less risk and tako less punishment by making an agreomont to go easily than If they fight It out on the loveL They aro shown that thoy can repeat their match In many towns if thoy fight to a draw. They aro shown in plain flgureB that a draw means more monoy and less risk than a decision. Maybe ono uf them plainly sees that if ho wins this particular fight ho will be unable to get other good matchos In his class. "Under these circumstances It is not to bo wondered that thoro aro not more fako fights than thero aro. 'An occupation which you destroy by fair dealing Is a bad ono to bo In. "An occupation wherein you must be crooked to mako a living is a worso ono still. Sometimes Some-times the prize ring offers you ono or tho other horn of tho dilemma. "I havo known many a bravo and gallant and generous boy to bo unjustly accused of faking In the. ring." Matthows mentioned ono man who was accused ac-cused of faking in his match, thon continued. "I do not knotf if the match was or was not a fake. I do know, howover, that thl3 man Is ono of tho most generous, soft-hearted, lovablo chaps In tho world. He will do anything for f man in hard luck. I havo seen him glvo away hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Ho 13 a clean-cut. efficient young American, who could have bcen a great success in almost any business busi-ness to which ho might glvo his attention and energy. Ho drifted Into tho prizo ring, has becomo a real star, and yet Is reputed to bo a faker. It 13 hard to believe that ho would knowingly do a dishonest thing. But he Is in a dangerous game and that gives him a bad name. Compliments Battling Nelson. "Battling Nelson, whom I boxed in St. Louis recently, Is another clean, wholosomo, honest fellow. He has never been accused of dishonesty. dishon-esty. Always brave, ho has taken some terrible terri-ble beatings." "How do you approach your oppononts In the ring?" Matthews was asked. "Do you over becomo be-como vicious or angry? Do you ever wish to ": punish a man who may hurt or abuao you wua fist or foul or tonguo?" i "I havo never becomo angry in tho ring," ro- Mil plied tho young preacher pugilist, I never havo MM any hard feelings for an opponent. I am never R excited by conditions or by blows or words. I MI approach my fights with an opon and calm mind. I regard them as scientific, artistic dls- 21 plays. I have never boon maddened or angered Bjl by a blow or 'by a word. I have never desired jg to hurt or to punish an opponent. Jj "I have no qualms -about knocking out an op- Sf ponont, though. I havo boen knocked out my- 91 self, and I know that It Is a swift and not MM painful roothod of obtaining a decision. I havo MM tried to knock out many men. I have never Bfl tried to cut or hurt or punish any man unncc- flj esearily S9 "I have been told that because I am not mean enougn. have not what ring people call 'dcvlT SI M mm 1 mm iM 1 In mo, that I never can bo a champion. Old 9M trainers, managers and fighters tell mo that to jM be successful, a boxer must bo vicious, want H to hurt, to wound, to destroy. Ho must bo H ruthless, pitlloss, If ho would be a champion. H "Well, I fear that if this Is tho stuff of which M champions are mado I novor can bo a H champion. I do not want to bo a champion. Aa 9Ji I havo said, I would not glvo 5 cents to bo one. ttM "All I want Is to make enough monoy to fin- H lsh my studios for tho Christian ministry." H Mai thews is a tall, slender, young man of &M distinctly clerical aspect. He speaks with great H vigor and fluency, and is evidently a very thor- 91 ough Biblical student. He can quoto tho Bible 91 and glvo chapter and verso for everything ho D quotes. His aspect is that of tho student, and H as far as possible from the preconceived Ideaa "H of a boxer as can be. jH His folks havo long been farmers In Centra? B Missouri He owns a farm near FredcrlckC- H burg. He has ono brother who Is an evangollst H and ono who wants to becomo a prizefighter. H "I will not let my young brother enter the H ring," said Matthows, "though I feel that h U might attain great success in It. Ono prize- H fighter Is quite enough in tho Matthows fam. .M Matthews is a regular attendant at the First H Christian Church, Dolmar and Pendleton avo- gH nue, and a member of Its famous Sunday H school. Ho means to bo an evangelist, but R hopes that he docs not Intend to mako monoy 2S out of preaching tho gospeL. Ho is ono of tho wKfl fqw young men who have a messago for their 9t youthful brothers. W J |