Thread: Inside the ring with Charley White 1911 - Part 1 Intro - Parts 2 & 3 Jack McAuliffe

Charley (or Charlie) White was a well known figure in boxing circles from the 1890's, 1900's & 1910's. He was involved with the Clipper Athletic Club from New York & played a role in developing Matty Matthews who would go onto gain honours as Welterweight World Champion. He would also judge & referee many bouts including world title contests.

Note: Some of the articles have faded so may have some text missing. Luckily the first 3 parts are more or less in full apart from an odd word which I have substituted with an [?] or after a word without a space means that the word typed maybe correct from what I can determine/guess but may not be the actual word. This is not a common occurrence in the articles

At present these are the only one's typed up so I'll see how many hits the thread gets & decide if it's worth while doing more.

Charley White, America's Greatest Referee, Tells the Story of World's Championships From the Viewpoint of the Third Man Inside the Roped Arena.

This is the first of a series of stories written specially for the Evening World by a man who has won international fame not only as a referee but as a judge of fighters. It is the first story ever told from inside the roper arena, and by one who took an active part in many famous championship battles. the story is told in narrative form and contains many interesting incidents never before disclosed. It also includes a comparison of fighters of the good old Horton law days and those of today.

BY CHARLIE WHITE,

No. 1 - Fighters Old and New.
Copyright. 1911 by the Press Publishing Co. (The New York World).

Hardly a day passes but somebody asks me what I think of the present-day champions of the ring and how they compare with the fighters of the old Horton Law days. Everybody seems to hold a positive opinion either one way or the other, but I believe the question is one that a person can decide either way and still be mistaken. men of to-day, followers of pugilism who did not see the men of former days fight, say that present-day boxers must be better than the old-timers were; but the men who were considered "fans" fifteen years ago cant't see where the fighters of to-day figure in the least with the men who were the heroes of long ago.

I Have refereed more championship bouts than any other man in the world. I have acted in the capacity of referee for many years, and there has been hardly a single one of the big fighters who has not boxed with me as the third man in the ring. therefore, I feel competent to decide the different merits of the men who have held championships. For instance, I believe that jack McAuliffe, first of the lightweight champions, was the greatest fighter his class has ever known, and I will explain why in the following series of stories.

I believe that I receive as much mail as the ordinary business man. All sorts of people write me for advise on things pugilistic. Boxers from all over this country, England and Australia query me on the different points of the game. Some of them are "bugs" for fair.

I've known some queer "bugs" in the pugilistic world- second raters who have the idea that they are most wonderful boxers; champions who have sworn they entirely missed their proper vocations and should have been either singers, actors, playwrights or pianists.

I have known fighters who were possessed of voices like those of street vendors, but nobody could convince them that they were not intended to [?] operatic stars. Several of them paid big money to singing teachers, but I never heard of them appearing at any concerts.

Tried "Buck and Wing."

There have been a lot of fighters who were about as slow on their feet as they come who believed they were natural born dancers. They have been known to take lessons in"buck and wing" dancing with the idea of applying for engagements on the vaudeville stage.

The immense sums of money that many fighters of only mediocre caliber are receiving to-day would astonish the champions of a few years ago. Why, Knockout Brown received almost $7,000 for his little ten-round session with Champion Wolgast: And the men fought with good-sized gloves at that. Imagine Jack McAuliffe fighting with skin-tight gloves and to a finish for $150 - that's what he did on more than one occasion when he was climbing the ladder of fame.

Nowadays the fighters don't have to worry about getting the money that is coming to them. In the old days they were never sure of getting anything at all. Just to illustrate the point, here's a story of how Jack McAuliffe came within an ace of losing his end of the purse when he fought Billy Meyers at a little Illinois town some years ago.

While McAuliffe was alone in his dressing-room three strangers weighed their way in and closed the door after them.

"How long can you stay with Meyers?" asked one of them.

"Why, I could stretch it out all night." replied Jack.

"String it out as long as you can and we'll fix you up." said the spokesman as the thre strangers turned and left the room.

There was an $8,000 gate to be divided between the fighters, managers and backers. Disagreeing as to how the money should be split up in case the fight was stopped it was decided to place the coin in a safe in the office downstairs.

When the fight had gone a few rounds McAuliffe looked around and saw the three strangers occupying back seats. But they didn't stay there long.

Burglars Get the Coin

You see that "safe" although it had a regular stell front and sides, had a paper mache back, and those three fellows were after the money. They got every cent of it, and then returned to see how the fight was going. At last one of the men came over to McAuliffe's corner and remarked: "Go ahead, Jack, and finish this any time you want."

Three days later Jack entered a big sporting place in Chicago, and when the cashier spotted him he called him to one side and handed him a small bundle.

McAuliffe opened it and found it contained $2,750.

"That's your share of the purse for the fight the other night." said the cashier.

The sum was within a few dollars of what Mac's one-third of the purse figured, and Jack was so afraid some other hold-up men might take it away from him before he could leave Chicago that he turned the money over to a New york friend for safekeeping.

Now the boxing game is more of a business and a box office proposition. In the old days of the Horton law and prior to that time the boxers fought more for the glory of the thing than they do to-day. They loved a fight. Give them a chance to battle for a title and they would be happy. If they happened to engage in a fight that was scheduled to go less than to a finish there was always a decision rendered and a winner's and loser's end to the purses. Such conditions caused a man to fight his very best.

Boxing in public was not allowed at all until the Horton law came into operation, and the fighters had hard times pulling off bouts.

Fixed the Constable.

One of the most amusing stories I have ever heard has to do with that fight between McAuliffe and Billy Meyers at North Juson, Ill., and it shows how the authorities used to prey upon poor pugilists.

The managers of the fight had slipped the town constable a "bit of change" and he had departed for the remainder of the night. But just as soon as he was out of sight his deputy showed up and demanded a "century" note. There was nothing else to do, so they handed over $100 to him, and started down the stairway.

Among the many yeggs and hold-up men who were down from "Chi" to see the battle was one "Chicago Pete." He wa there for business as well as pleasure, and when he spotted that hundred dollar bill he went after it. On the dark stairway he held up Mr. Deputy Constable and relieved him of his little piece of graft.

With an awful howl, the deputy returned and demanded another hundred. Again they handed it over, "Chicago Pete" repeated the previous operation and took the second bill from the deputy.

For the third time he demanded another bill, stating that he had also been robbed of the second one given him. The demand was too much for the poor promoters. One of them called "Chicago Pete" to one side and offered him $25 if he would take care of the constable for the remainder of the evening.

Pete inveigled the rube into accompanying him downstairs. before a light could be struck in the dark room Pete had the constable roped, tied and gagged. He fastened him into a chair and locked the door on Mr. Constable as he returned to watch the fight.

"Chicago Pete" didn't even take the trouble of looking in on the deputy before he left town that morning, either.

Fell into the Ring

When McAuliffe fought Harry Gilmore, the Canadian, for the lightweight championship of America, the fight was held in the downstairs hall of a building in which the upper hall was occupied by the Salvation Army, and as there was a religious meeting going on overhead that night the manager[?] of the fight requested the spectators to remain absolutely quiet.

Two coons had climbed up onto the beams that crossed above the ring. At one of the exciting stages of the bout both coons began to shout. Somebody got close enough to them to shove them off, and they fell sprawling into the ring. The fight stopped long enough to allow several "gentle" attendants to remove the colored men from the ring.

But even the noise made when these men fell failed to disturb the singers in the barracks overhead, and the fight was finished without the Salvationists suspecting for an instant a prize fight was going on right below them.

Years ago there were "runners up" to the champions who were "classy." Many of them just missed being champions. Some lacked a pound or two in weight, while others couldn't train within a half pound of the limit in their classes and be strong. I shall tell them in the following stories, because many of them were wonderful men.

I want the readers to understand that a man must have "class" in order to be a champion, and there has never been a champion who was not "classy." Some of them lacked perfection at the art of self defense, but they made up for that in fighting spirit and mighty strength.

I will first take up the lightweight division and write of their different qualities and how they classed and compared with one another.

Charley White, America's Premier Referee, Tells Why Jack McAuliffe Was a Real Lightweight Champion.

No. 2 - Jack McAuliffe, the Greatest Lightweight of Them All.

To my mind Jack McAuliffe was the greatest lightweight champion who ever won the tile under Queensbury rules. He fought at the stage of the game when skin tight gloves were mostly used; at a time when public boxing was not permitted and the men were forced to battle in private - usually fighting to a finish. In McAuliffe's time there were scores of corking good men all over the country, and he beat most of them in hard finish bouts. The purses were very small, and the men fought more for the pure love of swapping punches than they did for financial gain.

Jack was one of the hardest hitters for his weight the world has even seen. He was fast, clever, very strong and a heady fighter of the first water. He was the "class" in everything a boxer must have. He was full of ring cunning, and I've known him to tantalize an opponent into near madness by simply whispering in his ear. Jack was a ring general all the way through. He knew the part of a round in which to do his hardest fighting and when to rest up. Sometime he would go at top speed for a minute and rest during the next half minute. McAuliffe combined cleverness with a crafty brain and a most wonderful knowledge of the fighting game. He could deliver a knockout with either hand. He was a master of every detail of his occupation, while the same cannot be said about all the champions who followed him. He was the "class." He was the first one to hold the title under Queensbury rules.

Was a Real Champion.

When I say "class" I mean that McAuliffe has shown himself a master and a real champion. I don't put my O.K. on a man until I have seen his class tested. I have studied all the lightweight champions and am convinced that McAuliffe was the greatest of the lot.

Besides, you must remember that Jack is the only one of the lightweights who has defended his title against all comers and still been able to retire undefeated. Jack had several international fights for the title, including two bouts with the best lightweights England has ever produced.

The first champion in the class was an Irishman. McAuliffe was born at Cork, March 24, 1866. At an early age he was moved with his parents to Portland, Me. As Jack grew old enough to break away from his mother's apron strings he began to look for some sort of work. He was soon selling papers in the New England seaport. he was a sturdy little fellow, and I guess the running he did as a newsboy had a great deal to do with the development of the strong pair of togs that was to stand him in such good stead later on.

As jack grew up he decided his father had made a great mistake in settling in Portland, and he pursuaded his old folks to move to New York. Arriving here, the family settled across the bridge in Williamsburg. Little Jack attended school for a while, but everybody in his neighbourhood went to work, and he soon apprenticed himself to a cooper. All the coopers were scrappers and as Williamsburg was then known as a great sporting centre, boxing bouts were held in all the social and athletic clubs. Most of the boxers were men who worked in the cooperage shops. All day long they swing heavy mallets, and most of them developed huge muscled arms. In almost no time Jack could show a bicep that would make Sandow[?] envious.

How Jack Developed

The rival wards in Williamsburg were dominated over by the Irish along the river front and the dutch in the upper part of town. They were always more or less at war with each other, and close rivalry existed between their respective champion boxers. Every Sunday they would get together, and the fights would either be held in one of the clubs or in the [?] yards of the cooperage.

McAuliffe, rosy cheeked, good looking and always wearing a smile on his young fare, was soon mixed up in the Sunday bouts. In almost no time they referred to him as the "best little man in the Eastern District." But Jack was not the only cooper who was making a name in the district. Jack Dempsey, his brother Martin and the Jack Skelly who afterward fought George Dixon for the featherweight title and S100.00[?] side bet on the day before the Sulluivan-Corbett fight at New Orleans, were all coopers along with McAuliffe.

A strange thing - McAuliffe defended his title against Billy Meyers [sic] of Streator, Ill, the night before Skelly met and was beaten by Dixon. The day following the Dixon-Skelly battle the great John L. Sullivan also went down to defeat at the hands of Jim Corbett. So, you see, McAuliffe was the only one of the "three Jacks" to win.

McAuliff first gained real local fame when he defeated Charlie Ellingsworth at an amateur tournament held in Tammany Hall and later on entered Billy Madden's championship bouts. These fights were all held in private, as the Horton law had not then come into existence and boxing was not legal. In Madden's bouts Jack knocked out three men, but a broken hand made it impossible for him to continue in the tournament. Some weeks later he defeated both Harry Isaacs and Jack Ruddy for the amateur lightweight championship, and that brought him back into public notice.

De Baum, who had been lightweight champion under London prize ring rules, was boxing instructor at the famous Racquet Club, and he decided to hold a big tournament in Tammany Hall. McAuliffe entered the bouts and defeated three men. He had then cleaned up all of the amateurs and turned his thoughts to professionalism.

Trained in Brooklyn.

I remember how enthusiatic Jack then was over the boxing game. He still lived with his folks over in Williamsburg, and did his training there. he didn't care a lot about doing road work, but just show the kid a pair of roller skates and he'd do enough work for ten men. McAuliffe would rather skate fifty miles than run three. He was an expert, too. At fancy skating he was about the best in this part of the country. There's no doubt in my mind that the immense amount of skating he did had a great deal to do with the fine shape his legs were always in.

But to get back, Jack was stung by the professional bug. He immediately challenged Jimmy Mitchell of Philadelphia, a protege of Arthur Chambers, who was looked upon as the best lightweight in America. Jack wanted a $1,000 side bet, too, and that was considered a lot of money in those days. Mitchell, however, declined the chance of metting McAuliffe, and the latter thereupon claimed the title.

A certain Billy Frazer of Boston didn't see where Jack came in to claim the championship of America, so he challenged the Brooklyn boy. A $200 side bet was posted and McAuliffe won in twenty-one rounds.

Then Harry Gilmore of Canada wanted to be shown. This time $500 was bet by each man. The fight took place at Lawrence, Mass., and was refereed by the late Al Smith of New York. The battle was one of the events of the day, as it was an international affair. The Brooklyn bunch bet their rolls on Jack. Gilmore was backed by money from Boston and Providence, as well as that of his own country.

Jack the Winner.

Both men were well cut up in the fight and Gilmore was unable to leave his house for several days afterward. They fought with kid gloves and McAuliffe won in twenty-eight rounds.

When Jack returned to Brooklyn a couple of days after the fight with Gilmore he was proclaimed the lightweight champion of America, and all the old gang turned out to parade in the torchlight procession held in his honor. The Irish and the Dutch marched arm in arm that night.

In February, 1886, Jem Carney, English champion was imported to this counrty by the Boston sports for the express purpose of beating MacAuliffe. The bean eaters were very sore on Jack and [?] scouting the country in an attempt to get a man who would beat him. it would have been better for them to have bet on Jack, as later events will show. McAuliffe was always a sure winner for those who bet on him. If he should not win a fight he would always box in such a manner as not to lose it.

Articles by which the men would meet at 135 pounds and fight for the world's championship were drawn up. There was some misunderstanding and the bout was called off. McAuliffe was willing to meet Carney but his backers were shy on cash. A sefcdond time the match was nade abd declared off.

Jack became tired of the bickering and started in to see the sights and he saw them all. Again he challenged Carney. this time he had the backing. He told his friends that he was in good condition, but kept hitting the high places and refused to take any advice.

The match was made for Oct. 16, 1886. It was for a side bet of $2,500 and was fought with skin gloves at Revere Beach, Mass.

The men battled 4 hours and 56 minutes, As day broke the spectators demolished the ring and the fight was stopped.

Carney was the best lightweight ever produced in England. He was a master of both the old London prize ring rules and the Queensbury style of milling.

After the terrible battle with Jem Carney, the english champion, McAuliffe became more careless about his physical condition than he had ever before been, and it can be said that he never again devoted the amount of time to training that was necessary.

When Mac retired from the game we all realized that he had been the best betting proposition the ring had ever seeen. but it was extremely hard to realize that a man could do the things he did and always make good. Why, there's many a time I've been around where he was training and watched him do queer things. Say there'd be a fight on and he was within a few days of entering the ring. On just such occasions I've seen Jack come into a hotel where his backers were assembled and. sitting down at a near table, order a pint of wine for himself. And he'd drink it right before their eyes. McAuliffe did that thing time and again, just to "kid" the men who were backing him with their money.

About that time Mac began to look around town and pick up all the new wrinkles in fancy clothes. He became known as a man about town and one of the swellest dressers in his line of business. Like many of the old-time champions, he took to the high hat, and in short order he was a well-known personage along Broadway and in the theatrical district.

But, like other professional men, it was up to him to get the coin and he went out on the road. he boxed Patsy Kerrigan ten rounds at Boston for a $350 side bet. next he returned to Greepoint and knocked out Billy Dacey in eleven rounds.

McAuliffe Kept Busy

McAuliffe's entire ring career was full of fighting. At the palace Rink, Grand street, Williamsburg, Jack knocked out Jake Hyems in the ninth round of a hard fight. Hyems, an English lightweight who had been defeated by Jem Carney for the British title, was a first-rate man. He weighed 139 pounds, while McAuliffe came in at the class limit of 133 pounds.

While the men were fighting a whole section of the gallery fell through onto the heads below. Fully twenty people were seriously hurt, but the boxers kept going as if nothing had happened, Even as the injured were being packed out McAuliffe was trying for a knockout.

Billy Meyers was considered one of the best fighters in the West. He was a Chicago boy. McAuliffe was matched to fight Meyers in the vicinity of Chicage and went West to do a little training. The match called for two ounce gloves and a $2,500 side bet.

As it was impossible to hold the battle near the Stock Yards town the sports who were to witness the fight accompanied the boxers on a midnight pilgimage to a little town called North Judson. It was in Illinois state.

The manager of the local opera house allowed the affair to take place in his building. When it came to selecting a referee there seemed no one present who would suit both men. However, mike MCDonald, a Western gamber, was finally chosen. He had bet a lot of money on Meyers and told McAuliffe so. Mac was satisfied that McDonald would give him a square deal and the fight commenced.

Famous Connelly There

The bout had hardly got under way when there was a terrific crash of glass and brick dropped into the centre of the ring. Everybody thought the village constables were breaking in, but "Parson" Davies, manager of the show, knew what had happened. Quickly jumping into the ring he picked up the brick and announced: "Gentlemen, don't be alarmed; this is my old friend, One-eyed Connelly's calling card," and he straightway gave orders that Connelly, ticketless as he was, should be admitted.

At daylight the men were still boxing on an equal footing and the fight was stopped. they had fought for over four hours.

McAuliffe returned to his home in Brooklyn, went to Boston and fought Mike daly a fifteen-round draw. At the time San Francisco was the very centre of the fighting game. Jimmy Carroll, who was then considered the best British lightweight, had beaten all the good men in the west and had trimmed a number of Eastern men who were very classy. McAuliffe was offered a chance to meet him in a finish fight there and accepted.

Arriving in 'Frisco, Jack set out to try and find out if the Western city was any faster than old New York, and he spent most of his time around the sporting places of the town. he expresssed the idea that Mr, Carroll would prove an easy mark.

In Poor Condition.

On the night of the fight Jack was far from being in good condition. He found Carroll a very clever, hard hitting man, and after a few rounds McAuliffe became leg weary. Even his sturdy legs began to give out, and at the end of one of the rounds his thighs became swollen that his trunks were interfering with his circulation and it became necessary to rip them away from both legs.

Mac's hands were not conditioned for a fight with skin-tight gloves, and they were soon in a battered condition. His backers thought he was losing and many of them started to leave the hall. Suddenly and most unexpectedly McAuliffe put over the knock-out. It happened in the forty-seventh round.

McAuliffe's next big fight was with Billy Meyers. They met at New Orleans and fought there foe a $5,000 side bet and a $10,000 purse, McAuliffe winning the bout in the fifteenth round.

A while before the fight with Meyers I had watched Jack getting into condition for a fight with Austin Gibbons, and I can truthfully say that I have never since seen a fellow taking things as easy as did Jack at that time. Three nights before the battle I saw McAuliffe in a saloon. he climbed onto the scales and wighed easily 155 pounds. He had just two days to reduce twenty pounds. His trainer, Carroll, got him out behind a horse and rig that night and made Jack run all the way to Coney Island and back to Brooklyn. It looked impossible for McAuliffe to lose all that weight in so short a time, but a combination of Carroll's training stunts and several Turkish baths brought him in at the required weight.

At one time McAuliffe had about $75,000 in the bank. He liked the horses and it was only a short time when the Bookies cleaned him out. Jack couldn't tell a favorite from a dead one. The bookmakers laid prices for Mac and the sharpshooters took him in. He tried bookmaking and failed. He brought a few skates and tried running and training a stable, but Jack trained his horses like he trained himself. Went to bed last and got up last. Consequently the plugs always ran last.

Suddenly he got the big to be an actor. he engaged to play the hero in a melodrama called "The King of the Turf." It was somewhat of a "sucess, but as soon as McAuliffe had saved a little money he returned to the race track.

Jack's last fight was with Owen Ziegler of Philadelphia. They fought at the Atlantic A.C. at Coney Island. McAuliffe broke his right arm and the ploice stopped the bout. Referee Johnny Erckhardt called it a draw.

Jack was through with the game and retired in favor of Kid Lavigne of Saginaw, Mich.

In my opinion Jack McAuliffe was the classiest champion that ever held the lightweight title. he had everything that goes to make a real champion - strength, skill, cleverness, a cool head and a hard punch in either hand.

That's good stuff. I hope it draws some interest and that you post more of it.