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

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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.

[scribbs]

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.

[greynotsoold]

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