WAS EYTON’S LETTER REASON WHY WOLGAST CHOOSES WELCH?

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Well, Anyhow, Jack Welch Will Be the Third Man in the Ring—Lively Gossip About a Day of Fight Bargains and Negotiations

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By R.A. Wynne

     Practically every detail for the coming battle between Fred Welsh and Ad Wolgast, for the lightweight championship of the world was completed yesterday.

     It was decided that Jack Welch of San Francisco would officiate as referee, and he was advised of the choice by wire by Uncle Tom McCarey.

     Wolgast and his manager, Tom Jones, yesterday deposited a certified check for $2500, as a guarantee that Wolgast would meet Welsh on Thanksgiving Day, and it was made plain to both Fred Welsh and Ad that the weight was to be 133, ringside.

     With these trifling details for perhaps the greatest battle in his life’s history completed, that little happy-go-lucky mortal, Adolph Wolgast, clambered on board a Southern Pacific train and started for Wheeler’s Springs.  He was accompanied by his bosom friend and trainer “Hobo” Dougherty.

     Yesterday morning, bright and early, Wolgast, accompanied by Tom Jones and Dougherty, appeared at the fight headquarters at Greenewald’s and met a host of friends.  The little champion looked the very picture of health and bubbling spirits.  He was never quiet and went light heartily from one group to another of admiring friends, and laughed and talked like a school boy on a vacation.

     Jones, the ever busy, was bustling around holding heart-to-heart talks with Uncle Tom McCarey in out of the way corners, as though the destinies of nations were at stake.

Offer From Matt Wells

     In the midst of these talks, a messenger boy handed Jones a telegram from a fight club in New York offering a flat guarantee of $10,000 for Wolgast to meet Matt Wells in a ten round bout, and also an optional payment of $5000 cash for Wolgast’s interest in the fight pictures.

     For the moment Jones forgot his business in Los Angeles and dashed over to the Western Union Office, across the street, where he indited a lengthy message, and wrangled for a half hour with the girl over its cost.

     Wolgast and McCarey followed Jones over to the telegraph office, and after the telegram had been sent an impromptu business session was held in the telegraph office.

     The first question brought up was that of referee, and it was wonderful to see the unanimity with which the principals agreed.  It would seem that there was not the slightest intention of ever having any one but Jack Welch of San Francisco.

Selecting a Referee

     Jones explained that in the original articles, signed some time ago, it had been stipulated that Wolgast could name the referee and that he would select either Eddie Smith or Jack Welch.  The death of Smith left only Welch, and Jones stated that Welch would be the man.

     Jones and Wolgast have stated that the reason they did not select Eyton was that Charley might become “flustered” in the ring: or “was opposed to infighting.”

Undoubtedly, the real reason is the letter Eyton wrote to the newspapers at the time of the Kilbane-Rivers fight in which he toasted Jones with fearful frankness, referring to him as “a short sport” and suggested his fitness to blossom forth as “a major in the army of tin horns.”

     Worst of all, he recalled the days of the dear dead past when Jones is supposed to have officiated with tact and finesse and managerial genius as the driver of a coal wagon in dear old Cadillac.

     The letter was written because Jones criticized Eyton’s decision in the Kilbane-Rivers fight.

     Jones is said to have had a big bet on that event.  At any rate, when Eyton held up Joe River’s fist as token of victory over Kilbane, Jones dashed headlong into the ring in a frenzy of excitement roaring at the top of his voice that it was the rottenest decision he ever saw.

     Eyton came back at him with this letter.

     Jones and Wolgast both yesterday endeavored to make it plain that there was no feeling in the matter of the selection of Welch as referee and that they thought the world and all of Eyton.

Wolgast’s Forfeit

     Jones had a certified check for $2500 in his pocket and after the referee business and a few other things had been settled he turned it over to McCarey as a forfeit for Wolgast’s meeting Welsh.

     Welsh has already deposited a check for $1000 with McCarey and informed him that he would post the remaining $1500 at any moment necessary.  The check will probably be handed to McCarey today.

     The close bond of affection that exists between Hobo Dougherty and Wolgast was shown yesterday at Greenewald’s.  Dougherty was not long ago decidedly upon his “uppers” and there were numerous times when he did not know whether he would eat once, or more often, during a week.

Loyal to Hobo

     Yesterday he was arrayed in fine raiment and was consciously busy attending to small details for Wolgast.  A stocky-built young fellow with a tough mug began to “pan” Dougherty a little as they were standing on the pavement in front of Greenewald’s.  He became a little abusive in his caustic remarks about “Wolgast’s doggie” and Wolgast, who was standing in the doorway, overheard the remarks.  Like a flash the little champion stepped out to the curb in front of the bully and turned his broad shoulders squarely on the thug and asked Dougherty:

     “Anything wrong, Hobo?”

     “Aw, nix,” said Hobo, shuffling his feet.  “This guy was just panning me a little for knowing you so well.”

     Wolgast turned slowly to face the talkative one and lo and behold, he was half a block away and going fast.

     The incident shows the affection that exists between Wolgast and Hobo.  There is a real liking and the two are like kids just out of school.  They play together like two young puppies and are never so happy as when milling away with each other in the training quarters.

     The champion had spent the night at Ocean Park with his wife and came to Los Angeles yesterday morning prepared to leave for Wheeler’s Springs.  After all of the details of the fight had been attended to.  Wolgast stepped into an automobile and with the faithful Dougherty and Jones at his heels started for the Arcade Depot, where bidding Jones good by, they left for the mountains.

    Jones will probably leave today for the Springs, but has the matter of moving pictures to arrange before he can get away.  At the present time there is a deposit of $25,000 in the hands of Brown Bros. Bankers of New York, made by a film concern as a guarantee for the pictures of the Wells-Wolgast bout, and it is transfer the deposit to a Los Angeles bank and accept the right for the Wolgast-Welsh pictures in lieu of the Wells-Wolgast fight.

Tuesday, November 14, 1911

Los Angeles Daily Times

Los Angeles, California