Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 118, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1911 — PACKEY M’FARLAND IS FAST [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PACKEY M’FARLAND IS FAST

80 Says “Young Griffo,” Who Saw Chicago Boy Trim Owen Moran of England in New York. A gray-haired, sturdy-looking fellow was Introduced to the crowd at a local boxing club the other night as “the greatest lightweight boxer ever known.” Before his name was announced veteran ring followers recognized Albert Griffiths, better known as Young Griffo, of Australia, who has traveled a rocky road since his retirement from the ring a dozen years ago. Griffo is taking some care of his health nowadays and hasn’t tasted In-, toxicants for more than a year. • Griffo saw Packey McFarland trim Owen Moran and was enthusiastic over the wonderful little Chicago fighter. “McFarland Is about the fastest man I’ve ever seen.” exclaimed the Australian after the bout. “He’s got a great head and know! more about real boxing than any of the lightweights of

the present day. The strongest point I noticed was his speedy footwork. He was all over the ring, in and opt, and he would have puzzled any man. I am sure that Packey would have held his own with the lightweights I used to box. That is to say, he would have outpointed a lot of them and would have stalled off the others. “1 remember Kid Lavigne when he was champion. I boxed a twenty-five round draw with him once and had no trouble in blocking his attack. But Lavigne was nit as fast as McFarland in getting around the ring. He rushed all the time and tried to land a knockout blow, paying very little attention to the defensive part of the game. He never could be called a boxer, and in the case of Frank Erne, who won the title from him, I believe Lavigne’s defeat was due to this reason. Erne was a first-class boxer, but he wasn't a hard hitter, not so hard as McFarland, and Packey cannot be called a slugger.”

Packey McFarland.