Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 304, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1912 — ATTELL’S START AS FIGHTER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ATTELL’S START AS FIGHTER

Began Career aa "Tough Kid” In Btreeta of Ban Francisco—Made $200,000 as Pugilists Abe Attell Is "down and out” In the parlance of the prize ring, according to those experts who witnessed his last two decisive defeats. Judging from his performances in these encounters, he can’t “come back,” in the opinion of those same experts. It is said he is Inclined to feel a little that way himself. But Abe bra philosopher, if nothing else. He reviewed his fourteen years of fighting the other day. Until he was vanquished by Kilbane Abe was featherweight champion of the world. He has fought over 250 times. He has fought more champions than any other man now in the ring, and

has defended his title every time a 122-pound man could get the offer of a purse and suggested his complicity. He has fought perhaps 3,000 rounds in all. He does not use tobacco in any form, nor has he ever tipped the goblet He is twenty-eight years old. “It’s been a. pretty good game,” he said, reflectively. “Of course I’m kind of bo re when I think' of all the money I’ve let get away from me. "Four of us began together in San Francisco,” he continued. “There were Jimmy Britt and Eddie Hanlon and Frankie Neil and myself. We were all kids together, fighting preliminaries about the same time. The others are all done for now. Fm the only one that’s left in the ring.” A little later he recollected that his ring career had netted him something more than $200,000. He began as a “tough kid” in the San Francisco streets. He is a bit proud of that early record, too. “So,” said Attell, "by and by a kid would come to my mother’s store —or mebbe he’d meet me in the street and call me a ’Jew,’ or we’d catch him in the alley, and then I’d murder him.” The. process of “murdering" ldds was helpful to his shoulder muscles, but began to disturb the neighbors. "So my mother had me sent away to a reform school," said Abe, “and I stayed there for fifteen months. When I got back I remember all the kids around on the street yelling ’Abie’s home.’ I said Td be good. But one of the kids I used to murder —his name was Wires—had been fighting preliminaries, mid he had won twentynine straight fights. All the kids told me to go in and clean him. Alex. Greggalns used to pay sls for preliminary fights then. “By and by some of the kids wait to Greggains and told him they had a kid who oould lick any of his prelim fighters. One of ’em said he was my manager, and Greggalns made a match right away with Eddie Lenny. “I won that fight without a scratch and I gave the sls to my ma. Every time I won —and I won thirty-four fights straight with a knockout—l gave her my dough.”

Abe Attell.