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PAGE TENBillySpirit WoniBy Ed MillerSportscaster Bill Stem’s recent and regrettable collapsefrom overwork occasioned for the writer a few reminicences about the best story Stern ever told on the radiominis*io, thestory of the dramatic death of the “St. Paul ThunderboltsAs a youth in St Paul I went to high school with aCatholic lad, Doug Miske, a clever boxer, and admired his older brother, Billy, Jr., who was one of the best fighters to come out of the Northwest in the late ’30s.But young Doug never talkedmuch about the death of his dad, Billy Miske, the “St. Paul Thun-derbolt,” who had been one of the best-loved heavyweights of the *208. Perhaps the memory was too tender.into an automobile sales business, a business that would mean security for his wife, Marie, and hischildren when he was gone.But the business folded, and the money from his third fight with Dempsey, some $18,000, had to go to pay debts.It was not until a decade and a half later that I heard the story on Bill Stern’s network show, a moving story that ha$ been told and retold, but is worth telling once again.If you can remember the turbu-lant '20s, the Mdays of the giants**in boxing, you will recall the terrific battlers of that day—Jack Dempsey, Tommy and Mike Gib-The disease began to tell now, and he had a hard time training. But he minimized his illness to his wife, assuring her that he would be all right. In the fall of 1923 he began to feel more and more discouraged. He felt that this Christmas would be his last, and he could not bear that it would not be as the others had been happy and sparkling and filled.*gift-Only three men in the country knew his secret—his doctor, his „ „ , t av .manager, and the since-famous100 ficJh?Irwith10the the Minneapolis sports writer, George100 fights with the cream of the Barton. Billy went to his managerheavyweight crop, Billy Miske was |and asked f(£ a ht the only“new to get enough money for-nassa Mauler” were classicshisa last, happy Christmas wiloved ones. '* ✓But, at the height of his career The manager demurred, said hewhen he was only 29 years old— could not have Billy’s death on hisMiske was told that he was dying, conscience. Miske pleaded, toldand I him how bleak his last ChristmastheaYlt;N,scblue-eyed, „finely muscled, a perfect specimen I would be without gifts—and of health, he was stunned by the manager gave in.news that he had Bright’s disease. When George Barton found out,the blow like a|his temper blew. He called the man-But he took _ _ „champion. And he vowed he would al»d aaid was atardyr, and make the last months of his life that he would expose the fight in as happy as possible for his wife his paper. But Miske went to him and children . *nc* told him of t his sad financialm a. i condition and how he had nothingbJUStf. 3S SA SB I s?f «■..*■»—-I,,,. -—— ■■ V,......... I ? nothing about Miske’s illness, andBless Transport Motorsl . 1 I ,,1 | • I y.,, , ... ... tough battler who had given Demp-, D1uhv,n.—”°lor vehlc“ of the sey a terrific fight, was set for Irish National Transport company Omaha-before Christmas, were blessed at the Franciscan .... , ,, ... - „church, Merchant’s Quay here, in . Mlfke held secret training seswhat was believed to be the first «10“ so that reporters would notsuch ceremony for the govern- find the truth: That he wasment-owned transportation sys- ot. ,*b'e.1tra,n, a‘ a- H« k?P‘ tem. The vehicles were parked to his bed most of the time, tryingwhUe their drivers and conductors ,clt;?n5erve what llttle ener*y heattendedspecialwhich the blessing took place.Mass. after had ,eft1Oddly enough, on the night of of the fight he actually looked like the “Thunderbolt” of old as he wasintroduced.And when the bell rang he actually was the Billy Miske of five years before, smooth, fast, hardhitting. iqibe(iGlitB«fcscdeSCItolU]F.armlt;durejthsawethThe first two rounds were Miske’s in a walk. His timing had seldom been better; his punches were TNT. a liHth e I thirde pumped a hard left hook into Brennan, and the man who had led Dempsey on oints for 11 rounds staggered to s knees and to the floor as thecrowd went crazy.But at the count of five the bell rang, and Brennan’s seconds pulled him back to try to work him into shape for the next round.Ftwi11thofhtnrgefrlu;frWho knows what dying Billy Miske’s thoughts were as he went back to his corner? He probably wondered if Brennan could meet the bell again. And he probablywondered if he himself could, for he was fighting on pure nerve. Perhaps he said an Ave that he could win, for he needed the money badly.PicugaceHlt;prO:Brennan met the bell for the fourth round, and Miske met him in mid-ring with a tremendous right to the jaw — the all and everything that Billy had left.beBlt;ththO]And Brennan crashed to thecanvas.“Eight, nine, ten . .Bill£ Miske went home to Paul with a wallet full of me And as the snow srlistened onchmiSt.testreets and the Christmas treesNlt;began to appear warm and bright in the windows, he did his Christmas shopping — nothing but the shiniest and the best in the wayav'V12searof toys would do for his boys for his little girl.ASalea ServiceCRONINMOTORGrove Av®.a 5586Ki 5587On Christmas day the Miske family sat down to a sumptuous dinner in a house glittering with Christmas decorations and newfurniture. And Marie wras so happy over the sizeable check Billy had given her that she did not notice that he could hardly eat.And neither she nor the children could tell that he was actuallyin great pam, for he was full of humor, winking and laughing and telling jokes. Their Christmas day was the happiest the Miskes had ever had.The next day they took and shaking Billy Miske topaletheIgthfiiAiashospital. And only then did Marie find out her courageous husband’s secret.But Billy did not mind, for heid had his Christmas, and he hadb er nthing.LessYear’s morning, 1924, Billy Miske,bolt.” died.. o
Newspaper Details
Catholic Telegraph Register
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Fri, Aug 15, 1952
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 08 Dec 2020
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