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t#YOUNG GRIFFO GONE BEYONDv Jt vHOPE OF REDEMPTION.Dawson Labored All in Vain For Him. He Threw Away Ten Thousand Dollars by Taking One Drink of Sherry Not Long Since.lt;*-“What do you think of a glass of sheivy it hat cost $10,0007” said George Dawson one day recently, says the N. Y. 'Telegraph. “Not a cask or a barrel, but just one liitle glass—an ordin-ury drink, such as a mau would take over a bar. Well, I know an incident of (hat kind. Strange as it may Beeru,jw*there is a young man in Chicago today who not more than a mouth ago paid $10,000 for one glass of sherry wine. It was young Griffo. Of course, he didn’t pass the money over iu oue bum.li when he took (he drink, but hemight as well have done so, for he is out of pocket fully that much that I know of, and thousands of dollars besides. But it isu't a long story and I’ll let my friend Whitbeek tell it.” John Whitbeek is the manager ofGeorge Williams’ restaurant and apersonal l'riend ot L'awsons. Wlien he was asked for the story he said:“I think Dawson rattier underestimates the amount that Griffo paid for that one glass of sherry, but, then, Dawson is conservative, and likes to be on the safe side, even when talking about prize fighters. It was like this: When Griffo came to life the second time and demonstrated by his bouts at the Chicago Athletic association and Tattersall’s tliat lie was still a premier in his class, Dawson, who had his business interests in charge, was deluged with offers of matches for him. Not hard lights, but easy exhibitions with a sparring partner, and guaranteed purses ranging from $300 to $1,000. Every athletic club of note in »lie country wanted him.“The peculiar conditions under which Griffo entered the ring made a big advertisement for him, and letters and telegrams poured in from all parts of ttie country, itigflit after his appearance with Young Kenny nt Tat-tersall’s engagements had been booked for the time up to the end of April wtiich would have netted him .lt;10,000, und there was chance for a lot of profitable dates between them. Then some fool friend of lt;.riffo’s insisted on his taking a glass of sherry, and i» was all off.“All the sporting fraternity knows how he went to pieces, and how Dawson, in disgust, had to cancel all the $10,000 worth of engagements. No pugilist, aside from a heavyweigtit champion, ever had such an opportunity to reap such a golden harvest. These $10,000 engagements were only a beginning. If he had kej*. hober, Griffo could have virtually coined money for two or three years to come.“But, to my friend, the most interesting part of the Griffo story is that relating to the experience of Dawson In trying to give him a new lease on life. It bas been widely stated that Fitzsimmons was the man who induced Dawson to take Griffo out of the asylum at Dunning an give him a trial. This is not true. Fitzsimmons had nothing to do with it. Sorne-! . o last fall a vetlt; nary surgeon—ft man of high standing in his country —came here from Australia on a visit. He is a devotee of the pugilistic art, and knew Dawsou, Fitzsimmons andGriffo in the antipodes.“Naturally he hunted up Dawsou and renewed ttieir acquaintance. In talking over old times he inquired for Grifl'o, and when told that he was hopelessly insane and iu an asylum, he asked Dawson to go with him and see the famous boxer. They went to Dunning and talked with Griffo, both of them coming away with the strong belief that Griffo was not so badly off as the doctors said. Later Dawson made another trip to Dunning, when Griffo, who appeared rational and iu sound mind, said:“ ‘For Heaven’s sake get me out ofhere. I'm not crazy, but 1 will be it I'm kept here with this mob of lunatics much longer.’“Dawson was impressed with Grif-fo's statement, and, having a warm spot iu his heart for the boy, made arrangements to take him out. To secure his release a bond of $3,U00 to Indemnify the county for any damages the alleged crazy mau might do while at liberty was demanded. Dawsou, and a friend of his, a business mau with whom Dawson boards, signed the bond und Griffo was discharged. At that time George Connors was training the Carlisle Indian team at Carlisle, Pa., and Griffo was sent there to get in shape. The managers of the team became dissatisfied because Connors gave so much time to Griffo, and released him out of a $1,200 position. This was the beginning onut of a list of troubles. Connors came back to Chicago, bringing Griffo wltU him. ‘It will never do to turn him loose here in Chicago,’said Dawson. ‘What the boy wautsis the kindly restraint and influence of a home. lie’s been a waif all his life, and perhaps a home will have a good effect on him/“So Griffo, the Dunning was taken into the private circle of a business man’s home, and coddled aud petted and cared for by the family. Wtiy, that man's wife—a woman of social standing—even took Griffo to the theatre with her. It was distasteful to her, but she thought it might make him understand that ho had friends if lie would behave him-m Everything went well for u time. Ue got two or three profitable engagements through Dawson s influence, and had several hundred dol-lare to his credit. Not a dollar was taken out of his earnings except for actual expenses. Dawson and his business friend were encouraged, and began to think that they had reallyreformed the Australian pugilht. .“But suddenly they were rudely undeceived. One day, just after a profitable engagement bud been made forGriffo's second appearance ut Tatter-salla, tie turned up missing. The 1lt; vee was hunted over but uo trace ofoutcast.him could be found. Late that nig hita hackman who knew where Dawson lived drove up to the house with the Information that Griffo was raising a ruction in a south side saloon. It was then after midnight, but Dawson and his friend dressed, went to ttie extreme south side, and found the fighter in a wild state of intoxication. He objected to going home aud they had to make him by force. At the house they had to remove his elotnes by main force, aud even then he refused to go to bod, declaring lie would godown town in his night gown. Finally. iu desprair, Dawson and his friend gave him back his clothes and told him to get out of the house and keep“The next morning Griffo was heard from at the Harrison street station, abjectly contrite. Dawsou was appealed to to take » *n» out, but said it would be no good. It seems, however, that the clever showing made in the ring by the Australian had pleased a number lt;f the older members ol' A. A. and these men requested as a personal favor that Dawsou make one more trial to reform the outcast. George Dawson was never known to stand out vtry long against any charitable movement, so, persuaded against his will, he went to Harrison street and secured Griffo's release. It was then he tieard the story of that fatal glass of sherry.•' r.iime me bloody heyes.’ said Grifi'o, ‘llime a bloody, bloomin’ fool, Gawge, an’ hif you'll take mel.out this time Hi ll never touch another bloody drop.’“George took him out. and Inside of a week he was out on a debauchagain. It would ten a page to tellall the little tricks he played on Dawson aud the tatter's friend, at whose (rouse he bad been sheltered. One day, for instance, lie went down early in the morning and drew $25. Two hours later he showed up decidedly drtmk and minus his overcoat. An effort was made to induce him to go home and sober up, when he surprised his barkers with a request for car fare. He had spent every cent of the $25 in two hours and pawned hisovercoat besides.“ ‘I never put in sui(i a time in my life, said Dawson, ‘and I do not want any more of it.’“When it was finally decided that Griffo \\ beyond redemption, andthat it was idle to waste time on him, Dawson had $400 to his credit. What to do with his money was a conundrum. To give It to Griffo was like throwing it in a sewer. At the same time neither Dawson nor his friend wanted to keep it. They had not taken a cent from him for ttieir work in his behalf, aud didn’t want any pay. But there was George Connors, who had lost u $1,200 position through trying to train the degenerate fighter. ‘Whose more entitled to the money than Connors?’ queried Dawsou. ‘Nobody on earth,’ said his friends, aud the $400 was turned over lo Connors.s a degent r. iQ of tlie worst type. It is absolutely impossible to keep him iu a i pectable condition. Given $500 tonight he will be broke tomorrow, aud uo inducement, not even the guarantee of $10,000 for twenty tniuut* work with the gloves would make him forego a driukiug bout with the lowest of levee characters. I wouldn't go through what George Dawson has for all the money a sober Griffo could earn, and that's a big pile. 1 . 4| Y \ I; jf’“One of ttie most psthetic incidents in Griffo’s career was the receipt ot aletter, when he was too drunk to appreciate its worth, from Hock Johnson, of Sydney, New South W'ales, the man who taught the fighter how to spar. This letter was written just after the reformation had reached Australia, aud no words from a mottier to her son could have been more loving or sollcitious. Johnson, in homely, but burning language, besought Griffo to tread the straight and narrow path, told him liow all his old time friends were rejoicing over the good news concerning him. and admonished him to remain under the guardianship of George Dawson, who was tiis ‘best aud truest friend.’ ”
Newspaper Details
San Antonio Daily Light
San Antonio, Texas, US
Mon, Jun 04, 1900
Page 15
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
IL, USA 31 Mar 2018
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