The Rhondda Leader

Death of Great Boxer. Late Tom Thomas. I Penygraig. Expires After Three Days' Illness I The death occurred on Sunday morning at Car nee ly n Farm, Penygraig, the resi- dence of his lather, of Tom Thomas, ex- middleweight champion of England, after an illness of only three or four days' duration. The cause of death was cardiac failure, following upon pneumonia. Tom Thomas, who was only 32 years of ago at the time of his death, was one of the best known boxers in Great Britain. He was a popular figure in sporting circles, and what is, unfortu- nately. rare in the profession," he was a gentleman first and boxer afterwards. He was, however, possessed of little busi- ness skill; otherwise he might have died a rich man. To a Pressman he once declared that he was the biggest fool that ever won a championship. He fought Late TOM THOMAS. I close upon fifty battles before lie tasted ) defeat, and it was against a heavyweight I —Jim Sullivan-that he then lost on points. His greatest victory was over Charlie Wilson at the National Sporting Club, when he secured Lord Lonsdale's championship belt. His second defeat was at the hands of Bandsman Rice at W-onderlaild, where, owing to an alleged foul on Thomas' part, the Army man was declared the winner. Tom, however, per- sisted to the last that he did not deserve to lose this fight. A month ago it seemed probable that Tom would have a chance to retrieve his fame by a contest in Wales for the middle- weight championship of the world. The terms of the holder, Billy Papke, had been accepted, when 1 he American demanded that his should be deposited with the Sporting Life." or he would sail for home. At the moment the syndicate only had £ 500 in hard cash, and Papke sailed. Since then Tom appeared only once in the ring, and that was at a benefit ill Ogmore. That night he attempted to reach home by crossing the mountain, and he lost his way. To add to his predica- ment it rained heavily, and he reached home late in the morning wet through, a dangerous adventure for a man who had twice been at death's door with rheu- matic fever. As late as Monday last it was thought Tom would have had a fight. He had signed a contract for Mr. J. T. Jones, of the Welsh Sports Syndicate, to meet Geo. West (London) in a great test for the honour of attempting to wrest the belt from Jim Sullivan, but West- hold out that the weight should not be less tnan llfit. 101b., which, of course, was 41b. more than the middle-weight limit, and could not be regarded as a deciding fight. My Life Story. [By TOM THOMAS.] i: It all happened in this -,N-av said Tom Thomas, recounting how he took up lighting. After finishing my ordinary Board School education at about the age of 14, my father nnd mother Suggested I should have a little more knowledge instilled into me. Before sending me away to school I was taken to Cardigan- shire for a holiday, wliere I met an uncle, who suggested a Grammar School at New Quay, where I could reside with him. All arrangements had been made to start, when something inspired me to run nwav, so I tramped all the way to Car- marthen—a distance of 30 to 40 miles- meeting some gipsies on the way. Iliese wandering Nimrods showed fight and began to set about me in a cowardly fashion, severely slashing me with a whip. It is owing to this hiding I then received that inaugurated the pugilistic spirit that had hitherto lain dormant within me. Ultimately I found myself at home, whence I was sent to school again, where ?- -?- my scholastic career was a very short one, I owing to my thrashing other school lads who used to pick quarrels with me, finally finishing up on my uncle's farm as a ploughboy. On coming home again, I bought a set of boxing gloves, which I carried about with me. inviting anyone to have a couple of rounds with me. MEETING AN AWKWARD CUSTOMER. I One day I met a big burly fellow on my father's farm, who was picking black- berries, and I invited him to don the hair bags. Of course, he accepted the otter with alacrity, and we had a bout of fisti- cuffs there and then. Jabbing him a bit hard on the iace, my big opponent lost his temper, and, lauding me a terrific blow in the stomach, he completely knocked the wind out of me and sent me rolling in the hedge side. When I came to a hit. I wanted to continue, but my opponent was generous enough to cry off to another and more opportune time, see- ing the state I was in. After this drubbing I began to train a little, and a short time after he turned up again, and so we had another set-to, this time ijji the barn. This time I turned the tables, and the big chap had to quit quickly. I boxed with all the lads around the district, until I could get no one to cackle me. "One of my sparring partners I used to practise with had the misfortune of only having one leg, his other being arti- ficial. He was an exceptional man with the gloves, but on one occasion his arti- ficial leg gave way, and it was only after a considerable time had been spent in searching for tools to patch up his leg that he was able to walk home again." Describing his fight with Shearing at the National Sporting Club. Tom said he was prepared to go through anything to win the fight that night. "The M.C. announcing the fight, asked the crowded audience to keep order and give fairplay to a stranger at Wonder- land, viz., Tom Thomas, of Wales. Hear- ing shouts of 2 to 1 on Shearing,' the gong went. Shaking hands, my opponent lashed out his left to my face the same time I countered with a left hook on the jaw, the round ending in a ding-dong battle. Round the second opened with Shearing smashing left and right, and boring in to close quarters. I punched him severely on the body, whilst he landed on the back of my head and neck. In the third and last round, I con- tinued to bore in. and ou his seconds shouting to him, SwIng your left up, Harry,' which meant an upper cut, I instantly swung my left with all the force that I could put behind it. landing it squarely on my opponent's jaw. Shearing fell liko a log, motionless, until his seconds carried him to his corner. This fight was the making of me at Wonderland, where I became very popu- lar. winning every fight there later in less than three rounds by the knock-out route." [The above excerpts are taken from an interview which Tom Thomas granted a Lc.ath'r representative soon after his vic- tory over Wilson.]