Leonard, brushing aside the lefts, waded in. Then suddenly he stood still. I saw his whole body stiffen and sprang to my feet. Something was happening—had happened! Richie, almost out, had put all his strength into a left to Benny’s stomach. The glove buried itself, forcing the champion’s head forward. Like an arrow came Richie’s right, flush on Leonard’s jaw. There was a sudden hush. The atmosphere was tense with utter astonishment. Benny Leonard, the idol of New York, out on the canvas! It was unbelievable! Then pandemonium broke out. The count piled up as Benny struggled to get to his feet. I heard his handlers yelling: “Get up, Benny, get up!” I heard Billy Gibson, Leonard’s manager, shout: “Shake your head, Benny! Shake your head, Benny!” I saw Leonard get up and nod to Gibson, as if to say he was all right. And then we saw a superb exhibition of ringcraft. Benny feigned an attack, and as he closed towards Mitchell, he grabbed his opponent instead of striking and held on. Richie got in a light left, for he, too, was in bad shape. Benny fiddled about and kidded Richie into doing nothing until the bell rang. He had out-smarted his opponent at the critical time and robbed him of a title victory when it was there for the taking. This was one of the greatest rounds that I had ever seen in the ring, but it was only the beginning. The next session was a mill royal. Benny soon got up to his tricks again but Richie had him groggy with a terrific right to the jaw, and immediately afterwards Mitchell was almost out from a bombardment to the head. This sort of fighting went on for three more rounds. In the sixth, Benny put over a right with such force that Mitchell fell on his back. He was on his feet at “nine,” and went on the defensive, with chin tucked into his shoulder and taking most of Leonard’s blows on his arms. But he was a pitiful figure to behold. His lips were smashed and bleeding and his eyes almost closed. Yet they fought on. Richie went down again for “six” from body blows and with inhuman courage, he again got up only to be floored for another long count. There was Mitchell staggering about in a neutral corner, and there was Leonard firing away in an effort to stretch his rival flat. He finally succeeded. After another down Referee Haucap pushed Benny aside as the eight count was completed, and called a halt to one of the greatest ring battles seen in the old Garden under the regime of Tex Rickard. * * * * *