Kid McPartland, a very good referee, made Leonard step back. The champion was out, hanging on the ropes, his feet on the canvas. McPartland counted the final ten over him, and as convincing proof that poor Welsh was absolutely unconscious, he slid off the ropes at the end of the count and fell in a limp heap on the canvas. Not long after his victory over Welsh, Leonard beat Phil Bloom in a fight that had a peculiar ending. Benny hit Phil on the chin, and Phil retired from the fight with a broken ankle. He had sat on it when he went down. * * * * * I recall a discussion which once arose between a group of sports writers and experts concerning queer happenings in the ring. One mentioned the case of Willie Lewis and Sailor Burke. I saw that fight at the Fairmont Club, on August 13, 1909. It was a ten-rounder, and both men were tough and clever. Willie Lewis was a really great welterweight. He met and beat the top-liners of a period which included such battlers as Billy Papke, Harry Lewis, Dixie Kid, Mike Gibbons, and Curley Watson. But Sailor Burke had a big punch and was as hard as granite. In the first round he dropped Willie with a hard right to the chin for a count of six. Willie returned the compliment in the second session by putting the Sailor down for nine. It was a peach of a blow—a left hook that lifted Burke clean off his feet. Then came the fantastic third round. Both men were mixing in the middle of the ring, with Lewis having a shade the better of the milling. They stood toe-to-toe, hammering away at each other with lefts and rights to the body and jaw, when suddenly Burke started a right hook. Willie tried to beat him to the punch with a similar blow. Both wallops landed good and true—both men staggered—and then, to the roar of the crowd, both slumped to the canvas. Referee Billy Joh was amazed. For a moment he didn’t know what to do. Shouts came from all over the house. In both corners the handlers were wild with excitement, yelling their heads off. Then Billy jumped between the fighters, and with head down, started to count. It was an extraordinary situation. Burke, who had landed on his face, was trying to turn on his side, but Lewis, in falling, had toppled in such a position that part of his body was resting on the Sailor’s knees, and this prevented him from getting to his feet. The count went on; “three ... four ...” Then Lewis started to wriggle, partly releasing Burke “... five ...” Willie was scrambling to his feet. “... six ...” The gong went for the end of the round and saved the situation. Eventually Lewis put Burke out for keeps in the sixth round, but the thrill of that third session had drained the spectators of interest. As soon as the fight was over, I went to the dressing room and had a talk with Billy Joh. I was anxious to know what would have happened, if neither man had been able to get up and the gong had not sounded.