"TOMMY" BURNS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 583, 11 August 1909, Page 4

"TOMMY" BURNS.

• -•?- A LACROSSE GATHERING. At tho Empire Hotel yesterday afternoon tlio members of the Management Committee' of tlio Wellington Lacrosse Ant-ociation and a number of players had an interesting interview with- Burns, tho ex-champion boxer... Mr.'A. 11. Casey, oil behalf, of tlioso p-secmbled, expressed to Mr. Burns tho great pleasure .which it gave them to meet one so prominent in the' sporting world, and referred briefly to tho interesting fact that Mr. Burns,, as a former, skilled . exponent of lacrosso, had on many occasions attributed his agility in the boxing arena, and his skill in side-stepping (not to mention his general physical fitness), to tho training and practico which ho had derived aB a lacrosse player: Mr. Casey outlined tho history of lacrosse in Wellington, and concluded by extending to Mr. Burns a hearty welcomo from lacrosse players in Wellington, and expressing their beet wishes for future succors in his career, which would bo watched with great interest by them all. ' • ' Mr. Burns, who .was received with great enthusiasm, said that ho was especially pleased, to meet this gathering of Jncros.io players, and ho thanked thorn most siuceroly for tho hearty reocption they had given him. Lacrosse was. lie considered, ono of tho finest, if not tho finest, outdoor gamo played in tho world, and ho again acknowledged the benefits whicli lie had derived from playing tho game. Ho then gave tho company some valuablo hints as to play, methods of attack, and dcfcncc, and general team work. Inter alia,'he expressed tho opinion-that tho play in tho recent inter-Stato match, New South Wales v. Queensland (played before an at-, tendance of 7000, and in which-ho officiated as referee),-was quito equal-to tho standard of play in Canada. Ho would always speak Well of lacrosse wherever ho went,, ana ho wished tho ; gamo every sufceess in Now Zealand, 1 , ■ • Mr. £. J. Morairthen proposed the hoaltli of Mr. .Burns, and wished him tho early fulfilment of his ambition—tho regaining of tho boxing '; championship of tho world. Tho -toast was .drunk with musical honours. Mr. Burns replied, briefly, and expressed his regret that lie would not bo' in Wellington on Saturday next, otherwise it would have. given him great pleasure to referee in one of the local matches. Ho hoped to visit New Zealand again, with Mi's. Burns, and would then take the opportunity of offering, his services in any capacity on the lacrosse field. ' The health of Mr. Martin Taylor, Mr. Burns's touring manager, was also honoured on the motion of Mr. J. M. Laing. •, ANOTHER WELCOME.. : . Members of the Wellington Boxing Associa. tion welcgnied "Tommy" Bums, tho exchampion boxer of'tho world, at the Empiro Hotel yesterday afternoon. > Mr, M'Villy, tho president, remarked that boxing enthusiasts in Now Zealand, had followed their guest's career with considerable iiiterest.' It"was originally, the intention of the association to try and get him. to tour the Dominion under their auspices, but so much difficulty arose in regard to dates in the varipus'centres that tho project had, to bo . abandoned. Their guest had shown that it did not at all -follow (as some people seomed ta imagine) that an acquaintance with boxing ijiust necessarily result :in loss of respectability.'• On behalf of tho . moinbers, lie wished, Mr. Burns and his party a pleasant and successful' trip through New' Zealand. ' These remarks were supplemented by tho Hon. J. Rigg, M.L.C:, Mr. J. H. Owens, Father M'Donald, andjlr. Jas. Doj'le. In the course.of a brief reply'the visitor stated that he hoped that at an early .data he would regain tho champiohsliip.y ' , EXHIBITION IN THE EVENING/' -.A thin ..audience, scattered, itself -over . the Opera House-last evening, -When- ''Tommy" ißurns, ex-champidn boxer of the world, gave t : brief'exhibitions -of ball-punchiiig, skipping) ! and sparring with Los. O'Donrfell and Pat. •O'Koofe. - ;' The..- display :',was tamo. It should not boj for there is material endugh-. in-the combination to . make a' very, good show. At present, tho pictures, though not now, form tho : most entertaining feature of.tlio exhibition. ■