NO LEECH REQUIRED

NZ Truth, Issue 1184, 9 August 1928, Page 8

NO LEECH REQUIRED

For some weeks past, the authorities of the public hospital, have been issuing impassioned appeals for blood, with very discouraging results, yet* despite this fact, our two. auctioneers made a regular welter of it. „. Thomas Issac Lamason, weight unknown, and Mark . Briggs, contender for the title, were the two contestants. Rumor has it that bad blood had been brewing between them for some time past and evidently they decided to have- a little' blood letting to ease the pressure. . ' ' - ■ Both are . Stentors of the leather .lungs who daily from their rostrum intone their hymn of invocation to high heaven — to the refrain of "two and a-half, two and a-half, two and ahalf, any advance on two and a-half?" That keen and enterprising body of fight fans, the Manawatu- Boxing Association, had nothing to do with the matter, although it is rumored, a strong school of thought has advised them to take it after watching the form displayed. From all accounts it would have been worth their while to have put up a purse and charged for admission, but unfortunately, neither of the principals saw fit to advise Secretary Jim Evans, or to sign . the articles. The combat seems to have arisen when Briggs visited the timber yard m front of Lamasdri's office, m search of some timber which he had sold to a client the day "before. Brigg's partner,, had previously been repulsed by Lamason m an attempt to obtain the timber for the customer. The gauntlet was cast, it is said, m the biting phrase, "come out Puddin' I Face." Whereupon, Thomas Issac Lamason, Esq., thus rudely addressed, stepped forth from his office to give battle. He bore aloft a kerosene tin, whether as a weapon of offence, or aa a vial to quench the wrath of Briggs is not. known! ■ The two champions then proceeded to exchange a few chatty remarks m terms more lurid than laudatory, but "words not deeds" was evidently the motto of the day and m a moment the scene changed to one of action; ; . Thomas IsSac, it ..appears, raising his tin on high smote ye doughty blow, gashing Brigg's' arm m the process. Whereupon , Mark, . living up to his name, -proceeded to carry out an original .design m color using Thomas Issac's face as a background.