HOW CARPENTIER WON.

Otaki Mail, 22 March 1922, Page 4

HOW CARPENTIER WON.

FRENCHMAN WINS ON HIS 23th J BIRTHDAY. ', London, January 13. It is a reasonable assumption that Carpentier was satisfied with his -Sth birthday. For ho "came back," and the fourth . , round of his fight with "Digger" Cook at the Albert. Hall saw the Australian | on his back and counted out. j ! Cook is a frightening-looking fellow, J : and sis if still further to overawe his j moro debonair opponent, he brought Winnie Lewis into the ring with him. But all the mascots in the world could not ward oft* the Frenchman : s right, • once it got properly going. I Descamps Excited. Winnie Lewis headed Cook's littk ) procession to the ring, and was sat, a garish, sprawling figure, on the posl ! at-his corner. During the "preliminaries ' the doll was more visible j owner. I The ring, of course, teemed with . , peoples—u queer sort of birthday party j for Carpentier, The most rntcllecT.uai looking was Carpentier. The most e.-c- ---! cited was Descamps, Carpentier's hyp ( I notic manager, who ordered a superfluous "second" to "get away over i there —queek,'' I The most determined was Jack i Smith, the referee. The most urbane J and academic was M. Vyle, the accom- i plished French "announcer," who ill- j ways seemed to be meeting friends,-: and greeted Carpentier with an air oi surprise, as if saying, "Fancy runiiiu, i across you—and in England, too, of all places' "' - * The Studious Carpentier. j Cook, as I have said, we could not see at all, but Carpentier, aloof from the crowd, reserved, reflective, band:••;• ed his hands much as a young student might examine and attempt to sol™ i an intricate problem. When at last Cook came out fr»» his eclipse he disclosed himself a a sombre, heavy-featured man, whose < s- I pression suggested that he might be j ! nursing a surprise. His heavy I.ns I curled up at the right corner, as he 1 cast curious glances—now that the cur tain of white jerseys was withdrawn—.towards the young Greek god at Ihe I 1 other side of the ring. > The fight opened under a had oi . "coo-ees," and it was obvious that I Cook fully intended to gratify the Cornstalkers, "Miss Winnie Lewis, and his own soul by knocking the Greek god from his pedestal. ' Blow, was he ? Ho would show them. That was his attitude, as he opened. with a sort of lumbering speed which was swifter than it seemed. And Carpentier, calm though ho might look.'gave one the. impression ofbeing a trifle surprised, even anxious. Several times he shot out that formidable right of his. only to miss, and miss ) badly. In fact, the first round was de[cidcclly Cook's, and was closed in (another storm of "Coo.-ecs." f For three, rounds Carpentier's aim ' was deficient, but his eye was gradu- • ally getting into focus, and n mis* i* the third round was a very uarrow miss I indeed. ■ Separating the Men. f There was holding, of course;-there ■ always is. In the clinches the back of Carpentier's head received more punishment than was good for it, and Mr Jack Smith, despite his determined | look, his business-like manner, and j sharp words of command, tolerated a •good deal and pulled the men apart with great difficulty. Cook wanted a 'lot of pulling, for he was more than a stone heavier than Carpentier. ** Then many in the crowd, who had » made quite a fuss during the earlier 1 contests because the referees faded to I "pull 'em apart," protested because I Mr -Tack Smith pulled 'em apart—and j strolled between them—too much. Ihe 'reason for this was that Conk was .moderately comfortable and Carpentiei si was distinctly uncomfortable until th< If pulling of 'em apart was accomplished. The third round ended in a storm not ] of "coo-ees." but of "boo-ees," for : Cook hit Carpentier after the gong had sounded. Even Winnie Lewis seemed j to blush, though ready, like a woman; | to make excuses for the man. No doubt Cook did not hearth? gong. Nevertheless there were •'•=>:.■<>- i ees," and not a man was bold enough to "coo-ce." It was the last gong that mattered. j Three minutes later the Greek god added accuracy to grace, and Cook was laid prone. The Australian had re ceived the surprise, though it was obviously not the surprise which he had been nursing so discreetly in his corner before he and Carpentier had been properly introduced. When he had recovered he duly wished Carpentier many happy returns jof the day and retired. As for Winnie Lewis, the jade, she seemed to { smile at the Frenchman.