Both brothers fought the formidable Oscar Gardner, aka The Omaha Kid (despite being born in and fighting out of Minneapolis)?
?The boxers today do not know how to fight.??Harry Forbes, November 22, 1911
Harry Forbes was born on May 13, 1879, in Rockford, Illinois, to parents who wanted him to be a violinist. But Harry ?took a hand in shaping his own career,? trading in his violin for boxing gloves and fighting out of Chicago from 1897 to 1913 (though otherwise occupied in ?08 and ?09), returning to the ring in ?22, winding up with a record of 86 wins, 45 by knockout, 17 losses, 12 by knockout, 26 draws, and three no contests. And that?s in addition to 14 newspaper bouts (10-3-1).
A pupil of Harry Gilmore, the bantamweight fought many of the names of his day, including Terrible Terry McGovern (his toughest opponent, he said), who first knocked him out in the 15th at the Pelican A.C. in Brooklyn on October 1, 1898, then stopped him by second-round TKO at New York City?s Broadway A.C. on December 22, 1899 (for the 118-pound world title); New Zealand phenom Torpedo Billy Murphy, whom Harry knocked out in the fourth at the Chicago A.A. that April 29; Jimmy Simister, never stopped in 162 fights, against whom Harry drew at the Pelican A.C. on January 6, 1900; Johnny Coulon, who first beat him by newspaper decision in a contest for the bantamweight world title at the Ice Skating Rink Arena in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on March 28, 1911 (?Forbes put up one of the greatest fights of his long career,? wrote Ray C. Pearson in the IChicago Tribune of that November 19. ?Seldom has such generalship been displayed in any ring as by Forbes that night against Coulon?), then kayoed him in the third at the Badger A.C. in Kenosha on January 22, 1912; and 4?10? Young Togo, who also answered to ?The Yellow Peril? and ?Jap Togo,? against whom Harry drew in McAlester, Oklahoma, on July 4, 1911, despite having 10 pounds on the little Japanese (Togo was ?short, squat, barrel-shaped with a round, closely cropped bullet head and possessed of extraordinary strength,? according to The Seattle Times of March 10, 1912. ?Of science he knows little or nothing, but his capacity to wade in, take all that comes his way and cripple an opponent in the clinches cannot be overestimated?). And let?s not neglect Charley Goldman, who made his name decades later as Rocky Marciano?s trainer, Harry winning by newspaper decision at the Royale A.C. in Brooklyn on November 14, 1911.
And there was Benny Yanger, aka The Tipton Slasher, Kid Goodman, and Matty McCue, aka the Belle City Bomber (whose 23 official wins came by way of knockout and who was only stopped once over the course of 75 fights, kayoed in the second by Mexican Joe Rivers at the Arena in Vernon, California, on July 4, 1914). Harry lost to Yanger by fifth-round TKO at Tattersall?s in Chicago on March 17, 1900, outpointed Goodman at Chicago?s Pyramid A.C. on March 13, 1902, and lost to McCue by 10th-round TKO at Union Park Pavilion in Racine, Wisconsin, on August 29, 1912.
Harry was the only man to stop granite-chinned Joe Cherry over the course of his 43 fights, first knocking him out in the 13th at the Saginaw A.C. in Saginaw, Michigan, on November 25, 1904, then in the first at Saginaw?s Arbeiter Hall on January 27, 1905.
So many worthy opponents, such as tough Philly fighters Tim Callahan, Tommy Love, and Turkey Point Billy Smith. Turkey Point is particularly worthy of mention, given his contribution to the arts. He was the model for two of Thomas Eakins? masterpieces (?Hey, you son of a bitch, haven?t you got a date to pose for Mr. Eakins? Come on now, or I?ll punch your goddamn head off?) ? Salutat (1898) and Between Rounds (1899). Perhaps it was the ?delicate curve of his spine? that appealed to Eakins pupil Samuel Murray, who produced a bronze sculpture of the fighter in 1899, an artwork that sold for almost $4,500 in 2005.
Even more impressive, Harry six times fought Abe Attell, aka The Little Hebrew, outpointing him at the West End A.C. in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 4, 1901; drawing against him at the America A.C. in Chicago on November 10, 1902, and at the Indianapolis A.C. (for the world featherweight title) on January 4, 1904; getting knocked out in the fifth (again for the featherweight championship) at the West End A.C. that February 1 (?In the fifth round, Forbes was one with Nineveh and Tyre,? as Red Smith put it some 70 years later); losing on points at the Light Guard Armory in Detroit on May 10, 1905; and stopped by seventh-round TKO in Troy, New York, on February 28, 1910.
Harry became Bantamweight Champion of the World by kayoing Danny Dougherty in the second ?with a terrific right-hand uppercut? to the jaw at the West End A.C. on November 11, 1901. He defended against Johnny Reagan at the same venue on May 1, 1902, the fight resulting in a draw, then against Young Devaney at the Elyria A.C. in Denver that June 13, winning on points.
Prior to his next title defense, Harry kept busy by taking on two opponents on the same day, outpointing Billy Finucane and stopping George Halliday by first-round TKO at the America A.C. on November 3, 1902. He then successfully defended against Frankie Neil, stopping him by seventh-round TKO at the Reliance A.C. in Oakland, California, that December 23, and Andrew Dick Tokell, outpointing him at the Light Guard Armory on February 27, 1903. He won the United States bantamweight title by knocking out Johnny Kelly in the ninth at the Missouri A.C. in Kansas City that March 24 before again defending his world championship against Neil, who won by second-round KO at the Mechanics? Pavilion in San Francisco that August 13.
Harry last won on March 27, 1912, beating Young Frenchy in a newspaper decision in Burlington, Wisconsin. He retired on September 22, 1913, after Paddy Meehan kayoed him in the second at the Glen Cove A.C. in Glen Cove, New York, only to return on October 9, 1922, when he was outpointed by Jimmy Katz in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Born on June 1, 1881, in Rockford, brother Clarence was a featherweight who fought out of Chicago from 1898 to 1912 (though out of the ring in ?09 and ?11), winding up with a record of 68 wins, 37 by knockout, 18 losses, nine by knockout, 31 draws, and two no contests. There were also 16 newspaper bouts (6-3-7).
Also a pupil of Gilmore, he fought for the world bantamweight title on June 23, 1899, drawing against Casper Leon, aka the Sicilian Swordfish, in St. Louis. He did, however, win the Western lightweight title by knocking out Con Suffield in the 11th at the Auditorium for the Fistic Carnival in Dubuque, Iowa, that August 29. He also won Canada?s version of the 115-pound title by knocking out Jimmy Smith in the second at the Bijou Theater in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on April 21, 1900. ?Clarence Forbes is the fastest boxer ever seen here,? reported the Toronto Star.
Clarence took on many of the same names as Harry, including Reagan, Finucane, and Neil. In fact, he substituted for his ill brother on January 15, 1903, getting kayoed by Neil in the sixth at the Mechanics? Pavilion. And, like Harry, he fought twice on the same day; doing so on two separate occasions, in fact. First, he took on Finucane and Brooklyn Tommy Sullivan on February 15, 1902, drawing against Finucane at Chicago?s De Soto Club and losing to Sullivan on points in St. Louis. Then, on January 29, 1906, he fought Tony Bender and Eddie Lenny at the Washington S.C. in Philly, losing to Bender but beating Lenny, both newspaper decisions.
Both brothers fought the formidable Oscar Gardner, aka The Omaha Kid (despite being born in and fighting out of Minneapolis), Harry drawing against him at Chicago?s Star Theatre on December 1, 1899, and getting knocked out in the first at the same venue on June 1, 1900, with Clarence stopping him by ninth-round TKO in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 8, 1901.
Tommy Feltz, ?the greatest little man who ever donned a glove,? was another opponent they had in common, Harry outpointing the Polish-born Brooklyn battler at the West End A.C. on February 27, 1902 (in a bout for the world and American 115-pound titles), and at the America A.C. that August 11, drawing against him at Detroit?s Metropolitan A.C. on October 14, 1903. Tommy fared better against Clarence, kayoing him in the first that May 14 and in the 11th that June 4, both times in St. Louis.
Clarence has the honor of being one of only three men to defeat the great Harry Harris, aka the Human Scissors (whose twin brother, Sammy, was also a boxer), outpointing him at Tattersall?s on November 27, 1900. Never stopped in 53 fights, Harry Harris was also outpointed by Steve Flanagan at the same venue on February 7, 1899, and lost by newspaper decision to Danny Dougherty at Philly?s Penn Art Club on March 26, 1902. He five times fought impressive Kid Herman (who later became a florist), facing him four times in Chicago, where he outpointed him on December 7, 1901, and September 8, 1902, drawing against him on January 8, 1903, and that November 16, before getting knocked out in the sixth in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 10, 1904.
Clarence also took on the very durable indeed Young Erne, who engaged in 274 bouts over 17 years, losing to him by newspaper decision at Philly?s National A.C. on February 25, 1905.
He last won on February 21, 1912, stopping the wonderfully monikered Special Delivery Hirsch by sixth-round TKO in Kenosha. He retired from the ring that December 10 after getting knocked out by Jeff O?Connell in the fifth in Kalamazoo.
When not in the ring, the boys were in the hoosegow.
Although little remembered, John C. Mabray was up there with Ivan Kreuger. Operating out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Mabray?s gang (formally known as the Millionaires? Club) made their money by promising ?investors? across the country that they could fix a variety of sporting events, including boxing and wrestling matches.
?The cons were simple and well executed,? writes S.M. Senden in her book, Lost Council Bluffs. ?They would be pulled off at various places around the country. The gang set up fake matches using a supposed champion in either wrestling or boxing who was to spar with an opponent. With a big buildup of the champion?s easy chances at winning, the mark was induced to bet on the champ. The fight began, and everything looked like the champ would beat his opponent easily and the winnings were a sure thing. The victim could almost taste the cash.?
But that cash turned to ash when ?the underdog opponent would manage to get the champ into a stranglehold. That?s when blood would suddenly begin to gush out of the champ?s mouth. It appeared to all present that the easy favorite was suffering a fatal hemorrhage,? simulated by ?use of chicken blood held in a small, bladder-like pocket made from the entrails of a sheep,? which the favorite would bite into at the opportune time. ?For extra added effect, the champion would fall to the ground and writhe as if in agony.?
The mark lost his bet, of course, as the bout ended in ?tragedy.?
A Mabray lad then hustled the sap away, ?filling him with the fear of arrest because he?d been gambling illegally.?
?Later, the con man would meet up with the mark and offer to help him get his money back. The mark often would head back home, getting all his ready cash ? selling, mortgaging or taking a loan to amass as much as he could ? and then return to the con man ready to win the next ?sure thing.?
?Men starting out for a bit of sport with hopes of easy money ended up losing nearly everything they had.?
Charged with illegal use of the mail in connection with these ?sporting? activities, Mabray and several associates (including Harry and Clarence) were found guilty of having fraudulently obtained as much as $5 million over the course of two years (a mouthwatering $120 million in today?s money). Impressive but not surprising, as some suckers lost as much as $40,000, almost a million bucks today.
The brothers were sentenced to two years in prison on March 20, 1910, and Harry was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, which would be at least $240,000 in 2017. President Taft commuted his sentence and reduced the fine, and Harry was back in the ring on September 11, 1910, knocking out Joe Hennessy in the third in Chicago. Less presidentially favored, Clarence didn?t fight again until January 22, 1912, when he drew against Kid Taylor in a newspaper decision at the Badger A.C.
Clarence, ?one of the trickiest and hardest-punching boxers ever developed in Chicago,? died age 36 on February 13, 1918 (around the same time and age as Terry McGovern), and is buried at Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin, Illinois. According to the Chicago Tribune of that March 1, a benefit was to be held for his widow and daughter, as he left them in ?unfortunate circumstances.?
Harry owned a gym in Chicago, where Joe Gans came to train for his December 13, 1900, bout with McGovern, which took place at Tattersall?s, Terrible Terry knocking out the ?Old Master? in the second in what was quite possibly a ?rank fake? (Gans, in fact, claimed that he threw the fight, though that doesn?t necessarily mean that he did). In later years, Harry was a trainer for Nate Lewis and then at Kid Howard?s famed Arcade.
The ?tough little Irishman? died on December 19, 1946, age 67, and is buried at Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.
