Young Griffo: Will O' The Wisp

Go spew your bull**** elsewhere. You made a serious accusation, you should back it up, or retract it.

 

A quick search of a free newspaper site threw this up which is the start of it (the report is just centre left):

http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83030193/1895-05-16/ed-1/seq-2

and here is another reference:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...onepage&q=young griffo sexual assault&f=false


**Don't tell that clown BitPlayerVesti though, let him stick to wiki for his info.

 

Titus O'Reilly is a comedy writer (and a good one at that) but hardly an authority on early 20th century boxing and the news article told us nothing. Was Griffo convicted of being a pederast officially or not?
I'm neither here nor there on this despite my moniker and am quite curious about this.

 

The evening world., August 28, 1894, EXTRA 2 O'CLOCK, Image 1
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...asetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

 

The National Police Gazette May 18, 1895
It is an enigma to men who follow up the doings of pugilists, how Griffo continues his dissipations and yet retains his marvelous ability to fight. Sullivan, great as he was, was no fight antagonist for John Barleycorn. The latter was the ultimate conqueror, but it apparently did not take him as long to "do" the big American as the sturdy little visitor from the Antipodes. Even in the face of the most important engagement he has ever had; and within a week of the time specified for his fight with Lavigne, he goes on a jamboree which stirs Coney Islant to the very core. The scene of the little diersion herinafter described was the "Bowery," of New York's famoud seaside retreat; a place as typical in its way as the faour thorough fare from which it acquired its title. Early on Sunday morning Griffo went into the saloon and threatened to wallop any man who would put up his dukes. There was about a dozen Coney Islanders in the place at the time, who are not particularly sociable with Griffo, and one of them started in to give the Australian a hiding. Although he was much bigger than Griffo, the latter made short work of his antagonist. After trouncing his man Griffo coolly put on his coat again and the proprietor of the place ordered all out and closed the place. Griffo has since been celebrating the "fuss" in rapid style, and if he continues his "jolly good time" his admirers will have very little faith in him when he tackles the sober and steady Western lad.
Just why he jeopardises his chances and possibly allow his friends, who back him generously in any fight he engages in, to lose their money, is best known to himself. Griffo must know that Lavigne is no easy mark for him or any other lightweight. Any man Lavigne's weight will have extreme difficulty in beating him, if there are any who can do that trick. Therefore, it would seem that Griffo, who is a sensible felloe in some matters, would throw folly to the winds, settle down to good, hard training, and meet Lavigne in as finely trained condition as he possibly can get.

 

I wrote this and appreciate you sharing it.

I'd say he may be the greatest 'what-if' ever, given what he was able to do with such a lack of commitment.

Not that I'm aware of.

 

Unbelievable article, seems like he summed up the old phrase
Couldn't hit him with a bag of stones of he was stood in front of you