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Boxcars, Bullets, and Boxing Gloves The Stanley Ketchel Story It started as a story about Martin “Farmer” Burns, but while combing through old newspapers, a different figure pulled me in, an untamed storm of a man named Stanley Ketchel. What began as a tangent became an obsession. Martin “Farmer” Burns was a legendary 19thcentury catch wrestler, he held the American Heavyweight Championship in 1895 for over two years, having bested Evan “Strangler” Lewis, compiled a record of over 6,000 matches with only a handful of defeats. He was a revered trainer of champions, having mentored Frank Gotch and discovering countless other greats. The man is a WWE HALL OF FAMER When I’m researching a lot of times I just dive into old newspapers. It’s sometimes repetitive and not always easy on the eyes, squinting at the poorly scanned papers, but I love it. I was working on something about the aforementioned Farmer Burns and his training of champions. Specifically, I was looking into his training of Jim Jeffries for his bout with Jack Johnson. During this training, the scene was set at the home of former heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries, where a card game was in progress. One of the players at the table was Farmer Burns. Burns, despite weighing only around 165 pounds, had earned a reputation as one of the strongest and most technically proficient wrestlers in the world. Into this setting walked Stanley Ketchel, the former middleweight champion who at this point was as well known for his torrid reputation as he was his accolades. Jeffries, not welcoming Ketchel’s presence, asked the middleweight champion to leave his property. When Ketchel refused to comply, Jeffries turned to Burns with a simple instruction “Put that fellow out.” The wrestler calmly approached Ketchel, took him by the shoulder, and turned him toward the cottage’s door. Burns escorted Kethcel to the porch and gave him a gentle push toward the steps. Remarkably, the typically combative Ketchel offered no resistance to Burns and left Jeffries’ property without incident. This tale offers a glimpse into the unusual respect commanded by Farmer Burns, even from a notoriously fearless fighter like Ketchel. For those unfamiliar with early 1900s newspapers or the general attitude of the country, unfortunately, that kind of language was common. This was presented as a direct quote, at least. Some of the things the papers call Jack Johnson are shocking to modern sensibilities. This was an interesting story. As I do when names of people I don’t know come up in my research I give their names a quick google. Usually just enough to loosely familiarize myself with them. Stanley Ketchel was a complete unknown to me. Maybe I had heard his name in passing or seen him on a list of the greatest middleweights of all time, but I did not know anything about him. To say I was instantly fascinated is an understatement. Known as the “Michigan Assassin,” Stanley Ketchel carved his name into boxing history through his ferocious fighting style and big punching power that made him one of the most feared middleweights of his era. His life story reads like a pulp fiction novel from a trainhopping teen to world champion, culminating in a murder that shocked the sporting world. Stanley Ketchel should be a household name. He is in mine now, and hopefully, he will be in yours as well after reading his story. From Boxcars Boxing The Early Years of Stanley Ketchel Born Stanislaus Kiecal on September 14, 1886, in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Tomasz and Julia Kiecal, Russian and Polish immigrants respectively. The young man who would become Stanley Ketchel showed a rebellious spirit from an early age. He preferred running with street gangs than attending school. At just twelve or thirteen years old, accounts vary, driven by a desire for independence and the dream of “the Wild West,” he left home to ride the rails as a hobo, seeking the freedom of the frontier life. His years as a teenage wanderer were filled with hardship. Ketchel faced the constant dangers of life on the road violence from other travelers, railroad security guards, hunger, thirst, and exposure to the elements. One near death experience occurred when he entered an empty rail car he thought was headed to Montana. He drifted asleep and woke up trapped, the car having been detached and left in a rail yard miles from the nearest depot. He was facing potential death until he was rescued by a farmer named Edgar Landon. Various accounts suggest different paths to Ketchel’s introduction to boxing. One narrative points to a saloon keeper in Chicago named Soccer Flanagan who may have taught the young Ketchel some boxing fundamentals. What’s certain is that as he journeyed westward, taking odd jobs in farms and mining camps, he developed both physical strength and fighting instincts that would serve him well in his future career. Eventually, Ketchel found himself in Butte, Montana, a roughandtumble mining town where his fighting career would begin in earnest. Some accounts suggest his boxing career began after a dustup at the Copper Queen hotel. He was hired as a bellhop, until he beat up their bouncer. He was then given the bouncers job and caught the eye of several in the local fight game. Once known in Butte, he found early mentors in figures like Sid Lamont and Maurice Thompson, who were some of his early trainers. His first pro fight was in 1903 in Butte, Montana, where he knocked out Kid Tracy in one round. Ketchel’s early professional fights revealed a raw, but powerful fighter. Like a lot of fighters, he experienced some early losses, but these setbacks only seemed to fuel the development of his signature aggressive style and devastating punching power. He had 41 bouts in Montana with a record of 36 wins, two losses, and three draws during that time. Ketchel’s Rise to Middleweight Glory As Ketchel progressed through the boxing ranks, his reputation grew with each victory. His aggressive fighting style and punctuated by unearthly power, began to earn him a devoted fan base. It was during this period that he acquired his nickname, the “Michigan Assassin.” Despite always seeming to run away from Michigan toward the mystical West, he always returned home…until he didn’t, but more on that later. Ketchel’s victories and impressive streak of knockouts lead him to a world title fight. On February 22nd, 1908, he claimed the world middleweight title from Jack “Twin” Sullivan in Colma, California. Ketchel won, as he was wont to do, with a vicious knockout. This victory took him from an impressive prospect to the top of the division and launched him into boxing superstardom. Ketchel’s most notable rival was fellow middleweight Billy Papke. Their encounters were filled with as much drama as they were brutality. In their first meeting on June 4th, 1908, Ketchel won by decision after 10 rounds. However, in their rematch on September 7th of the same year, Papke used an underhanded tactic still occasionally seen to this day. Papke came forward to touch gloves and instead suckerpunched Ketchel when he extended his hand at the opening bell. Dazed from the outset, Ketchel could never take control of the fight like he did in their first meeting. He was knocked out in the 12th round, suffering the only knockout loss of his career to that point. Ketchel nor the public were satisfied with this result and an immediate rematch was set. Ketchel avenged this defeat just two months later, on November 26th, 1908, knocking out Papke in the 11th round to reclaim the world middleweight championship. The pair would meet once more on July 5, 1909, with Ketchel again prevailing by decision. These battles with Papke showcased both Ketchel’s vulnerability and his remarkable fortitude , further establishing his reputation as one of boxing’s most popular and exciting fighters. By 1909, Stanley Ketchel had become not just the top middleweight boxer in the world, but one of boxing’s biggest star, a fearsome competitor whose fights were guaranteed to be full of drama and often spectacular finishes. Reaching for Immortality Ketchel’s Challenge of Jack Johnson Perhaps the most noteworthy moment of Ketchel’s career came when he set his sights on heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. The challenge was noteworthy due the significant size disparity Ketchel faced. Ketchel measured 5’9” and weighed around 160 pounds. He giving up considerable height, reach, and nearly 50 pounds to the heavyweight champion Johnson. Their bout was scheduled for October 16th, 1909, in Colma, California, the city where Ketchel had regained his middleweight title. Johnson, the first African American heavyweight champion, was a technical master of the sport, while Ketchel represented power and unbridled aggression. The contrast in their styles and personalities added another layer of intrigue to the encounter. It’s worth noting that of course a large degree of this interest was due to race. It didn’t sit well with many white Americans that the best fighter in the world was black. Ketchel himself seems to have been no more racist than the average American of the time. Most account mention that Ketchel and Johnson were on friendly terms before and after the fight. As the fight unfolded, Johnson appeared to be in control, using his size and technique to keep Ketchel at bay. Johnson rarely employed his right hand at all, mainly keeping Ketchel at bay with jabs and superior footwork. There are many stories that the two boxers agreed to take it easy to extend the time and make more money selling the footage of the fight. Whether Johnson was coasting to an easy victory due to a prearranged agreement or if he was that much better than Ketchel, it all changed in the 12th round. Ketchel landed a thunderous right hand that dropped Johnson to the canvas. Johnson’s response was sudden and devastating. Rising quickly from the knockdown, well before the count, he immediately caught Ketchel with a massive punch that not only knocked the middleweight champion unconscious but allegedly sent several of Ketchel’s teeth flying, some even embedding in Johnson’s glove. The knockout was so severe that Ketchel remained unconscious for several minutes. The aftermath of the fight was as dramatic as the bout itself. Despite the defeat, his courage in challenging a much larger champion and momentarily succeeding in knocking him down only added to Ketchel’s legend. The Johnson fight represented both the peak of Ketchel’s ambition and a turning point in his career and life. Life After Johnson and a Descent into Chaos Following the brutal loss to Johnson, Ketchel’s career and personal life entered a much more turbulent period. While he recovered physically from the knockout, the defeat seemed to mark a shift in his focus and discipline. A blow as devastating as Johnson’s came two weeks after the fight with the death of his manager, Willis Britt. His death left Ketchel without a steadying influence in his life and career. Without Britt’s guidance, Ketchel’s personal life became increasingly chaotic. Reports from this period depict Ketchel, already known for a chaotic personal life, as fully giving in to a fastpaced lifestyle. Reports from this period depict Ketchel already know for a chaotic personal life as fully giving into a fast paced lifestyle. Spending cash at an alarming rate on women, cars, and even allegedly opium. His weight fluctuated wildly between fights, suggesting a lack of consistent training. Despite his substantial earnings as a champion boxer, financial stability eluded him, with money flowing through his hands as quickly as it came in. Despite the apparent decline in his focus, Ketchel continued boxing, though perhaps with less of the intensity and dedication that had characterized his championship rise. His natural talent and power still made him a formidable opponent, but the drive that had propelled him to the championship seemed to have diminished. Ketchel at the Dickerson Ranch By September 1910, perhaps recognizing the need for a change of scenery and a reset, Ketchel made his way to a ranch near Conway, Missouri, owned by R.P. Dickerson. Dickerson was a wealthy landowner who had a connection to Ketchel’s family, making his ranch a logical retreat for the boxer. Ketchel went to the ranch seeking a fresh start. He expressed intentions to train properly again, rest, and potentially embark on a more settled life. He wanted to be more serious with his money, perhaps becoming a rancher and baron after his career ended. During this period, Ketchel seemed to be turning over a new leaf. He was accepted into Springfield society and joined the local Elks Club, suggesting an attempt to establish more stable community connections. For a man whose life had been defined by constant movement and the chaotic world of professional boxing, the quiet ranch setting offered a stark contrast and the possibility of redemption. Whether Ketchel truly intended to transform his life or was merely taking a temporary retreat between benders before returning to his fast living ways remains an unanswered question. Events would soon take a tragic turn that would permanently cut short any plans for his future. Goldie Smith and Walter Dipley Enter the Scene Around the same time as Ketchels entrance to the ranch, two more workers were brought on Goldie Smith, hired as a cook and Walter Kurtz, introduced as Smith’s husband and employed as a ranch hand. Unknown to Ketchel and Dickerson at the time, “Walter Kurtz” was actually Walter Dipley, and his marriage to Smith was a lie. The initial interactions between Ketchel and the couple seemed unremarkable. They appeared to just be fellow wanderers looking for stability and a home. Beneath this mundane exterior lurked darker intentions. Later evidence would suggest that Smith and Dipley may have recognized Stanley and targeted him specifically, aware of his status and potential wealth. Whether they arrived at the ranch with premeditated plans or whether their scheme developed after meeting the boxer remains a matter of speculation, but whatever their initial intentions they would soon turn to violence. The Final Round The Murder of Stanley Ketchel The morning of Saturday, October 15th, 1910, began like any other at the Dickerson ranch. Ketchel was seated at breakfast in the dining room, his back to the kitchen door, as he enjoyed his meal prepared by Goldie. Walter Dipley entered the dining room from the kitchen, approaching Ketchel from behind. Without warning, Dipley raised a .22 caliber rifle and shot Ketchel in the back. The bullet entered near Ketchel’s right shoulder and traveled through his lung before lodging near his stomach. Despite being fatally wounded, Ketchel, demonstrating the tenacity that had defined his career, rose from his chair and attempted to pursue his attacker. However, the severity of his injury quickly overwhelmed him, and he collapsed. As he lay dying, Ketchel reportedly told those he came to his aid “they got me. Frantic efforts were made to save the boxing champion. A chartered train was arranged to transport him to a hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Despite receiving medical attention, the internal damage was too severe, and Stanley Ketchel died that evening. The “Michigan Assassin,” just 24 years old, had fought his final battle. Aftermath News of Ketchel’s murder sent shockwaves through the boxing community and world at large. The violent death of one of boxing’s most popular champions became national news, with papers across the country following every detail of the tragic story. There was a manhunt for Walter Dipley and Goldie Smith. Dipley was captured after a brief chase, while Smith was also taken into custody. During the subsequent trial, various motives for the murder emerged. The most straightforward explanationand likely was robbery. Dipley claimed in his defense the conflicting stories that he had shot Ketchel in selfdefense after the boxer caught him stealing money and that Ketchel was harassing Goldie. The fact that Ketchel was shot in the back while seated at the breakfast table undermined both claims. The court was unconvinced by Dipley’s version of events, and he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Goldie Smith, after initially being held as an accomplice, was eventually released. Legacy Forged in Tragedy Stanley Ketchel was only 24 years old. In a sport where fighters often peak in their late twenties or early thirties, he had already established himself as one of the greatest middleweights of all time. The reckless abandon that made him such a thrilling fighter also bled into his personal life, leaving him vulnerable to the kind of attack that ended his story far too soon. Like all good stories this doesn’t stop here. Stanley’s fiancé would attempt suicide multiple times, Dickerson would be accused of not paying the employees who helped catch Ketchel’s killer, Stanley mother would be assaulted by his brothers, his father would die under mysterious circumstances, and I could go. The threads could be unraveled more and more. I also haven’t come close to covering all of Ketchel’s short, but brilliant life. Kethcel and other turn of the 20th century figures should not be lost to history. We need to fight to keep them alive.