Young Griffo's
Summer at the Seaside
Inside the ring he was considered by most the cleverest man that ever put on a pair of gloves. Outside the ring, one newspaper writer referred to him as,
The Spirit Imp of All Hoodlum Darkness..
A near total illiterate, and a near non stop drinker Griffo as remarkably skillful and controlled inside the ropes Griffo was equally out of control outside of them.
and so begins Young Griffo's summer of 1895, a summer that would be two years long...
"Early yesterday morning Champion Jim Corbett, with his manager Billy Brady, and a small party of friends, was in Foley's restaurant in New York when "Young Griffo" entered the establishment. The Australian, in his usual evening condition, seeing Corbett, went over to him and asked him to "take something". Corbett abruptly declined and attempted to ignore Griffo's presence by turning his back to him. Griffo would not be ignored, but attracted the champion's notice by saying: "It takes us Australians to do up you chumps. Peter Jackson can do you and I can stand you for four rounds myself." To this Corbett retorted: " Here you little whpper-snapper go about your business if you have any or I'll break you in two." Griffo's response was a blow aimed at Corbett's jaw. Jim stopped it with ease, and with his open hand he slapped "the feather" on the chops so severely that he knocked him on the floor. Corbett was wild with rage, and stooping down, he attempted to pick Griffo up that he might slap him again. As he did so Griffo's right leg shot out suddenly and the heeel of his toe caught Corbett on the point of the jaw and the champion fell. As his body struck the floor his head collided against the rim of the iron cuspidor. Brady and Billy Delaney pciked him up unconscious. There was a slight cut on his head just back of his right ear, which bled freely. Griffo and his boon companions made their escape into their hack and were driven away. Corbett revived and went to the drug store and had his wound dressed.
-Miwaukee Evening Wisconsin. April 2, 1895
"Griffo has been engaged to fight before the kinetoscope with the Kentucky Rosebud"
-Police Gazette. April 13, 1895
This was to prove to be one of many appointments Griffo did not keep.
"Young Griffo or Alfred Griffith, as he is known outside the prize ring was arraigned before Judge Moore in the Court of Sessions, Brooklyn, N.Y., May 25 (1895), charged with an unprintable offence. In a dogged manner the accused pleaded not guilty, and declared that the accusation was a "put up job' by his enemies. In committing the prisoner to jail without bail Judge Moore said, " I understand that attempts have been made to get the witnesses against this man out of the way." "Any such attempt", replied Griffo's counsel, " has in no way been encouraged by the defendant, and if some of his friends are misguided enough to act in this manner, it ought not to be charged against him." "Well, perhaps not" said Judge Moore, "but if I discover it to be a job, you may rest assured that I shall see that the guilty parties are made to suffer." The eleven-year-old boy complainant, William Gottleib, was placed under $100 bonds to prosecute."
-Police News. May 26, 1895
Albert Griffiths (sic), the pugilist, or as he is known in the prize ring, "Young Griffo:, was to have been tried June 12 in the Court of Sessions, Brooklyn, before Judge Moore, for his alleged unnatural assault of the boy, Gottlieb Mayer, at Coney Island on May 9, but his case was put over for one week. He was sent back to jail as he could find no one to qualify in the amount required for his release, $5,000. He will probably stay in jail until his trial comes on.
-Police News. June 12, 1895
"Young Griffo is still confined in Raymond street jail in Brooklyn, unable to find the $5,000 bail that would set him temporarily at liberty. He is willing to give his share of his next two contests to anyone who will go bond for him. Judge Henry A. Moore, before whom he has been arraigned, is soon to leave for Europe to spend the summer, and Griffo hopes to be tried before some other judge."
"The chief witness against Griffo has disappeared and cannot be found."
-Police News. June 20, 1895
"If Young Griffo suceeeds in getting out from behind bars on bail, the Florida Atheletic Club may offer a purse of $7,500 for a contest between him and Jack McAuliffe.
-Police News. July 15, 1895
Griffo is still in jail in Brooklyn awaiting trial. Some days ago he with several other prisoners, was placed in line to afford a witness a chance to identify a murderer. The witness picked Griffo as the man. Now the Australian is sorry he left his home, and wants to get back as quickly as possible."
Police Gazette. July 27, 1895
After much inside work Young Griffo has been released on bail of $5,000, and if he keeps in line with those who have been instrumental in securing his release, his case may never come to trial. The object in having Griffo bailed was to get him some matches, the principal one being with Jack McAuliffe at Dallas, who has signified his willingness to take the match. Hugh Behan still has the management of Griffo. The boy with whom Griffo was charged with committing and unnatural offence disappeared from Brooklyn. It seems a question whether the entire proceeding against the rollicking "Rocks Lad" was not a job prompted either by the spite of McAuliffe's partsans or by Griffo's own friends to get him into line and out of temptations way for a time. He should after imprisonment of several weeks be in great condition for a go in the ring.
Police News. August 8, 1895
Young Griffo, as stated in the Police News, last week, is out of the Raymond Street Jail, Brooklyn, N.Y. Ex-Senator McCarrren applied to Judge Gaynor of the Supreme Court to admit the pugilist to bail August 8. It will be remembered that Griffo was indicted on May 23 for an indecent assault upon a boy named William Gottlieb at Coney Island. Justice Gaynor fixed bail in the sum of $5,000, and as sureties on the bond William Johnson, a builder, qualified. The bond was approved, and Griffo accompanied by Hugh Beehan and other friends, called at several Brooklyn saloons to celebrate his deliverance. Griffo hopes to get a match with Jack McAuliffe, to take place before the Florida Athletic Club in Dallas the week that Corbett and Fitzsimmons fight.
Police News. August 15, 1895.
McAuliffe and Young Griffo had met in the ring once before, August 27, 1892, with McAuliffe winning an extremely controversial ten round decision. Since that contest, McAuliffe had fought only once, a three round draw with Owen Zeigler. Griffo and McAuliffe were never to meet in the ring again. McAuliffe fought a six round exhibition in March of 1896 against Kid Lavigne and then retired un-defeated.
First Fight Out of Jail
Maber and Young Griffo had a fight on the Bowery, West Brighton, Coney Island, during the small hours of September 6 and Griffo knocked the "Shadow" out in one round. Maber, who has been running in hard luck, was tendered a benefit at Perry's glass pavilion. The benefit was a "frost". Bob Fitzsimmons, who was advertised to box with him, did not appear, not did one-tenth of the persons Maber expected. The box office had a poor showing, which made Maber feel blue. At 3 o'clock A.M. the "Shadow" went to a saloon to drown his sorrow. There, among others, he met Young Griffo. The later began to guy Maber about his "big" benefit. Angry words were passed, and finally Griffo became enraged when Maber twitted him on the cause of his recent imprisonment. Griffo challenged Maber to get out on the boardwalk and settle it. Maber accepted the challenge, and in a few minutes both men, who were very drunk, were sparring at a great rate, while a large crowd stood around. The bout was a hot one. Both men went at it hammer and tongs, and honors were about evenly divided when Griffo swung a terrific right which landed on Maaber's jugular, and the latter fell to the walk completely knocked out. He made no attempt to rise, and was carried into a saloon, where he was brought around after fifteen minutes' hard work and adminstering a large quantity of stimulants. Griffo after knocking hsi opponent out was escorted away by some waiters.
Police News. September 8, 1895
in America would be likely, I think, to cry himself into a decline over Young Griffo's announced purpose to "soon return to Australia". The spirit imp of all hoodlum darkness was never, I believe, quite so strong in any of the errant race of fighters as it is in Griffo. He is the sancho and star sewer-rat of the sparring profession. He has been embroiled about all the time with somebody and is seemingly a helpless prey to his low propensities. Drink didn't change Griffo for the worse, as it did Sullivan, because Griffo is at all times a "mace" and destitute of regard for what he pledges himself to in order to obtain money. I don't know how many ambitious managers had had "Griffo" under contract. He will sign with any man for anything, providing he receives cash in hand advance. Personally he has run himself out wherever he has been a little while known. People who think highly of him as the greatest nonesuch of science boxers don't want to meet him or talk with him, and will run around the corner if they see him coming. The hostility of all police authorities in and about New York to Griffo is, for good reason, decided and deep-rooted. Such as he is unfortunately intensify the prejudices of the community against all pugilists and sparers.
...matchless and masterly cleverness handling himself as an exponent of the "manly art" is the one solitary thing about him that can be dwelt upon with admiration or even with patience."
Polcie News. September 18, 1895.
Griffo, who has been celebrating his release from Raymond Street Jail in Brooklyn by a prolonged spree, is back again in the jug. It seems that he only gave "straw bail", and the authorities found it out and rearrested the "feather" and put him back in prison. They now intend to make it hot, not only for Griffo, but for his bondsmen as well. The latter can be prosecuted for perjury.
Police News-September 25, 1895
Griffo has succeeded in obtaining a "good"bond and is again enjoying the invigorating breezes of Coney Island.
Police Gazette-October 9, 1895