The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-04

to stay 10 rounds with sullivan wnen
the big fellow was in his prime, and
regarded as the uugilistic wonder OF
the world. Jack also went up against
Corbett with the gloves. and claims
that he bested the Californian. Demp-
sey's first reverse came a few years
ago. when old Mike Donovan. the box
ing teacher of the New York Athletic
club. made a six-rDund stand-on with
him at the Palace rink in Williams
burg. Then came his defeat at the
hands of George La Blanche. the Ma
rine. out in San Francisco. He had
held Donovan so cheaply that he made
no effort to do any training against
him. He was knocked out by the Ma
rine with the famous pivot blow.
which the boxing world has since
barred as being unfair.
Then came the contest with Bob
Fitzsimmons and that may be said to
have fairly broken poor Dempsey's
heart. He was completely outclassed
by the big Australian. and from start
to finish ne did not have one chance
in a hundred to win. Dempsey claims
his late illness was in a measure due
to the bea ting he received from Fitz-
simmons. 1t seems to be the general
impression that there is truth in this
claim. A writer who saw the fight
says: "If live I'd be hundred years
old / will never forget the look of
agony on Dempsey's face as, in one OF
the early rounds Of the fight Fftzsim-
mons sent him TO sitting posture to
the lower rope with a blow under the
heart. immediately after the round
/ hear Jimmy Flemming Carroll warn
Fitzsimmons, saying: Don't hit that
man on the body again. If you do
you'll kill him. In Justice to FitZsim-
mons 1t must be said that he did not
hit Dempsey mahciously. He was hui
name to him. too. and twice begged
him to quit. saying: Give II up, Jack,
I'm as strong as when we began and
can hit you when / want to- Demp-
sey's reply was: I won't give UP.
You'll have to knock me out. I'd hit
you II / could zen then Fitzsim-
mons did not try - finish him vicious
ly. He was as cons,derate as he well
could be. even after this. until Jack
McAuliffe threw up his towel as tok-
en- of Dempseys defeat. The brave
Nonpareil would not have II, however.
and when Fitzsimmons offered to shake
hands with him, he put up his guard
and compelled Fitz to fight again.
This, of course. angered Fitz, and he
hammered away until Dempsey was
| finally knocked senseless. He took
three knock downs before conscious
| ness left him.
I'm my report OF the fight predicted
| that Dempsey Would never again be
the man he was. That prediction came
true. He was never after the same
| Dempsey, and though he fought twice
| afterwards successfully, 1t was with
slow men like BILLY Mccarthy, who
like himself were past their prime.
| His last appearance in the ring at
| Coney Island last summer with Tommy
Ryan was a ghastlv affair. Death was
| in his face then. Jack married the
daughter of a Portland builder. Short
| ly before he left this city the last time
| he told me that he only weighed 1421s
| pounds when he fought Fitzsimmons,
and that me had never battled at over
las in his life. though the middle
weight champion He was undoubtedly
the best man of his weight the Ameri-
can ring has ever seen since the days
| of Yankee Sullivan"
Yet when Dempsey began his careel
as an athlete neither he nor his friends
had any idea he would develop intt
one of the greatest boxers this country
has ever seen. Dempsey made his frs
appearance in Boston about Is years
ago in the old Concert hall, which
stood at the corner of Green and Char
don streets. He was then a smooth
faced, boyish-looking chap and ap
peared in a restling exhibition. HI
wrestled collar and elbow style agains
an expert from Vermont named John
son, who was a wonder. Dempsey wa
a wonderful collar and elbow wrestler
but he gave up the business, claim nl
there was no money in It, Then he be
gan as a boxer He entered the light
weight class and soon stood at the hea'
of his class in this country. After h
had defeated all the lightweights h
went out OF his class to meet all com
ers in middle-weight circles. Hi
great fight with George La Blanche
the men wearing skin-tlght gloves, /
still remembered in this section of tn
country. for barrel of New Englan
! money went on the Marine. In thos
days-a dozen odd years ago-the Ma
rine was a terrible slugger and a glut
ton for punishment. Dempsey had al
the science, and in the great figh
which resulted he cut and slashed tn
Marine to pieces. La Blanche late
evened up things in Frisco with hi
| unfair pivot blow.
Dempsey's last appearance was mad
| in the Madison Square garden in NeN
York. THE occasion being a great bene
fit performance in his aid, which nette
more than $1,000. Sullivan, Corbet
Fitzsimmons, Maher. O'Donnell and a
the crack boxers of the country partiC
ipated. Ii was the greatest night Me-
York had seen in many years, so ia
as boxers and boxing were concerned
Even on that night Dempsey looked I
be a very sick man and unfit for battl
A few days after the benefit Dempse
left for Portland, Ore, where his VIII
resides. His condition was so bad tina
his friends thought he would never liy
to reach his far western home. DEM
sey had a great heart and was Charts
BILE to a fault. He was loved as fer
, boxers have been by the people of tn
, country.
| The Rulfur Passion.