Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-02-29

New York, February ZS.-lhe nlof9-
ment on foot to erect a monument III
Calvary Cemetery, Newtown, l.. l., IN
memory of the late Jack Dempsey
the middle-weight champion pugilist
for many years, has stirred up Wig
orous protest from the authorities Oh
the cemetery, and if the thousands Oh
friends and admirers of the dead fighter
nersist in the scheme, a bitter contest
in the courts will be the result.
The widow of Dempsey has already
given her consent for the removal OF
the remains Of the late ''NonpareI
from Portland Ore, where they are
inferred, to Calvary Cemetery. ouch
prominent pugilists as John l.. Sulll-
van. James j. Corbett and Bob Fltz-
simmons have expressly signlhed tnelr
intention to subscribe literally to the
proposed monument fund. y letter
was received from FitZsimmons last
night 10 the effect that the present
champion heavy weight considers that
Dempsey was the gamest man that
ever stood before him. Bob has OIL
fered to chip in $500 toward the fund.
Gus" Tuthill, Dempsey's old hacker
and intimate friend; Al. Smith, Billy
Edwards. formerly OF the Hoffman
House; Messrs. Phil and Mike DWyer,
David Gideon, Senator Timothy u.
Sullivan, who is a great admirer OF the
manly art; Bookmaker Peter De Lacy,
Richard X. Fox. Arthur Lumley, and
prominent sporting men all over the
country have signified their willingness
TO contribute to the fund. Last night
Martin Dempsey, brother of Jack
said that there would be no trouble
about securing a plot for the burial OF
the late champion.
The proposition was to place over
Dempsey's grave a bronze statue of
Dempsey in ring costume and in fight
ing attitude. On the pedestal was to
be inscribed a record of his numerous
battles and victories. 1t is just here
where the hitch comes in. Mr.. T. j.
Mcmahon, who was in charge of the
Office of Calvary Cemetery, at No. 266
Mulberry street, said that no such
monument would be permitted in the
cemetery.
Calvary Cemetery is a corporation"
said he, and, as such, the trustees have
every right to make rules and Tegula-
tons for its government. OF course
they would object to any such thing.
Prize fighting may not be immoral. but
it is neither patriotic, dignified, nor
even respectable, and to have the
statue OF a pugilist, no matter what
good qualities he might have possessed
in life, would be scandalous. There
are statues of soldiers in uniform and
inscriptions reciting their brave deeds
OF courage and bravery, but that is a
matter OF patriotism and worthy senti-
ment. Any attempt to erect such
monument as is contemplated would be
vigorously opposed. Why, take. for
instance, billiard playing. Would it
be proper to erect over the grave of
dead billiard champion a monument in
the form of a bronze billiard table with
balls and cue and statue of the &c
ceased player standing at the table
about to make shot? Hardly! No.
you may say that no statue of Demp
sey III ring costume will be erected in
Calvary Cemetery"
Dempsey died a Roman Catholic, and
as he died in grace, having received the
last sacraments of the church, his rela-
tiyes have perfect right to bury his
remains in Calvary. The question of
the monument, however, is another
matter, and it is likely that if any
monument is erected at all it will not
be in the form of a statue or bear any
inscription relating to the career of
Dempsey as a fighter.