The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-15
WHITE PLAGUE HAS
CLAIMED MANY
PUGILISTS AS VICTIMS

s
In humble grave s9far out In the
wi1ds Of Oregon on a lonely srnountain
side. as a poet of pugilism has ex-
pressed titles all that is mortal OF
Jack Dempsey, the -.Nonpareir of the
modernf ring and one of the greatest
midd1eweights OF all time. Today zis
the ffty-third anniversary of Demp-
sey's birth in County kildare, Ireland.
He died in Portland, Ore, 10 years
ago, victim of tuberculosis Demp-
sey,s real name was John Kelly, but
he owed his Introduction to the sport
ing world to his half-brother, Martin
Dempsey. and adopted the latter's
name. Martin was great wrestler
and the NonDarei1 was at first de-
votee of the graphing game. He be-
came interested in boxing while en-
ployed in a Brooklyn cooperage shop,
where his fellow apprentices included
Jack McAuliffe, afterwards light
weight champion. and Jack S1elIy,
who became famous as feather
weight. Dempsey was rnidd1eweight
champion under both the London
prize ring and Queensbury rules, and
title before entering the heavier di-
vision.
Poor Dempsey is not the only fa-
NOUS boxer on the long roll of the
victims Of the great white plague.
That dread disease cannot be accused
of playing favorites- The frail girl
and the weak, hat-chested boy may
be its special prey, but the most pow
erful athlete is not immune.
Joe Cans the "oId master" was
only thirty-f1ve when he succumbed
to the ravages of the most terrible of
modern plaques. The negro light
weight went to Arizona and put up a
game fight against the destroyer, but
in vain.
Peter Corcoran. the Hibernian, Her
cules, who annexed the British cham
pionship a century and a half-a ago, fell
an early victim to consumption. The
great Tom johnson, heavyweight
champion in the latter part of the
eighteenth century, died of the same
disease. Hen Pearee, the Game
Chicken and the immortal Jem Bel
cher. both passed away in their early
/ tIirties Of tuberculosis.
Tom Adolineaux, the American ne
/ gro who went over to England a lit
tie more than century ago and
whipped Tom Crib, although cheated
out of the championship rightful1y
his, was another victim of the plague.
SO. too, was the giant American, Char
/ lie Freeman, who stood 6 feet 1912
| inches, and who whipped Perry, the
Upton Slasher, in England in 1912.
Freeman, who was a strong man by
| profession. died at the age Of twenty
eight, his herculean frame, once the
marvel of all beho1ders. having vast
ed to q shadow
John ]. Dwyer, who whipped jim
my Elliott for the American heavy
weight title in 1879, died a young
man of consumption. Dan Donnel1y,
the greatest champion Ireland ever
turned out, was only thirty-six when
he died, a pulmonary trouble hasten
ing his end
This list is by no means complete,
for dozens of other fighters have re-
ceiVed the final knockout from the
white plague. = In a great majority
of the cases recorded, however. dis
sipation and excuses have been the
real cause of their premature passing
from the worlds stage. They were
weakened by long and frequent bouts
with old John Barleycorn before T. B
stepped in and handed them the sopo-
| rifac walIop. A boxer may survive
any amount of punishment in the ring
but mighty few can stand up long bel
fore King Booze.