Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-05

SYDNEY, Australia, Nov. 1S.-Just
over week ago Australian boxing
circles were set agog with excite
neRt Ia fact. il is doubtful whether
any previous period OF excitement
ever created such furOre in sporting
circles as did this recent occurrence
the mysterious disappearance Of the
worlds mlddleweight champion, Les
Darcy. For the past two years this
great boxers name has been d house.
hold word, and Lies Darcy" has been
the flapper's ideal and the schoolboy's
hero. But. alas. the scales have fall
len from their eyes, and Les Darcy,
instead OF being looked up to in the
future will be looked down upon, il
what is rumored proves true.
From the moment of his disappear
ance. persistent rnmors were rife that
Darcy had managed TO ship away on
q tramp steamer TO America, but the
Australian press was retieent about
openly saying this. fearing a libel
action. and consequently only veiled
reference was made as to his probable
whereabouts. Now, however, It can
be fairly safely said that Les Darcy
has evaded the military authorities,
set aside his kinship with the gallant
men OF .Gallipoli, scorned his obliga-
tons TO his king, his flag and HIS
country, and answered the call of his
god, the god of Mammon in America.
A ShiEker
There were many who applauded
his shrewd getaway" many who
said. All the more power to him for
beating the officials" but the major
ity said In their inner hearts. You're
a shirker, Les Darcy, and we thought
you were real man
The Australian people love sport,
and they loved Les Darcy, loved him
for his fine boxing, for his sunny per-
sonality, his ever smiling face, but
they are deeply disappointed in his
action in clearing out. Neutral sup
porters may say. We'll, Australia
turned down conscription, and Darcy
is not needed to fight" Darcy was
needed, one Darcy in a battalion, and
that battalion would marcn to t.ae. bat
Elements OF hell, If need be, to distin-
gtiish itself as "Darcy's battalion,
and the worlds middleweight cham.
pion will never find an excuse good
enough. or an apology plausible
enoush, either 10 satisfy the Austral-
ian press. public opinion or his own
conscienee--if he has one.
Italian Hand
There WAS the touch OF q master
mind. the planning of a cute, shrewd
brain at the back Of his "elopement,
and he had his friends so well primed
and so well mystified, that even his
own trainer Mick Hawkins, the man
who plotted him through all mis- early
stormy waters, and whom he left be-
hind without word. did not know
what he had done or where he was
going.
His mother. his sweetheart, his best
friends were all approached by repre-
sehtatiVes Of the press, and all said
that they. Thought he had gone to
Melbourne"
This brings US TO another phase OF
the question. One the morning the
steamer Sonoma sailed for San Fran.
cisco, Darcy came 10 see Mr.. Reg. l..
i''Snowy'D Baker at the Stadium, and
while In the carpeted. flower-bedeck-
ed sanctnm. discussed the details OF
his return fight with George Chip,
which was TO take place In Melbourne
on Monday. November G. He went
away after agreeing to box Chip and
arrangements were made for his
transportation expenses, to be picked
up on the following morning. During
the day rumor was circulated in the
city that Darcy was going to leave on
the Sonoma, and il is. believed that
the military police searched the ship
from stem 10 stern. On the day fol-
( lowing, Thursday, the Sydney Sun
published an interview with Darcy. in
which he is alleged to have said that
he had no intention OF going to Amer
lea while the war was ON. However,
OF that very day he left Sydney os-
tensibiy for Newcastle. II. S. W.. to
prepare for his trip TO Melbourne, and
from that moment TO this his actual
whereabouts have been unknown. IL
is peculiar. but nevertheless true.
that an American tramp steamer, The
Hattie Tuckombade, left Newcastle
for either lquique, Valparaiso or some
other CHILEAN port. This ship Is a
nfne-knot vessel. with a British skip
per. Capt. Mcdonald Ii Darcy left
by her his chances of getting to the
u S. A. by Christmas are remote in.
deed, and probably by the time he