South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-04
JACK DEMPSEY
TOOK THE COUNT
Alas, Poor Dempsey, ! Knew
Him, acknowledgements
to Shed Tears.
BY RINGSIDER.


CHICAGO, oct. Weep for
| hopes we pinned upon him are no
more. To deepest night has sunk
his sun. Lo. they count ten-he lies
upon the floor.
For, be it known. out there on
| the Golden Gate where the Original
Sons look out upon the bay. re-
Gently was there a decision rendered
| in favor of Wee Willie Meehan, local
boy wonder, sailor 10 Uncle Sam by
vocation. and would-be pugilist by
| avocation.
Ii was fOur-rOund charity affair
with no decision expected. but when
you get a combination such as this
/ boy Meehan what else can you ex-
pect? We forget his weight stripped,
but We know he would come in
handy to stand between Kaiser Bill
and the latter's losses, for Bill could
never see those sad matters around
/ Wee Willies waist.
Perhaps that was the trouble with
the referee-his vision may not have
been Of the X-ray variety. and hav-
ing been stationed, by inclination
and geometry both, on the Meehan
side OF the ring. he may have failed
| to see Jack Dempsey at all
There's another thing about Will
| lie, too-he's a rival which far out
shines the fairest flapper that ever
/ tapped when il comes TO Tapping.
That's what his art, if such it is.
consists Of. His right arm flaps and
slaps and is followed with a flap
pity slappity left. and II sure does
look as if the day Of fistic judg-
ment had come for his opponent.
| So that, size OF waist and activity
of arms combined he gives the
/ imaginative OnloOker a suggestion
| of a Dutch windmill in action In
the teeth of a hurricane.
But, like the bark of the dog that
wags his tail simultaneously, so the
swing Of Wee Willies arms holds
no terror for the antagonist who
knows him. For, like the dog. there
/ is no bite in IT, II strikes with the
hardness OF a summer breeze and is
as death dealing as the pat of
still-bIind kitten.
| Report has it-accurate report.
too-that Dempsey landed one Of
| those smashing blows Of his on the
right spot on Meehan. and that Nee
han said good morning to the floor.
but because he did not stay long
enough to say good night the afore-
said referee passed that uD as un-
/ worthy of official attention-al-
| though with all his wind-sawing
Willie never drove Dempsey near
enough to the floor TO let him get
within telephone communication
with 1t.
| There is another theory on which.
perhaps, looking at the matter with
the wide impartiality which the
times and the censor permit, we
may answer the question. Wee Will
lie as aforesaid, wears a uniform
and it's the right color, and stands
for the right things.
! Now up and down the ocean con-
voying ships carrying boys who
also wear the uniform. and the
right color, are other sailor boys
like in uniform unto the mighty
Willie, now beater-by-d Of
Jack Dempsey, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
10 championship honOrs. Is it not
possible that the referee, being OF a
patriotic turn Of decisioning. decid-
ed 10 sacrifice his reputation in his
chosen avocation and give the score
TO Willie to support the morale OF
our sailor boys? Greater deeds Of
sels-sacrifice have been recorded.
But. meanwhile, let us shed a
tear for Jack-how can he come
tack after such a blow? "a blow.
by the way. which he never felt in
the ring. for the many punches
tl.at swung in his direction during
those four rounds were punchless
land he felt them not)
There Is the fable OF the fly on
the coachwheel and ali the dust, but
i'm spite OF the hy. the wheel kept
lon making just as much insanitary
ldirt-finging as before.
And so IL viii be with Dempsey
iif ever Jess Willard viii take him
on.
For we are able 20 get 10 the
other side OF the ring. and LOOKING
at IL from Dempsey corner it is
easy TO understand his side OF the
story. He had the gloves on for
charity 20 help where he could helT
most There were four rounds ir
store for the audience and noshine
az stake for him. Why not giv'
them a show for their money
They'd come again II he did. anC
that would mean more money
FOR charity.
So. without putting any frills o