New Britain herald., 1919-07-05

Jess Willard made a most ignOminiOus exit from pugilism. With that vast gathering from all points of the globe waiting for him to answer the call for the fourth round, and once more face the relentless attack of Jack Dempsey, Willard decided that discretion truly was the better part of ValOr. The big Kansan who had entered the amphitheater only twelve minutes before acclaimed as the champion of the world ordered one of his seconds to throw a towel into the ring in token of abject surrender, and to Dempsey went the crown.
 The crowds will say that Willard was knocked out by Dempsey in three rounds. There is no question that had Willard continued he would have lost the championship anyway, but there is some doubt whether Demp- sey would have been able to land the knockout punch.
 Seven times had Willard been knocked down in the first round, which ended in pandemonium, with all except a very few at the ringside believing that the fight was over and that the champion had been counted out. But in neither the second nor the third round was the Kansan felled, and the impression existed among competent critics that had he chosen to continue he might have weathered the storm and perhaps lasted the limit of twelve rounds.
 But this king of finance who went into the arena champion of the ring and came out champion of the white feather had no stomach for real bat tie. His two hundred and fifty pounds of putty, encasing the heart of chicken, showed a yellow streak that would have besmirched the ring and the title but for the fact that the crown went over to so formidable and worthy a new champion.
 Willard's Act Sets King History.
 Never before in, the long history of the heavyweight championship had 9 holder of the title thrown up the sponge. Never before had a champion suffered the title to leave him while he sat smiling in his own corner, fully able to continue the battle, un- even as it looked, but f1inching before the prospect of further punishment and declining the issue. Never be- fore had the heavyweight king of the world suffered himself to be counted out of time while he retained his fighting faculties.
 For Dempsey, as he left the ring, there was an ovation that never be- fore had been accorded a new cham piOn of fisticuffs. For Willard as he sneaked out of the ring and quickly out of the arena, there was never even a look
 Not even a whit of sympathy went to that hulk as with battered face and that siclhly smile still lurking on his
 
 the scene while cheer after cheer rang through the air for the new l1ing--this latest sensation of pugilism who had upheld the traditions of the fighting sons of the feud country of the Tennessee mountains.
 Mob Smothers Dempsey.
 Before Dempsey could hie himself out of the ring a mob descended on him and almost smothared him. Men hugged him under sheer glce over the sensational success he had so brilliantly won. Even a few women managed to make their way on to the canvas and tell the new title holder how glad they were to see him win.
 Never had a heavyweight cham pionship fight developed so many surprises from the start and end in so startling a manner. In all that long history of the titular competi- tion-all the way back from these days of Jacob Hyer in 1816-thero had been only three shorter battles for the crown.
 Tommy Burns stopped Bill Squires of Australia at Colma, California, just twelve years ago yesterday, in the first round. Jim Jeffries knocked out Jack Munro in the second round at San Francisco in 1904, and Jim Cor bett stopped Charley Mitchell of Eng land at Jacksonville in 1894 in the third round
 But these had been fights. Tn all three the champions had been vic- tors, and the beaten c11allengers were counted out while they lay uncon- scious on the canvas. Yesterday 65,- 900 saw a champion lose his crown in record time, and if anybody shed tear it was not noticeable.
 Even those who had been the stanchest admirers and packers of Willard went from tho arena with feeling of disgust, chagrin over their having sponsored the cause of a man whose business it was to fight, but who declined the issue when the heat Of battle was at it's hottest.
 Willard Surprises Spectators.
 In view of Willards having retired after three rounds. it was something of a mystery to the uninitiated that he had not permitted himself to be counted out while he was on the floor in one of his seven trips to the can vas in the first round. To have been counted out while he lay prone would havo meant defeat surely enough, but defeat with some honor.
 Some were so unfeeling as to sug- gest that had Willard resigned the task in the first round the moving picture of the fight would not havo been worth a plugged nickel. Three