The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-23
DEMPSEY GETS
QUEER LOT
OF MAIL
Challenger Says He Is Asked
for Advice, Receives Medi-
cine, Etc, From Admirers.
BY JACK

TOLEDO. O., June 23.-'There are
a lot OF folks interested in what l am
going to do on July 4, besides the usual
crowd that always is interested in a
boxing contest for a championship.
1t would surprise everyone, ! believe,
II they could see the queer contribu-
tons to my mail that flood the place
every morning and afternoon. 1t has
come to be a part of the daily grind for
me to sit down every morning after the
turn on the road and read letters hat
swarm in. The other day l received a
missive from a little town in Massachu-
sets n with 1t anne a bottle contain
ing. some fluid.
The letter urged me to use the liquid
on my body after a workout. Rub it
In well: 1t will make o strong" said
the letter.
Another man sent me a diagram of
a human body, with directions written
on the side pointing out the vulnerable
spots as he sees them and asking me
to stuy 1t well so | could pick out the
spots to hit Jess Willard.
Every mail brings questions from
fight fans who want me to give them
some inside dope on my condition so
they a place their bets right. They
all tell me they are sure | will win,
but want me to give them some in
formation that isn't obtainable through
regular channels.
OF course, there is no such informa-
ton. Everything l am doing Is open
to the public, and | have told in these
articles in exact fashion the stunts
have been going through to get my
self in condition, / suppose, though, let.
ters of this kind will continue for al
time. Publicity of the sort l am get.
ting naturally would draw responses o
this kind somewhere from among Z
hundred million people.
The letters interest me a great deal
and l often have thought that most o
them should be answered. II I had tn,
time to devote to it, l would answe
some of them, Those people are deep.
ly interested in the coming bout an,
are showing their appreciation of me ii
writing.
Now that my training Is again go
ing into boxing ! imagine hat most o
the people who have been watching IN,
progress will get something OF a sur
prise. When | was forced to lay of
for a while l already had gained a rep
utation for fast going and heavy punch
ing, but 1t is true that l hadn't bee,
going at my best speed,
Ten Days Left.
l have about 10 days now in whic
to draw myself to the very best c
condition. Boxing is going to play
large part in this, and there will b
no slack work. If people thought be
I fore that | was fast, the chances ar
they will think | am a hurricane froI
now on.
Ny impression right now is that
will nave to travel mighty fast whe
| get started against Jess Willard. Il
" he waits for me to come to him, q
has been his custom In previous bout
he will be laying back with a heay
punch. So the faster I'go against hi
the poorer will be his chance of LIANT
ing on me,
It would be silly for me to conter
that Willard can not hit a hard bloy
A man with his weight is bound
get something behind a punch. | b,
lieve and am supremely confiden
though, that | will be fighting him
such speed and with such heavy blow
that the ponderous weight of the pre-
ent champion will prevent his usir
himself to best effect.
They tell me Willard Us very conf
dent OF winning, He is no more
than l am. l have beaten men almo
as huge as he is without q great de
of trouble, and | figure that he Is ju
another man. Thinking of him as
champion doesn't enter my head in Il
sense that he Is unbeatable,
Copyright, 1919, by The Evening MI
Syndicate),