The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-29
BY Damon Runyon.

Toledo. Ohio, June 2S.-This is at
once a prophecy and confession.
! predict that Jack Dempsey Will
knock Jess willard for the proverbial
nine of hat racks on July 4.
But gentle reader, I confess that
am unable to guarantee 1t.
don't really know that Mr.. Demp
sey is going to do as I predict and
that's a fact. He tells me he will and
the truth seems to fairly beam in his
large ox-like orbs.
Then Mr. willard. without giving the
lie direct to Mr.. Dempsey you know,
but making the statement most EN-
phatic, tells me Mr.. Dempsey will not
do anything Of the sort, and 1 scarcely
know which one Of them to believe.
They both talk like honest men.
But / can say this much to you G,
RIFF l were dead sure of my pre-
diction turning out as predicted. I'd go
away from this town Of Toledo. Ohio.
with enough money to make Jake
Rupert and lot Of other millionaires
sick with envy
Whereas, in truth and in fact. I'll
probably depart with Just about suf-
hcienf dough to pay my taxicab fare
from the hotel Secor to the depot,
Which will be SIS under the present
rate of Toledo taxi fares
In 0DOEl III 4uCSStiBp the SAINT d.
you and I'm not cock sure of my
guess. And If any one else In these
parts is hasing prediction as TO the
result OF the big smear on anything
more than guess, he's better man
than I am. John McNutt.
take Dempsey to win because he is
eleven years younger than Willard on
Wizards own statement of his age and
thirteen years younger on my reckon
ing OF 1t because he is faster; because
he is in better condition, as I see it.
because he is a harder hitter, and be-
cause the old Law Of the game runs
against the Pottawatomie Behemeth.
figure that last about as important
as anything else. A champion lives
his little day. and then along comes
some young squirt and knocks him
loose from his title. 1t has always
been so. and will always be so. ] be-
lieve that Willard has lived his day.
He is due. It is the law of the game
OF course lot of old precedents
have been upset lately. what with a
president of the United States going
abroad and prohibition coming on and
maybe Jess will upset another. 1t
would be Just like the Kansas son of a
gun TO do something to make a we'll
regulated prophet look silly.
MEANING OF CONDITION
Is HOW HE LOOKS NOW
have referred 20 this matter OF
condition. do not claim to be u
Judge of condition down to the fineness
of the hair on a gnat's back. I cannot
tell just by looking at a man. and
watching him tussle around with a
bunch of sparring partners, what he
can do in bear night. gaze at him
and he either looks good to me or he
looks bum to me, and yet I cannot re-
ally be specific and tell you why he
looks either way to me.
say Dempsey looks good to me and
also say Willard doesn't look good
to me still talking about condition.
but I can show YOU a whole slew of
gents in the lobby OF the hotel Secor
whose view Is just the reverse. They
think I am cockeyed.
profound study Of the proposition
has convinced me that sporting events
are contrived chiefly to make the
prophets look foolish any way. I have
tn idea that II you took all the prog
hostications from the time Goliath
ruled two to one favorite over David,
and the experts allowed that anybody
who thought Dave had chance was
daffy. down to our willard Dempsey
era you would fnd that the prophets
have no better than a 500 average,
Which is not bad for the prophets
at that when you ngure the COMPETE
tion in the business and all that sort
o. thing.
I suppose that back in the old Ro
man days when the boys would gather
at the Toledo Of their time to view
the gladiators in training there was
lot of demonstrating going on. And
i suppose too. that after a bout was
all over and some gladiator had been
knocked kicking. the gossips went
around saying:
We'll, did you see what that sap,
Cestus. had in the Rome tribunal the
ether day? He said Hooxis was
skinooch. Can you imagine a guy like
that writing sports We ought to sic
Nero on him"
JESS DON'T LOOK LIKE
WINNER BY HIS RECORD
cannot see how gentleman who
VAS unable to handily dispose of Tom