The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-22
A Tale of TWO Fists
The Life Story of Jack Dempsey
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WHAT KIND OF A FELLOW is DEMPSEY p

Copyright. 1919, by Damon Runyon.)
".
The Jack Dempsey who sat by the
old h]aseburner In the quiet little hotel
In Long Branch, lacking only n pair
Of carpet slippers and a pipe TO com
plete a perfect picture Of contented
domestiCity, is not the Jack Demsepy
Of the ring.
Those arc two very different ncmp-
seys, indeed. .
and affablo. The ring Dempsey is not
only serious. but gives the Impression
Of vast ferocity, He is ferocious, He
fights In a avage almost primitive
fashion, yet within a certain tntuitiNe
cunning that passes for high science
Until the bell rings he scarcely
glances Mt an opponent. oddly enough
This seems to be as disconcerting to
those persons ms John l.. Sullivans old
trick Of glaring at the other fellow,
Dempsey. has very stiff black hair,
which he Wears clipped short.
Il had one Of those badger hair,
cuts when | first came TO New York,
Jack interiects. shaved way hlgn 4u
you know how they do EN- out III
the sticks-haw! haw! What "A hick
was. -,
His complexion is dark; he has dark
ewes and heetling black eyebrows
splashed across HIS forehead In almost
a straight line, The black hair grows
long and loose on his body, SO wher
he puts on n battle scowl which sprGa1'
an expression Of fury over his whole
face he IN n most sinister looking indi
vidual, to be sure,
In that respect he is reminiscent o
,TinV Jeffries in the days when JET
first came roaring and scowling up GU
Of ~obscurity. -.
Dempsey asks In surprise, rs tina
right? Well, well! | don't feel &
ornery. It's Just the way | fight"
The battle frown fades from Demp
sey's countenance as he leaves tn
ring. 1t is almost as II he dotted
mask, His very hair seems to settl
back smoothly, as the nSS!le 3, Of fur
has passed. A smile returns to Demp
soy's face and he keeps showing a Sc
OF good white teeth in n grin.
I wouldn't call Dempsey handsome
I've never seen many men | would ca
handsome-but he Is assuredly not ba
looking, His face is roundlsh an
battles, which Is astonishing, In vie'
Of the fact that It was such n mic
omen countenanCe In the early days &
his fighting careers that his opponent
could not resist dropping gloves full
fists into It.
He carries himself. In street attire
straight up. and with the grace Of a
cled burlies. There are no angles {
him. His frame Is smoothed off, an
symmetrical, He stands-Mr, Kearn
reaches for the pocket Of his form-flt
ting coat, produces a notebook, an
obllges with the detailed flgures-si
feet one and "A half inches high. sam
height ms Jeff; half an inch taller tina
Corbett, an inch taller than johnson
four inches taller than Sullivan, b,
four inches and a half shorter tina
the towering willard.
weight 1877 pounds stripped" say
MIR, Kearns, from his notebook. y
his street clothes 2O3 pounds. He
giving you that like I've got It her,
Reach. 7S inches; chest AZ normal, 4
expanded" II BOUNDS as II we wer
measuring Dempsey for a suit {
clothes. Meek II inches; waist az
inches" continues Mr.. Kearns .'This
20 inches, biceps 1917 calf Is, and ank
9%'inches." concludes Mr.. Kearns, wit
an air Of triumph.
Very good, Those are the figures.
A burly big fellow. I say, and y,
neatly constructed. lie Is throw
back to the days before heavvweigf
fighters got to running entirely
beef.
nemnsoy Ia not n highly educat,
man, hut he has had some schoolln
and his life has tended to sharpen h
\ wits. He has been to a lot Of place
and seen n lot Of things, and hc hi
always been n keen observer, Tho'
years on tho road taught him a cei
r tain philosophy. Granting that he
{ only the % years he claims, he hi
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