The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-09
WILLARD
EASY FOR. DEMIPS PSY
hipped toa Frazzle in First
Round and Out in
Fourth
Old CHAMPION
POOR FIGHTER
old CHAMPION
POOR FIGHTER
Fourth Of July Prize Fight Had
Small Attendance and Was
One Sided Affair

event, Jack Dempsey today became
{ the world champion heavyweight box
20 all intents and purposes he
whipped the huge Jess Willard, Iav-
orite IN the meagre betting, in one
round. Dempsey thought the referee
had announced him winner and &C
tualTy left the ring. But he was cali
ed back and the butchery continued
for two more rounds when Jess, sit
ting in his corner, with a bewildered
look on his swollen face failed to re-
spond to the gong for the fourth
round.
1t was no use to continue said
the ex-champion. MY strength went
from me in the first round" He sat
there, apparently the most surprised
man in the United States at the mo-
ment His right eye was closed and
his right cheek swollen and blue with
bruises. Blood covered his body and
his arms hung SO helplessly over the
ropes that it seemed as if. o Child
might give him further abuse without
rousing his interest.
Dempsey was breathing hard waen
the fight ended, but it was from exer-
ton and not from punishment. The
w<chanapion, whose full voting name
is William Harrison Dempsey, es-
caped almost unhurt, but as he had
been using his arms ike trip ham
mers on the anatomy of his opponent
Z for nine crowded minutes in q sun
that sent the thermometer to 10 de-
grees, his heart was still pumping at
high pressure and he appreciated the
breathing spell,
In the first few seconds of the con-
+ test it looked as If the experts who
& had been assigned to keep detailed
account of ali blows struck might
come. measureably close to doing So
but it was only for a. fraction OF g
moment After that the experts did
well to count Jacks blows, let alone
takesnote of how each was made. The
s. challenger Knocked the big fellow
down five times in the first round and
had him hanging helplessly on the
ropes or draped over his own should
ers most Of the time whec he was not
taking advantage Of the count.
The crowd thought the fight was
over IN that round. Willard was down
for the seventh time and the count
was apparently about to end when
the gong sounded. It was a modest
gong which could not make itself
heard before so many people and even
Dempsey did not get it. He crawled
through the ropes and was headed
~ ~, n Of jy,s
fans when the truth was broken 20
him, and he was hauled back.
Such fighting as the Kansas
ranchalan produced was placed on-
exhibition at the onset IIe-!.1;sd stood
). m his Sc7.eer a picture of confidence.
His smile seemed that Of one VINO had
brief and no. unpleasant task be-
fore him. He certainly was al set
! to ge, fer just before time was called
he was heard to remark:
Lets get this thing over
He measured the attendance, which
disappointed estimates by about sc
per cent with an appraising eye.
Dempsey presented contrast. None
of the confidence of his training camp
statements appeared in his bearing.
The man across from him outweigh
ed him 40 pounds and looked as big
and impregnable as metropolitan
hank building. The mood OF the ciaal-
lenger was plainly thoughtful and
more than one ringside gazer whisper
ed: Hes licked now
When they were introduced Jess
sauntered over with the cordial man
ner of one desiring to reassure
youngster and took his hands in the
friendliest way. Jacks handshake was
friendly. too, just then, but it was the
last token of friendship from those
Sgioves. A minute or so after they
were using Willard for a choDpins
block and some in the crowd were
crying. stop it. Stop it. 1t is plain
murder"
Dempsey's first effective blows, and
the ones which appa rently settled Will
lard's fate. were a right over Jess
shoulder to the jaw. a left to the body
and right to the jaw. Jess stag
gered. His eye was closing and he
reaied. and the challenger. with all the
energy of his pulsins youth, began
hitting him at Will
The attendance was below expecta-
tions. Seats were built for $4,000 and
the estimate was that not more than
half of these were occupied. Specnla--
tors lest heavily. They resold their
tickets at anything from s5 to SIS I'M
der gate prices. No betting was re-
ported at the ringside nor was there
much elsewhere as far as could be
ascertained.
The heat of the day WIS terrific. in
tensi6ed as it was by the vast acreage
of green lumber. During the prelin-
mary bouts which lasted from II
o'clock till 23O. a thermometer e11-
posed as were the spectators and fsht-
ers jumped to 120 degrees which vas
the limit Of what the instrument co;1id
record. It showed 10 degrees when
Willard and Dempsey entered the
ring.
when Dempsey was proclaimed
winner the crowd surged onto the mat
in wild scramble to shake the hand
of the new champion. At times some
r,fa+T,eYn toupled over onto the teie-