The Washington herald., 1919-06-26
FULTON SCARED
BEFORE BATTLE
Munroe Claims Fred Lost
Nerve Before Dempsey
Fight Had Started.
BY JACK MUNROE,
(Written Specinliy for The WASH
inRton Heruld.)


the chin. Al Reich had him al
most out, but his fear of Fulton's
punch prevented him from follow
ing up his advantage Then there
were number of people who
thought that Fred didn't relish the
furious fighting put out by Carl
Morris when they met in New York.
Fred won that scrap on a foul and
there were those who thought that
he was mighty glad to get away
with it on tnut score. / saw that
bout and personally 1 don't blame
Fulton for objecting to Morris
foul tactics which have no business
in the makeup of a fair fighting
man.
Dempsey Won Bout.
Dempsey to my mind won the
fight before it started. / had a
seat very near to Fred's own cor
Eer. He was the first man to enter
the ring. Shortly afterward Demp-
sey arrived on the hand scene.
Jack had on a bath-robe and a cap
pulled rakishly on one side of his
head. Jack then peeled of the robe
and with boyish enthusiasm began
pounding his chest with his pow
erful fists The resounding thuds
of knuckles on solid muscle evi-
IDENTIFY attracted the attention Of
the plasterer.
l remember that a second was
obstructing Fred's view of the
diagonal angle and Fulton craned
his head considerably to one side
in order to get look at his man.
If l am not mistaken the color of
Fulton's face disappeared and took
on a hue almost white. although
he had been training in the open
for several weeks.
.weII Come Out Fighting
Then came the little stratagem.
If il was meant for such. which. /
think was as Instrumental in win
ming the fight as the finishing blow
itself. Dempsey strode nonchalantly
over to Fulton and extending his
hand remarked: Wen shake now.
then we can come out fighting."
That maneuver. probably calculated
to worry Fulton, gave the tall
plasterer a lot to think about in
the few minutes. before the clang
of the bell announcing hostiiities
Quick Knockout.
Eighteen and three -fifths seconds
after the brazen notes of the gong
had died away Fulton was stretch
ed scnseless on the canvas This
would seem To bear out the argu-
ment that big Fred was licked be-
fore the gong rang although il is
true that quick knockouts are Of
ten registered with both men en-
thusiastic for battle
Jacks first blow as he rushed
in clos" was a pile-driving left
to Fulton's body. Fulton with an
aEonIzed expression doubled from
the waist line and Dempsey. in the
old Jim Corbett fashion. whipped
the same hand to FrCd's long, lean
angular jaw. Fulton swayed TO the
lett from the deadly impact. fairly
right which also connected with
precision. Fred collided with the
canvas in a sort of sitting position
his neck against the rope. From
this posture he gradually moved
until almost fiat on his back. 1t
was also as clean a knockout as
I've ever witnessed.
Fulton has since stated that the
bout was a ''frame-up." but to the
best of my knowledge and belief
it bore no evidence of a prearranged
affair.
Getting back to Dempsey's little
trick before the gong sounded re-
minds me of another battle which
was won in almost the same man
ner.
tCoryright by Wheeler Newspaper Syndicatea