The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-24
Dempsey, Too, Fine Lad,
Woman Reporter
Discovers
Fighting IS NOT BRUTAL
On the Contrary 1t Was
Exciting and Beau
tiful.
RY Betty BROWN.

BY BETTY BROWN.
N. E. A. FIGHT BUREAU, Room All,
Hotel secor, Toledo, Ohio, June 24.-
I'VE met the worlds champion-Mr.
Jess wiilard-and bless you!-he's
lust folks"
He's also quite the biggest man l
ever saw. There is something TO
that giant stun Mr. Willard is one!
And don't let anybody imagine that
this world champion fighter is great,
big. ugly, terrifying brute person!
Absolutely mol On the contrary,
hes one of the incest men ever met
Jolly, and kind and friendly, and sim
pie and polite and-well, Just general
ly NICEl
We-Mr. Willard and I-if you
please, sat on the porch at his Toledo
house, and conversed freely and amia-
bly, about his wire, his children, his
Kansas farm, and his preference for
lady spectators who did not ask him,
do you like pickles?"
It's rather terrifying to be ordered
to interview a worlds champion-and
write him up!
One feels that one ought to do some
thing special about tt-prepare and
memorize q questionnaire, or thing up
clever remarks and leading ques-
tions."
And then, one may have gathered
the impression that boxing cham
pion is q vague sort of bold, bad man
having to do with gambling. carous-
ing and all sorts of indefinite iniqui-
ties! It seems bit adventurous and
thrilling to seek out such a romantic
figure and actually talk to himi
So today 1t was something of re-
lief when the newspaper peoples taxi
drew in front of big, comfortable
stone house in one of Toledos finest
residence streets-and the sporting
editor said; This; Is, Mr.. Wizards.
house-come on in, folks and we
filed into the Willard living room
and shook hands with this huge quiet
giant-and began to have good timei
Mr.. Willard had very Sunday
morning air!
He put down the morning paper TO
greet us-and looked very freshly
shaved and dressed. up-and hadn't yet
put on that -stiff collari His little
gold collar button shone pleasantly
and made US feel right at home.
Dir you wife ever see you fight 2"
mo, she never du. She never could
leave the children and the house long
enough-and she doesn't care so much
about 1T anyway. She's home now TAX
ing care Of the garden-we'ye got quite
garden-and looking after the kids.
She hasn't really got time to come
away"
Does Mrs. Willard still cook and
sew for you, Mr.. Willard?"
She does, and I'll say she's the best
cook in Kansas OF course we have
help. And she used to make my shirts
for me, too, before S could afford to
let /. tailor do It,"
He touched the tent-like expanse
of striped silk that covered his famous
$4,000 arEss-(each of EN- insured for
6o,00o)-and gazing on the bulk of
him one admitted that Mrs. Willard
must have been some seamstress,
Mr.. Willard likes the women to at
tend his boxing bouts. He says so!
You ought to see the ladies come
to my last bout In New York-eyen.
ing dress and everything-and walked
In as quiet and polite as AZ a theatre.
I like 1t. There's no reason in the
world women shouldn't enjoy it as
much as men. It's clean game. The
women naturally ike it."
Then he posed for his picture with
me on the front porch steps and fol-
lowed US out to the car-pointing ont
the Episcopal church opposite.
I'm going to church Sunday evan-
ing, he@ remarked-and / know that
would not mark the first time he had
sat in a church pew.
Then We went away-and smiled
back at Mr.. Willard. the huge, simple.
kindly farmer man-champion boxer,
and gentleman.
sports editor, and in few minutes we
Continued from page one)
Mrs. Mamie Nickles and aon r-.r.