New-York tribune., 1919-07-05
Tornado Attack Of Dempsey
Ratters Down Willard,
WhoSuccumbs Only After
Taking Terrific Beating
First Knockdown in l:58
Three-Quarter Left Hook
to Jaw Opens Path to
Challenger's Trium p h
By Crantland Rice


TOLEDO. July 4.-Jack Dempsey
proved to be the greatest fighting tor
nado, in a boxing way, the>game has
ever known, when in nine minutes of
actual combat to-day he crushed Jess
Willard into shapeless mass of gore
and battered flesh.
One minute and So seconds after the
two men had squared away Dempsey
hooked three-quarter left to the point
Of Wizards jaw, and the champion
sat down heavily with a dazed and
foolish look, simple alf-smile crown
ing mouth that was twitching with
tain and bewilderment.
At the count of ~slx Willard rose
slowly te his feet. Less than ten
seconds later another of Dempsey's
terrific hooks lifted the human noun
tsin from his tottering base, and once
again he crashed to the sun-baked can
vass with a thud that rolled forth the
echo of his doom.
Seven times in that first round
Dempsey tore in and lifted the reeling,
battered champion off his feet. Six
times Willard slowly lifted his weary,
ceve once more q right or left hook
that slapped his bloody head to the
back OF his whiting spine.
Nearly Annihilates Champion
Never in all the history of the ring,
dating back to days beyond all memory,
mas any champion ever received the
murderous punishment which PAS
sound Jess Willard soaked up in that
first round and the two rounds that
followed.
While Dempsey gave one of the
greatest exhibitions of mighty hitting
any one hehe as ever seen, Willard, in
different way, gave one Of the great
est exhibitions OF raw ard unadultera-
ted gameness. He absorbed enough
punishment to kill two ordinary men
and only mis- tremendous vitality and
The lrck IF the bell carried him
beyord the first round.
About ten seconds before the bell
closed the first round Willard reeled
over toward the right corner, away
from Dempsey, and there the Colorado
siuggcr. putting everything he had into
the seventh time.
As Wizard floppcd on Wis occasion
nothing in the world but the bell could
have saved MIN. He sat there dazed
bewildered and helpiess-his big, bleed
lng mouth wide open. his CLASSY, blood
/ shot eyes staring YEARLY and witlessly
OUT into space, as g 114-degree sun
beat down upon his head that was rank
with perspiration and blood.
Dempsey Leaves Ring
The big crowd seeing Wizards utter
helpiessness, failed to hear the bell in
the wild uproar that followed. and
Dempsey started to climb through me
ropes as Willard was dragged to his
corner. as ore might drag a sack of
oats. There was no expression to his
lace except that witless, .faraway look
that might belong TO a simpleton who
had just crawled out from under a
rock crusher, wondering what it was
all about.
While the uproar was at its beipht
Dempsey was hurriedly called back to
the ring and tho bloody, pitiless drama
went or 20 the second act.
twenty seconds after the second
round opened Willard was d terrible
tAiAg to look at. His right eve was
completely closed, big blue moon with
if1nge Of crimson protruding far be-
!oha ms lace with & gray, twtching
S "'iSie iiS eye once mad been.
Attack Is Relentless
Dempsey fought With all the neceeeary
DIuta Nv Of his craft. With the cham
plonsnip now in plain sight, With the
goa Ct MS dreams just at the end or
ss"otnGr NOOK, With all the world be-
lore MN al twcnty-four--lifte from
tramp Two years ago to millionaira's
income Just ahead--he hooked those
saiYos Of rights and lefts. shifting from
mares mutslated face to his auiver-
ing Dody, with only a few pauses he-
t~een his deadly blows.
Aiter the first round Willard came
PACK as a game man comes to meet III !.
as.s' as sure and as certain as dea n
anu nc grave. Her, ard there n.
iahoed a few weak, fa tering punches
tnat fai ed to even meek Dempsey'.
1nsH; but IN the main he sper1t Sis
liine g,arlng helplessly at his opponent
oet Or fis one Undaniaced eve ~,
groping feebly to rest his great brlf
upon the lighter man, rot to wear o;n,
do#n, but to find mo'cents rest fro
the vast and utter welrincss that wu4
oeginn.nH To soak through his plan-
lrame, deadenin9 his nerve cells AMI
moving slowly bat steadily 10 his brain
. az the end Of the second round tn e
was w a question again as to whethc,
nalaFH you'd answer ohc bell. Ru.
once more be ifted hs bulk TO reellnc
'ct,ering legs and stoc TO receive =.
RUN Of his successor who without =
moment delay starsc he fountain
gore squirting again 81 Willard YEARLY
, 'sfHea ne mead ~ ant out ciots OF
D'oDa upon the canvas
Face Battered Mass
:, was easy 70 see in the middle Of
'be third round that the conouero,
" |acI Johnson would never answe,
ahopncr bell. For, in the mean while
ne 1iSnt sioe Of his face had swollen
1noeliFyable proportions. The
scsn t. there had been go badly cut and
.aDped and aiashed by Dempsey
Ft:Alc hitting force that purple
s.g'ches began 70 intcrmiugle with the
I'll you could imagine a thick Ham
sufger stead, painted blue and purple
a"u crimson, plastercd TO the side Of
mans face, you might get come
yea Of how Willard looked in the mid.
eIs 9s that third round. If a six.inch
sheh bad exploded against his right
~ Defore it could hardly have car
s'ta ms features more.
70 dfeams came to him of q van
mhing title. He knew no anguish OF
.zaing glory. With CLASSY, rolling eve
sso foolish, twisted face he rceled
Eisny his way 70 oblivion.
ing endless punishment he had re-