The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-07-05

new heavyweight champion boxer
He is William Harrison Dempsey
usually known as Jack Dempsey
The long-looked-for and much-talked
OF battle took place here this after
noon. 1t was a speedy affair and the
most one-sided contest that ever de
cided a championship fight.
Huge Jess Willard was practically
whipped in the first round Dempsey
thought the referee had announced
him winner and actually left the ring
But he was called back and the but
cherry continued for two rounds more
when Jess, sitting in his corner with
a bewildered look on his swollen
countenace, failed to respond 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 moment. His right eye was
closed and his right cheek swollen
and blue with bruises. Blood covered
his body and his arms hung so help
lessly over the ropes that 1t seemed
as if a child might give him future
abuse without arousing his interest
Dempsey was breathing hard when
the fight ended, but 1t was from exer
tion and not from punishment. He
escaped almost unhurt, but as he had
been 'usuing his arms like tripham
mers on the anatomy of his opponent
for nine crowded minutes in a sun
that sent the Thermometer to 110 de
grees, his heart was still pumping al
high pressure and he appreciated the
breathing spell.
The challenger knocked the big fel
Low down five times in the first round
the ropes or draped over his own
shoulders most OF the time when he
was not taking advantage of the
count. The crowd thought the fight
was over in that round.
The attendance wPs below expecta.
tions. Seats we're built for 10000
and the estimate was that not more
than half OF these were occupied
Spectators lost heavily They re
sold their tickets at anything from St
to SIS under gate prices. No betting
was reported at the ringside, nor was
there much elsewhere so far as could
be ascertained.
When Dempsey was proclaimed
winner the crowd surged on the maj
in wild scramble to shake the hand
OF the new champion.
Round One-Willard loomed III
like Goliath against his FIVE
inch shorter David, and opened the
engagement by pumping his long left
twice into Dempsey's face with force
enough to make the latter blink. The
challenger missed a swing and slip
ping into clinch landed three body
blows with his free left hand carrying
little force. Willard had him easily
In clinch and partly turning him
around used his rapier-like left again
once to the head and once to the
body after the break.
Then Dempsey as Ii he had got
the range opened his heavy artil
lery and swung a jarring left to the
jaw. followed by right and left tc
the body. The almost superhumar
power of the punches was immediate
ly apparent. A partly silly, partly
stupid expression overspread the
champions face and as he rocked or
his heels his whole body quivered
He pulled himself together and as
Dempsey crowded in again shot left
to the mouth and repeated to the eye
The blows did not even cause his
youthful Nemesis to hesitate. and
lodging past the outstretched left as
1t snapped for the third time. he
whipped over right and left almost
simultaneously. the blows landing
flush on Willard's jaw and for the
first time in his championship career
Willard was dropped to the floor He
was upagain at the count of six only
to be sent to the canvas with another
right as he rose slowly to his feet
The blood began to pour from hi!
mouth.
He turned away from his opponent
who struck again twice with his
right. Willard falling on his hands
and knees. When he arose Dempsey
crowded him into corner and witt
a right and left to the face sent hin
to the floor again. AS he arose Z
fusillade of body blows dropped hin
in corner where he sat when the
bell terminated the round, and LEI
Dempsey to believe that Willard hat
been counted out