The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-21

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ready with rush and n mtuup From
the bruises Jack showed 1 suspected
that the daily session was bit rough.
1t was willard slammed Jack around
and Jack swung willingly and found
Jess hard to hit. Now and then a
punch found Wizards chin. hat nearly
all Of them were neatly evaded. Willard
either leaned hack out OF range. OF duck
cd or swung his head with the blow to
break the force of it. He. showed more
stiffness than he had at Havana-;l
heritage, no doubt, from the long season
Of circus boxing he went through.
Yes" he said to me after the round
II learned a lot Of boxing in that circus
work I know twice as much about
fighting as I did at Havana It's all
stuff can use in the ring, and you1l see
I'm a better fighter when I meet Dcmp-
sey. For one thing; the only left hand
blow had at Havann was q straight
punch. I had good right uppercut but
I couldn't uppercut with my left. I've
got It now. can jar EN- with it"
The next round went on. In the mid
die of the rushing Jess suddenly whip
ped q short left uppercut to Henplc's
chin, nearly lifting the sturdy Jack from
his feet Another left uppercut at
longer range, and Jess caught Hemplc
and roughed around a moment without
hitting again.
Willard boxed in about his usual style.
smiling most OF the time. now and then
crouching and trying to look fierce as
he went forward in an attack. But the
fierce look Is evidently an effort AS soon
as he shoots out and lands blow the
smile breaks out wider than ever. And
he smiles when he Is tdt too.
Seems to Have the Old Jab.
Jess seemed as fast with his hands as
ever. When he shoots q straight left
his hand ficks out like cats paw. Hc
catches blows in the air with swift
blocking movement and his eye and
Judgment for blocking arc quite good.
Where he is slow it is only the slow
ness Of a tremendously big man not yet
in hard training.
There were three rounds Of boxing
with Hemple. and then Jess went
through a few ca1isthenic stunts, lying
on his back across a chair" and rolling
around to harden his body muscles, sly
ing on mat and going through contor-
lions for the Same purpose. and upend-
ing himself on his shoulder blades and
kicking his heels in the air. When he
was through his training clothes wero
soaked in sweat. Hemple rolled him IN
bathrobe and towels, and he stretched
out on q rubbing table TO perspire under
cover for ten minutes before being rub
bed. This was good chance to ask
Jess a few questions. I touched gently
on the tales about Wizards "ducking'
the many opportunities to use his name
and fame and ability for war work pur-
poseA
Did HIS ahare Of War Work, Jess Says.
This was evidently sore subject with
Jess Deep gloom enveloped him. For
a moment no kept still Then he burst
out.
I'll tell you about that! Most OF tina,
was Jack Curley propaganda. He spread
It all over the country TO knock me
when 7 broke away from him. He was
getting even with me for what he called
my ingratitude Can you imagine what
1 had to be grateful to that bunch for:
Do you know what I got for beating
Johnson in Havana? There was pretty
big crowd. wasn't there? Ill tell you
what I got ! was charged little
over $4,000. They took 1t out Of my
earnings later on. It was figured as m!
share Of the expenses Of the Havana
fight 1 had a few other things 10 be
/ grateful for. too. but I don't care 10
talk about II
II did a lot Of work myself that people
don't know about because | didn't use
| il to advertise myself. They meyer
heard of the work l did. and they heard
| n lot about what didn't do. was in
nCl nG r. n ~
pear in half a dozen places On the same
date l could only show ut one Of them.
and the other i've roasted me for refus-
! ng to come. When Conrotll wanted me
| for tn" fund ut Fort Worth. l couldn't
Fort Fti W3Trth and raised $1,000 and Con;
roth had his show in New forK an, ana
time they wanted me in Illinois. and !
| had promised to appear in Kansas. Thai
time got roasted in Chicago. boxed
for war funds and for tn" soldiers IN
right along. Once went from Kansas
| to Florida when they asked me TO box. -
How about the fight with Fulton
| for tho Rcd Cross that didn't como on
Fulton WAS challenging me and /
! thought then he was the best man in the
! country TO give me night. He was y
/
! sitting Mt table at the dining room Of
! the Ricnza Hotel with Archer. and We
! talked over plans to help TaiS" Red
: dinner I decided I'd offer TO fight Fulton
! II real championship fight. with the title
! ut stake md give all the receipts to the
! Red Cross. 1t turned out later Fulton
! wanted to be paid. but ] didn't.
Eve went to Rcd Cross headquarters
! ana made the proposition. | want I'd
! them 10 arrange the fight md take entire
! charge OF all money connected with II
handle tn" gate receipts and every
thing themselves. II | handled tho
money | said. 'soIncbndyd say I didn't
! igve II all to YOU They said they'd
| have To refer II IN main headquarters III
! Washington. Later they told IN" they
! couldn't handl" IN" liEhl. hnrauS" il
! would arouse too much rriiiriSm.' ThMt
/ is tho only rcaSOn---SU far rs | ina con
! rcrn"d--th" fight ddn't com" off,
! Willard laughs at Culfr"ihs statement
tina; hc is lin thr iat" thirtirS ar per.
: haps oyer forty" He. Sl%S- positively
+ that hc is now thirt y-itv,. and that his
thirty-SiNth birthday will Ia next Doe
| cnbcr %.
IT expect TO boa, Dempsey" Jess said
Tie may b. all they SAY h" is. but I'm
better than I was M IIav:,na. know
a lot more about boxing and fghtinE
I'm in just as good condition MS was
when I began training for Johnson. 81
| better. ] don't feel any older. ~
going to take off any weight want 10
| lose now. and when, I train on the battle