Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-06
AUTOPSY HELD
BY FIGHT FANS
over OUTCOME
Unusual Developments OF
Championship Bout Pro.
vide Ring Followers With
Argument Material.

Toledo, O., July 5.-Though a
new heavyweight champion has been
crowned in Jack Dempsey,<and the
exodus of fight fans has depopulated
Toledo hotels, controversy still
RACES over the sensational defeat of
Jess Willard here yesterday after
noon. SO many unusual angles de-
veloped during the nine minutes OF
terrific fstic bombardment that
scarcely two spectators saw the
scene the same.
The uncertainty regarding the
situation at the end of the first
round when Dempsey left the ring
believing that he had won with a
knockout and the payment of such
wagers as hinged on when Willard
was stopped, furnished unlimited
material for argument
Pecord Didn't Hear Bell
So weak was the sound Of the
gong and so great the uproar about
the ring, that Referee Pecord failed
to hear the bell and continued to
count over Willard as he sat on the
ring floor near a neutral corner, al
though Timekeeper Barbour ordered
the clang when records arm was
falling for the seventh time. The
referee notified Dempsey that he
had won and the Salt Lake City
pugilist was we'll on his way to his
dressing room before his manager
overlook him and told him that he
was in danger of being disqualified
on a technicality for leaving the
ring.
The question OF which round
Dempsey won his title was placed
before several veteran ring officials
by men who had wagers at stake
and the concensus was that Demp-
sey stopped Willard in the third
round, as the latter's seconds tossed
the towel Of defeat into the center
of the ring before the bell rang for
, the beginning Of the fourth ses-
sion. These same veterans pointed
out several other interesting fea-
lures. They stated that it was the
first time that a heavyweight cham
pion had ever admitted defeat with
out leaving his chair as we'll as the
shortest heavyweight championship
combat of modern ring history.
~ Champion Joins Crowd.
In other respects the first few,
hours after the battle were much
the same as those following the
passing of past titles. Dempsey was
soon dressed and much In evidence
about the downtown section, fol-
lowed by wildly enthusiastic and
cheering throng of admirers. When
he appeared for dinner at the lead
ing hotel the corridors were mass
of swirling spectators who peeked
at Wizards conquerer as he broke
training and dined in a manner en-
tirely different from the simple
menus of the past two months.
At the same hour his dethroned
opponent was resting in his tenn
porary home in a residential sec
ton with his battered head packed in
ice bags and cut off from communi-
cation with the outside world by a
guard that even the telephone could
not penetrate. He was examined
BY the boxing commission physician.
however, soon after his return from
the ring. The latter stated officially
that Willard was not seriously in
1ured and would be able to appear
in public as soon as his bruises and
other marks of battle had yielded to
ordinary treatment.
Dempsey to Enter Vaudeville.
Neither boxer had made any def
mite plans for leaving the city early
today, but it was expected that
Dempsey would depart within the
next 4S hours in order to fulfill a
Vaudeville engagement, offered him
in case he was winner. Willard
had originally planned to go to New
York to discuss certain business
plans Immediately after the bout,
but what effect the upset will have
! on this arrangement could not be
learned early today.
Dempsey has no Immediately idea
OF re-entering the ring, for there is
no worthy~opponent in sight at this
time. 1t is likely that he will en-
deavor TO turn his newly gained ring
laurels into commercial value, as has
been the custom of all modern hold
ers of the title.