The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-07

XIII.
All Of John the BARRIERS colored
cash customers were present in the
Harlem Sporting club the night Jack
Dempsey fought John Lester johnson.
Baron wilkins, old host and friend
of Jack Johnson and The voice or au-
thority through the sable sector OF Har-
lem, was In a front chair, as usual, and
all the colored b~oulevardiers OF lS5th
street were out in force, The gallery
was a wide dark belt, spotted with
rolling Whitley eyes and splashed with
ivory white teeth.
John Lester Johnson was, as ! have
said, always a pretty good card IN ftar-
lem, and besides, here ne was fighting
a white gent. Quite a rev Caucaslans
congregated under the ROOF of John,
the Barber that night, too, attracted
rot by the merit of the card. for Demp-
sey was an unknown, but by the fact
that 1t was the first mixed bout
There was a heavy demand for press
tickets, a circumstance which was not
ouite clear to John the Barber as
he rushed about, ~perspiring freely, get
ting his guests arranged. II was not
such a lard as to inspire a large at
tendance of the sport writing. people,
vet a considerable contingent besieged
his doors, and John didn't know wheth-
er to feel flattered or suspicious.
It seems that a sporting writer who
had seen Jack Dempsey In action
against either Andre Anderson old Wild
Bert Kenney had been so favoraoly
impressed by the young Westerner that
he casually remarked In the presence
Of one Edward Curley, that John Les
ter johnson was going to get his block
knocked loose the night he met the
stranger. He had never seen h
son.
Edward Curley Ia an astute writer on
sporting topics who has been around
quite a spell. He had never heard OF,
much less seen, Jack Dempsey u ne
knew John Lester J%ohnson's ability.
And being astute. as stated, Edward
Curley saw vistas OF wealth opening
out before him.
s"I'l lust bet you 3 to l John Lester
doesn't get knocked out" he said, $50
to $40" -.
II spread far and wide. The men on
the Dempsey end seemed SO sure he
would win that Edward Curley's &C
quaintances began to take a deep m
terest In the match. The idea OF Ed
ward Curley being suddenly separated
from $40 presented vast possibilities to
them, and they. went TO see done
To this day It Is a matter OF much m
teresting conjecture In sport-writing
circles Of New York as to what would
have been the psychological effect on
r, Curley had Dempsey knocked out
John Lester Johnson. -,
They'll never know because 1t did
| not happen. The fight went 10 rounds.
| Dempsey came on attended by some
seconds provided by the management.
and somewhat depressed by the alb
sence Of lack Price. He did not fight
as he fought against Anderson and
| Kenney, he seemed slow and loggy.
and there was a mighty good reason.
"In the second round johnson pulled
something on me ! had never seen be
fore" says Dempsey. "He just lifted
my right arm up high, and then soaked
me In the ribs. He broke three of 'em
for me. He hit me on the chin In that
round, too, and ! saw man. a star. He
knew too much for me,
For 10 rounds the big white boy
walked after Johnson, wide open and
swinging, but tho crafty black would
slip easily inside the swings, smash
Dempsey with his left, and hold There
were no decisions by the referees in
New York, but some OF the sporting
writer's said In their papers the next
day that Dempsey had won.
II don't think | did" says Dempsey.
Il thought he licked me. / didn't know
how to fight then, and johnson did.
Yes. l think he won. and he taught
me more that night than | had ever
| dreamed OF before"
Not long ago, when Dempsey was