Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-24
BASEBALL TABOO
IN The DEMPS
TRAINING CAMP
Tex Richard Stops Frisky Recre.
alton of Challenger Fear
ing Injury.
TATE Is SPARRING PARTNER
Jack HempIe Is Acting As Foil for
Willard Punches-Wants Mon
ahan Out of Army.

Toledo, Ohio, May 24.-Jack
Dempsey can take a punch on the
nose with a smile, but he didn't
smile today at his Maumee Bay
camp when Promoter Tex Richard
and his partner, Frank Flournoy,
appeared via motor. Richard and
Flournoy didn't plan a killjoy visit,
but it developed into that. They
found Dempsey engaged in a game
of zone old cat" with the bunch
of his training camp crew and a
couple of newspaper men.
Richard seemed interested at
first, but not for long. He stopped
the game and gave orders that
Dempsey eliminate baseball play
ing from his training stuff. So the
baseball para phernalia which was
delivered this morning will go
into hook for whatever some one is
willing to pay for it.
Fears Injury TO Jack.
''Why should I let Dempsey play
baseball?' Richard asked. why
should 1 take a chance on Demp-
sey breaking a finger, with all this
expense on my hands? I've got to
pay the performers. and I'm going
to run this little circus the way l
want it run"
Dempsey couldn't see the chance
of sustaining an injury, and as he
likes to play baseball and had a
lot of fun before the Richard jolt
landed. he naturally wasn't
pleased.
Huh" grunted Jack, minus the
customary grin, guess 1 won't be
able to do anything at all around
here pretty soon except wait for
July A."
No PutOuts When Dempsey Bats.
THE ball game certainly smacked
of freakishness. There isn't much
room for a diamond on the camp
grounds, but that didn't stop the
players and they swatted the ball
between the trees. Big Bill Tate,
the colored heavyweight, who al
ready has been. named the "Colored
Jess willard" did the pitching,
and when Dempsey came to bat
all the fellows who were playing
in the field hid behind trees. Jack
poked out a couple of hard ones
and no putouts were registered.
While Tate was the pitcher to-
day, it was whispered around the
camp that he will be a catcher to-
morrow, for it is planned for the
negro to don the gloves for the
first time with Wizards chal-
1enger.
Yessum, we believe so.
Tate a Skyscraper.
Tate is feet 6 inches tall and
weighs 230 pounds. Dempsey
wants Just that stable a person
for a sparring partner, for he fig
ures it will be necessary for him
to aim at a high mark when he
starts into action on the Fourth.
"Ah nevah had the pleasah of
meeting Mr.. Dempsey" remarked
Tate, just before landing at the
camp.
20, you'll become quite well &C
quainted very shortly confided
Jack Kearns. Mr. Dempsey will
have a whole lot of hands out to
greet you. Jack has a cute little
way of extending his hands to the
gentlemen after the regular intro
duction."
UII Day I0r dempsey
1t was decided that today would
be an off day for Dempsey. He
did road work in addition to bat
ting the pill around, but that didn't
{ seem sufficient to satisfy him, so
when a couple of workmen appear
ed to put a new cloth on the
pocket billiard table Jack rolled
up his sleeves and assisted. He
Scraped the slate at awful speed
and accomplished as much as both
the workmen.
There's lot more fellows COM
ing in within the next few days to
assist Dempsey in his prepping.
They will be sparring partners,
and it wouldn't be at all surpris-
ing if a dozen fellows were on the
staff. II is figured a lot of them
will be needed, as Dempsey is no
gentle person. Once upon a time
he hit one bird while trying to
block a punch and that bird was
sick for a week. Jack likes TO tell
that little story. and 1t makes a
hit with the visitors at Maumee
Bay.
BY the way, fstically inclined
folks here are growing curious re-
garding Wizards sparring part
ners. He's got Jack Hemple, but
Hemple isn't a stalwart youth,
capable of giving Jess the neces-
sary work. Willard, it is under
stood, is trying to get Walter Mon
Rhan out of the army to help him.
Monohan has been with Jess at all
his battles. But with Dempsey
hooking all the likely big fellows
the question Is asked: -
Where's Willard going 10 get
sparrtng partners?"