The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-07-02


fighter he had the idea and a good
one, that by assuming the Christian
name OF Jack" some OF the
glamor II not the wonderful boxing
science which the original Jack
Dempsey. Brooklyn's famous mon.
pariel," possessed as the middle
weight title holder might revert to
him.
TIL echampion Is the sixth child
Of family Of eight. Three OF his
brothers and three sisters are alive
but the youngest OF the eight, who
was named Bruce, died about two
years ago. When Dempsey was
seven years old his parents, Hiram
and Celia Dempsey, with all their
children, moved 'from Manassa to
Montrose, Cal, where they lived
for nine years. Then the Dempsey
household was shifted to Salt Lake
City, Utah, and that is the place
which they, including the cham,
pion, claim as their home.
Born OF rugged parents Dempsey
claims that he has Irish, Scotch
and Indian bloods In his veins and
insists that the fighting qualities
for which all three OF these races
are famous have been bred In the
bone and blood and have come to
him in generous portions from his
eantecendents.
Most Of Dempsey's early life was
spent in the open on a farm but
later Re alternated by working in
the minea except In harvest time
when he found 1t more remunera
tive TO devote his strength to reap.
ing wheat and other crops In the
grain belt. In this way Dempsey
kept himself In fine physical con.
ditlon, the hard labor developing
the wonderful muscles which
proved to be such useful factor
in his winning the worlds heavy.
weight title.
Unlike his challenger Carpenter,
Dempsey had very little early
training for a career in the fight.
ing arena, while the French cham.
pion was a close student Of the
glove game and an actual competi.
tor when he entered his teens"
According to Dempsey's own
story his first fistlc encounter was
In an improvised ring at Montrose,
Col, when he was about 10 years
old His opponent was q young
blacksmith, named Woods, whom
he knocked out In the third round.
This initial contest netted the now
champion $25. His next fight also
resulted In third round knockout.
Andy Malloy, who had previously
walloped one of Dempsey's older
brothers, being the victim.
When he was 20 years old Demp.
sey began rowing around, taking
on bout whenever the opportuni.
ty offered, while between times he
returned 10 odd farming jobs or
worked ar miner. His first East.
ern experience In the fighting arena
was In New York city, where he
met Andre Anderson, Wild Burt
Kenney and Lester Johnson, a
negro in ten round no decision
pouts. IlnlS was in 1916.
During the following year Demp.
sey knocked out AL. Norton and
Charley Miller, each in one round,
Later he won from Willie Meehan,
Carl Morris, Bob McAllister, and
Gunboat Smith in four round bouts
IN California and was knocked out
In one round by Jim Flynn. the
Pueblo Fireman. In the follow,
ing year Dempsey reversed this
by knocking Flynn out In a single
round and followed up with a
series Of knockouts, among his vic.
tins being Fred Fulton, Battling
Levinsky, Porky Flynn, Arthur
Pelkey and Terry Kellar,
Demysey's banner year was 1915
when, after scoring five knockouts
OF one round each in Pennsylvania
and Connecticut, he won the title
by stopping the big Kansan Jess
Willard at Toledo, O., on Independ,
ence Day two years ago.