The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-07-08
GREAT SHOW OPENS
The Preliminary Events
Started At 1910 M
COCKTAILS FOR FEAST
Spectators Shrugged Kinks Out
Of Backs and Prepare
To View NSIuggers
FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1921.
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatchl

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch
Manhasst, July Georges
Carpenter French challenger for
the worlds heavyweight boxing
crown, left Port Washington, L. I.
for Jersty City on the yacht
lonestar at 1o:45. He was &C
eompanied by Francois DescamPs,
Pierre MaIlet, adviser: Charles
ledoux, French bantamweisht
champion; Paul Journee, French
heavyweight and other members
Of his encourage. They will de-
bark shortly before two o'clock.
They arrived at Jersey CITY at
1850 o'clock. The trip from Port
Washington was without incident.
The French pugilist ate a light
lunch on board and also enjoyed
an hours nap on the trip down the
sound. Guarded by a large squad
Of motorcycle policemen, the
chalIeneer's party entered auto
mobiles and were escorted to the
arena.
Ringside, Jersey City, July 1.-THE
carnival of blows, with tens of thous
ands massed today about a little
eighteen foot ring in Jersey City,
opened at 1910 with preliminary
bouts that served as cocktails for the
feast-the battle between Jack Demp-
sey of America and Georges Carpen
tt.r of France, for the heavyweight
boxing title of the world. The first
bout was between Mickey belmont
and Jackie Curtin.
Eight Round Bout First.
After sitting for hours in wooden
howl beneath a lowering sky, the
army of spectators shrugged the kinks
out of their backs, polished their
glasses and prepared TO view the
worlds greatest fight in the worlds
greatest arena.
The first preliminary, an eight
round bout, was put on early in an
effort ~ Promoter Richard TO clean
up the preliminaries TO permit an
An airplane circled low over the
stands, taking pictures as the gong
sounded.
Richard Tested Gong.
Evidently Tex Richard was taking
no chances today on the ring gong
tinkle such as was lost in the roar
al Toledo. 1t was tested early and
loosed a healthy clatter.
Clouds huzzing around the arena
rave the crowd plenty to talk about.
Toward noon some Zig black, rain
containers rolled down toward the
stadium. but they skirted the big
bowl after giving the spectators
nothing more than a scare.
Society Women In Boxes.
AS noon approached, boxes situated
h"lf way back in the arena took on
the appearance of a horse show crowd
doing the unusual. Society women,
smartlv dressed and wearing their
hats OF marv colors, opened the lunch
boxes they had brought with them
ard sat munching sandwiches and
drinking soda pop.
Minstrel Band Made Hit.
Richards wandering minstrel band
rrade hit at the show of fisticuffs.
CARRIED in snowy white jackets they
wandered from ringside 10 rim to
rake sure no one could escape
their jazz.
Women were prepared to do more
than watch the Dempsey Carpenter
punching contest. Several of them
covered" it for their papers, taking
their seats in the press section.
Spectators With Curtin.
In accordance with the New Jersey
boxing law no decision was rendered
by the referee at the end of the first
preliminary between Jackie Curtin
and Mickey belmont featherweights,
but Curtin was generally conceded to
have outpointed belmont.
The crowd was extraordinarily
quiet fora fight audience. During the
first bout there was hardly a sound
but the gong and the thud of blows
There was a sigh as of relief as the
bout ended The crowd arose and
stretched after its first faster.
The Second Bout.
The second bout between Packey
O'Gatty and frankie Burns batam-
weights, followed Immediately
Elite Arrive During Noon Hour.
The elite of the fight crowd began
moving toward the arena at the noon
hour A party of twenty, including
several United States senators were
the guests Of w. c. Teagle, president
of the Standard Oil Company of New
Jersey. A number of charter tugs
and private craft of all kinds carried
enthusiastic crowds from lower Man
haitian to the Jersey shore during the
noon hour.
The real scramble for the arena
started soon after the noon hour.
Crowds pouring from the office build
ings OF Manhattan the uptown hotels
and the late trains began concerted
attack on the ferries and tubes,
kept waiting for trains and boats.
BEGAN to Sprinkle At t:15.
Between rounds there encircled the
ring & plump lad Of some 100 pounds
with the benign features of cherub
IN white ducks He bore aloft a sign
proclsimiDg the round. The crowd
still was apathetic, munching its
lunch as the preliminaries wendell
their weary way through the pro-
gram.
At 1:15 it began to sprinkle. Only
the rail birds with nothing but the
wide. wide world behind them dared
raise an umbrella.
Buddies For Carpenter.
The cosmopolitan nature Of the
crowd became apparent during the
early afternoon rush. A squad of
American doughboys, wearing BAN
ners in their hats attesting their SYM
pathy for Carpenter, who was de-
scribed as a buddy" was followed in
to the turnstiles by group of Gu
bans. loudly proclaiming their inter
est in the French challenger.
Not far away we're four Japanese
whose stolid expressions failed to
cfva any indica tion Of their though