The Washington times., 1921-06-14

-
mentally"
There is something in Dapper D
Take Dempsey as he was five years
] met him on the occasion OF his
first visit 10 New York along in 1916.
had previously seen him night
Andrew Anderson and John Lester
johnson, but j did not make hts
acquaintance until some weeks later.
Although Johnson gave Dempsey
quite a betting, ] was rather i'm
pressed by the youngster, and spoke
favorably OF him in my printed
gossip on current sporting events.
One night in Brooklyn. when Frank
Mora, the blonde punch absorber from
Pittsburgh. was fighting Gunbost
Smith, John, the Barber" came over
to a box where ] was sitting with a
number OF friends. escorting tall.
dark Drowned. sulky looking chap.
HAD ROUND HEAD.
This chap was twiddling cloth
cap in his hands. He had his hair
clipped close, showing round head.
His face had recently been shaven.
and his muzzle was a bluish-black.
He wore a suit of clothes obviously
new, and obviously ready-msde. he
seemed Ill AT ease as no hO''O"N~
John, the Barber"
John was character of New
York's fstic world at that time. He
had a paying barber shop In the
heart of the Roaring Forties, but
the ring was his hobby. and he had
boxing club In Harlem, and managed
fighters. Johns right name Is
ReisIer, and of recent years he has
been locates In Tulsa. Oklahoma
This is Jack Dempsey" announced
John, as he reached the box. pushing
the tall fellow forward. You re-
member you mentioned him In the
paper not long ago.
pleased to meet you." mumoied
D.mpsey. sticking out one OF mis-
hands. His clasp drew attention TO
The size of his duke" IL nothing else.
HIS name, of course. meant little AT
the time, save as an echo OF one OF
the greatest champions the ring has
ever known.
HAD LITTLE TO SAY.
Dempsey sat down in the box and
John, the Barber" oabbled OF him
ss a heavyweight prospect. Dempsey
himself had little to say. He seemed
quite inartlculate. He was just what
he was, a smsll-town fellow, some
what embarrassed by his new sur
roundings.
happened to know that the young
ran came from my horne State, COL
y, ado. and / mentioned several names
that / thought he would be likely 10
kuow. He knew them az right. but
ne did not brighten no 10 any extent.
His answers were monosyllabio At
FIRST. He impressed me as somewhat
surly, IL not. in fact, dumb.
hat ftn,e Dernnvev weighed
around ITO pounds and was quite
slender. notwithstanding, he had
formidable, not to say forbidding ap-
pearance, which was commented on
atterward by other members of the
rarity. He was only twenty-one, but
looked older.
He was then living out the last
stages of his career as hobo-fghter,
end he bore unmistskat lie marks OF
the road in his manner. His brief
speech was interlsrded with express
SONS that smoked OF the brake
beams. the sand house and the cuts
where freight trains linger just long
enough for a wayfarer to catch on.
He watched the Srnith Moran Tight
without any apparent interest.
THE BARBER TALKS
|, 'Td like to get either one of those
fellows for you, Jack" chsttered
John, the Barber"
''Uh-huh," grunted Jack.
Not long afterwards he broke with
John. the Barber and caught a
freight train back to the West. I did
not even hear of him again until one
day I ran into Jack Curley, the man
who made Jess Willard champion.
Say" said Jack. "you remember
that fellow you thought could hght--
that Dempsey7 Well, old Jim Flynn
stopped him in a round the other
night"
This was the affair. since admitted
to have been Barney" or fake,
which stands In the record as the only
Knockout ever scored against Demp-
sey.
In common with everyone else who
pays any attention to fstic matters.
dismissed John. the Barbcr's" former
y .oteFe fror lind a. ju.t another OF
thcse bloomc tNat rrlnS up at in
tervals to hohrish brightly a few
weeks, then fade forever.
ITO Re Continual