The New York herald., 1922-03-12
COLORED CHAMPION
TELLS HIS STORY
Wants to Become the Hope Of
the Black Race, He
Says.
HAS UNIQUE J. AMBITION
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Wants Title to Show Negro
Could Hold It With
Dignity.
HAS UNIQUE J. AMBITION
by w. o. McGEEHAN.


We know that he is formidable ring
man with the pistonlike drive Of a
Fitzsimmons behind his punches. But
what Is behind that inscrutable ring
mask that Wills wears in the ring? II
by chance he should beat Jack Demp-
sey-personally do not think it pos
sible-would he be another Jack John
son, another Emperor Jones?
Harry Wills has tried to tell me
about himself. He speaks in the argot
of the ring and the racetrack. but
sometimes he attains a simple elo-
quence. Simply put. the ambition Of
Harr< Nslls, boxer and stevedore, is
to be tsA hope OF the black race. His
version OF that role is exactly the op-
p0siLe % that Of Jack Johnson. He
would win the title and wear it when
he returned to the docks to work as a
stevedore TOY prove that a man Of his
race could attain power and not go
mad.
This is the ambition that he revealed
to me after he told me that the best
book he ever read was a book OF poems
by one of his own people, Paul Laurence
Dunbar, who sang of the bent back and
the heavy load the heritage Of the
.downtrodden. There Is none Of that
simian cunning In the dark eyes OF
Harry Wills that lurked in the eyes of
Jack Johnson. johnson. too. started as
q stevedore along the Galveston docks,
but his brain was fired by the vanity of
an African king which led him to run
amuck across the face OF the world.
The dark face OF Harry Wills in re-
pose is frank and trifle sad. There is
more of the stevedore about him than
the gladiator. He belongs to a people
who carry burdens and accept the car
rying Of burdens as their lot.
II don't like to talk about Jack John
son." he said, because I am sorry
for Jack Johnson's troubles. I'm kind
of religious and all my folks are relig-
ious. One thing that johnson made a
mistake in was marrying away from
his own people. 1 got my idea about
that from creation. If the Lord meant
that different kind OF folks should be
married he would have made them all
one color. But there Is color line. 1
drew the color line at marrying. My
wife is of my own people.
when man goes from his own peo-
pie he gets lost. And why should q
man go from his own people? You
know that among my people find some
mighty fine folks. If am broke or IL
0h nut ahu ltCu Iny OWH pcOplc
will help me and comfort me. i am
satisfied with them.
Perhaps after all there isn't so much
dinerence in men getting wrong ideas.
black or white. Some white men when
they get power and money become snap
ping dogs, too, don't they? could be
a champion without losing my head and
bringing trouble on my people. II get
a chance I will prove that could"
Somehow Harry Wills talked rather
convincingly. He had come from @ days
work at the docks.
What do / do between flghtsg' he
said. why work on the docks. /
have never been out Of work since 1
started, and / never aim to be idle II
/ stay idle ! get out OF condition.
never made any money that would let
me take long rest anyhow, and I am
not craving any rest.
MY first job was at the racetrack
You wouldn't believe 1t to look at me.
but was a jockey in 1902. 1 weighed
only ninety pounds then. Look at me
now Weighing over 200. I have been
growing all the time, and I'm still grow
ing. rode under the name OF Willie
Bonham. No, don't care for the race
track any more. I'd sooner do mans
work.
MY folks In New Orleans were nice
folks. / went to public school and 1
had a nice bringing up. My mother Is
still in New Orleans. I wanted her to
come to New York, where / live, but
she won't leave home. We got lots or
folks in New Orleans. Me, like New
York. and I'm going to live here, and
my wife likes It too"
do not want you to gather the Inn
preston that credit Harry Wills with
being a colored evangelist or that he is
trying to give that impression. I be-
licve him To he koncs. and more or less
human. / think those sorrowful eyes
could roll with laughter and I think that
Harry could address the twin dice with
wAc!s sorled eloquence. He is no
hypocrite.
what chance do I think have with
Dempsey" he asked. well, I have
a chance with anybody hit. II Demp-
seyl hits me first-weli, then. I don't
know. But certainly would like to
have the chance.
He is a great fighter. Dempsey IL.
I saw him fight couple OF times. I
don't think he is any easy proposition.
but IL can hit him / can drop him.
I can drop anybody hit. 1 think.
could always hit, and keep practicing
10 hit.
II want 10 get this match because 1
never nidut any real DIX nOHty DoAluk.
The best ever got was ten grand for
the fight with Fulton. II isn't very
easy for colored fighters TO get any
kind OF money.
Take the time l was fighting Bill
Tate out In Portland. Ore. never
told about that because people would say
I was squawker or n copper, and
that don't make you popular You know
Bill is afraid OF me. He holds and he
runs and he runs and he holds.
"Weil, in the first round / hit Bill
en- the chin and down he went. The
referee didn't see the punch because nc
had just come between us. but he picks
Bill up and he disu9eiifies me. Then
.hey wcx.., I.ee -fther of us any money
.t-cause they eaid we didn't fight, and
IL we wanted the money we would have
to fight again. SO we fought again and
/ was afraid to knock Bill out because
I thought IL did 1t quick they would
refuse to pay us at all.
me punch that / hit Kid Norfolk
was a short right to the chin. It sort
Of graxed the chin and rasped up against
his cheek. IL I had caught him fair on
the chin he would have gone down
harder. and. glory. he went down
hard enough. Oh, yes, / certainly hit
the Kid all right II anybody doesn't
think so. just wish that they would
let me show how hit him. You see
1 I don't bring the arm back to hit. I let
Il 30 from where the fst happens to bo.