The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-05-29
Wills, GIANT NEGRO,
SUDDENLY EXHIBITS
FEVERISH ACTIVITY
By FRANK G. MENKE

A thunder Of sound, reminiscent of
a volley of battleship cannon, fractured
the afternoon quiet in the Harlem dis
trict of New York
Policemen, browsing in the sun
shine, jumped to attention and then
raced, with gigantic strides, in the
general direction of the ever increas-
ing staccato which led them to the
| gymnasium of Billy Grupp. And
there, club in one hand and gun in
t'other, they raced up the stairway,
| yowling as they scurried:
Where's them bomb THROWN Boil
sheviks?"
Before Grupp had chance to insist
that such a thing as bomb throwers
were entirely foreign to his gymnas-
ium. the police galloped through the
portals into big room-the region OF
the Niagara sounds-and there they
found what it was all about.
1t was nothing more nor less than
Harry Wills, giant negro, punching
the bag as preliminary in a new
training program.
There have been some vigorous and
violent bag punchers in the past,
fighters who could drive the air-filled
leather up against the stand with ter
rifle and resounding power. But
there is none compared with Wills.
Deafening Sound
Wills punched the bag for five min.
utes in a far corner of the room and
so deafening was the sound following
the delivery of his blows that it was
impossible for folks in another part OF
the room to yell loud enough to make
the man standing alongside to under
stand.
"Why all the fearful walloping?'
Wills was asked.
The big negro grinned, and an
swered:
'I just sort of thought it was JACK
Dempsey standing in front of me ant
so l let loose"
Wills, who laid off training fol
more than six weeks. hurriedly jump
ed back into regalia as Dempse!
neared American shores on his return
i, trip. The why's and wherefores o
Wills excessive activity at just such ;
time weren't explained-at least, no
, by Wills. Someone asked him if ther
was any connection with the fact tha
he was back training just when Demp
, sey was coming back to America look
! ing for fights. He answered:
Cutting of Fat
"Oh, no, guess there isn't. Tha
+ loafing spell had fattened me up ant
7 l noticed that l was getting to lool
like a beer hound-an fat and puff.
around the middle. l just love thi:
figure Of mine, and l don't want t
lose it. So when l found 1 weighed
230 against a normal fighting weigh
of 212, just jumped into my stuff ant
am busy now whiting away the eX
ira poundage.
"Will I fight Dempsey?
Say, I'll fight Dempsey any day
!. any hour, any minute-and anywhere
4 know he is a great one-undoubtedl.
( the greatest white fighter living AM
. one of the greatest champions of al
time. But-well, now we come to
place where I guess you'd better hun
=. up Paddy Mullins, who is my manager
Paddy does all the horn-tooting for me
But, before you go I'd like to ask thi
question"
Wills whirled around, faced the bag
l Tapped it lightly with left and then
with the speed of a lightning fasl
: and the power of a piston rod, drov'
l his right against the bag.
= do you think that Dempsey coult
. take a lot like that-do you?"
l Copyright 1921 BY King Features
Syndicate, IDc.)
n To uncover the head is our way o
\ showing politeness and respect; bu
;. the Chinese, when he wishes to b
j polite, puts his hat on his head, If
IL