The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-22
Who IS HARRY Wills?
HAS HE ANY CHANGE
WITH JACK DEMPSEY?
BY FRANK C. MENKE

Now that they've smoked up this
Dempsey-Wills things to a point of
national discourse, folks are asking:
who and what is Wills?"
Although the name Of Wills has been |
smudged a million times or more onto
news print, his life story, his fistic,
record, his achievements here and
there have remained as something of
a mystery.
I, Beyond everything else, Wills is a
clean living negro.
Whatever Jack Johnson was, Wills
is exactly the opposite. The bright
lights have no appeal for him. Home
life, mixed with church socials and
the swapping of calls with the friends
of his wife and himself, appeal to Wills
make up for him his real life beyond
the rosined arena.
Long years ago when Wills was a
yonngster he had warnings to become
a jockey. He was a pickaninny in
size until he was we'll into his teens.
Then, when he started to grow, lawsy
me, how dat chile did spring up.
Perfect Specimen
Wills Of today is perhaps the most
perfect specimen of physical manhood
that ever STEPPED into a ring. In every
line of his perfect frame he out-Apollos
Apollo.
Something like a dozen years ago
the ambition came to him to be a fisti-
cuffer A chance offered to serve as a
fourteenth or fifteenth assistant sparr-
ing partner for Johnson. He grabbed
it. He held it a while-long enough,
at any rate, to learn a whole lot more
than he ever thought he'd know about
boxing.
1t was from Johnson that Wills
learned the value and the expert use
of an uppercut-the most useful and
most powerful of all his blows.
Started In 1911
Along in 1911 Wills launched him.
self upon fistic career. But for many
years battling was but a side issue.
His real work-his means of livelihood
was as a longshoreman on the docks
around New York. 1t was there that
he built up the giant strength that is
his: strength that eclipses even the
gorilla like power which Johnson knew
in his best days.
- II efought but twice In 1911-that
Atwas when he was 10 years old. One
battle was won via the knockout route
over another negro. He gained his
second triumph that year by means of
a 10-round decision. A year later he
grabbed himself seven fights, scoring
six times with knockout blows.
All of this attracted the attention
of the Sam Langford-Joe Jeanette-Sam
McVey combination. These dusky
boys suddenly discovered that a new
playmate had come into their midst.
They welcomed him. The "Darktown
Trio then became the "Dusky Quar-
tette."
Tackled Jeanette.
The first to tackle Wills was Jean
cite, w:o fought the newcomer 10
round no-decision bout--which was
fair enough. One must be nice to
ones new chums. That was in 1913.
A year later Wills was introduced to
McVey and Langford-and had the
pleasure of being in company with
Jeanette once again. None of those
meetings sent "the Brown Panther of
the Prize Ring" away with smile.
Jeanette was bit rougher than in
his earlier meeting and scored a pop.
ular win over Wills. Then McVey
wise old man of the rosined arena
bumped and pounded him around for
90 rounds. And, to climax the sadness
of Wills in that year, none other than
the diminutive Than" Langford
knocked him cuckoo in IA rounds OF
milling.
After the year was over Will;
wasn't quite SO sure as before thai
he had the "makin's'. But Than
and Joe and McVey coaxed him not
to leave them with a smile-or any
thing else Perhaps they promised
not TO be so rough. Anyway, they
weren't. For McVey and Langford
both lost to him on points that yeal
-1915-and Harry thereupon decided
to keep right on going.
Been On Upgrade.
Wills has been on the upgrade evel
since. His work hasn't been spectac
ular. He hasn't fought with any grea'
frequency, perhaps largely because he
couldn't get any tough white men tt
fight him and promoters got tired O
sticking him up against Langford
jeanette. McVey, Battling Jim John
son and others in their pals Forever
act.
Wills has mixed in 70 times durin.
his ring career. Of these jaunts 8.
have been rewarded with knockou
achievements. He has won II decis
ions and mingled in 81 no-decision en-
counters. Another affair was a draw
He was tossed out of the ring tire,
times and the doings officially labelled
mo contest" because the referee fie
ured that he and his rival were puttin
on a bunny-hug skit-not prize fight
Four official defeats are chalke,
against Wills. McVey won a referee
decision. Bill Tate won on a fou
I4angford knocked him out and he wa
forced to quit in his fight with Jir
Johnson when he broke his arm in tn
second round
His Record.
OF Willis 10 ring clashes, 1t is
rather peculiar fact that approximate
" half of them have been against fiv
q men. He fought Langford 16 times
Jack Thompson seven times, Move
five, Tate five, and jeff Clarke, five
And it was about $3.50. as to the wiz
ner of the popular decisions in thos
rnixups.
If one yearns to arrive at wha
sort Of a fighter Wills really is,