The Washington times., 1922-06-05

1t 10 not generally known. how.
ever, that Vincent Pepper" Martin
10 q swell barytone. II 10 not gen.
orally known that he used to be one
of the best tenors In South Brooklyn
and that persons living In that not
altogether benighted section used to
pay him In silver coins to 30 away
and sing somewhere else,
Martin made q great hit when he
hit Babe Herman on the chin and
knocked him for several wave-lsnsths
Of oblivion, but the hit that fingers
and loiters In the innermost section
Of his soul and is indelibly associ-
ated with those long and proverblal
thoughts Of youth is the hit he made
when he barytoned in q famous
quartet that. nearly ten years ago,
drew curses and coins from persons
whose back windows opened on court
yards in South Brooklyn.
The other members of that famous
quartet, every member Of which was
destined to make something of q
name for himself in the ring, were
Jackie Norman, lifelong pal Of Mar.
tins; Johnny Martin, Peppers"
older brother; Happy O'Kane, now
dead and George Menger. A colored
boy named Chicken 9aston some
times sang as q pinch hitter for some
Of the others when a voice skidded
or went to the bad. Chicken had q
voice that seldom failed TO draw at
tention from some tired business man
who was trying TO sleep.
There are many residents OF
Brooklyn today who remember
Pepper" Martins quartet. Pep.
per" could roll out q pretty tenor
or could swing into q baritone when
Jackie Norman was fit and ready to
take the top notes. There are many
Brooklynites who can recall. with
somewhat mixed feelings, the way
Was Happy Till She Met You and
the Fault Is All Your own"
They also did -Sunbonnet Sue"
rather well and excelied at that
singularly loving thing entitled
Although She May Be Guilty III
Forgive Her When She Returns"
Another ditty that never failed TO
move them to another courtyard.
sometimes quite hurriedly, was that
popular ballad, I'm Wearing My
Heart Away for You"
At that time Jackie Norman ard
Vincent Pepper" used to do solos,
and it will interest the boxing
public TO know that Vincent wrote
the words and Jackie the music
Of that exceedingly fetching piece
called Never Kick Your Mother
When She's Down"
II was his vocal efforts that
finally drove Vincent Pepper" Mar.
tin into the ring, The quartet WIS
Raging the "Meditations" from
"Thais" at 7ab a. m. Of a Sunday
In the rear Of an apartment house in
South Brooklyn when something
happened that altered the careers VI
the entire outfit, jackie Norman
has put the air brakes on his tenor
ana Vincent Pepper" was fling
down his baritone, when q window
was thrown up suddenly on the
fourth floor.
Here's whore we get a quarter" 1"
said jackie.
Here's where we get he'll" said
Martin unfeelingly,
Norman DOTTED his cap TO the
and set himself to catch the de-.
scending coin. Something heavier
than O coin came down, Jackie
Norman says TO this day that he
heard the elderly gent say:
You'll find sympathy In this"
Then Jackie ducked and some.
thing hit Vincent Pepper" Martin
on the jaw and laid him flat and
uncon scious. II was an unabridged
edition, In one volume, Of Well
ster's dictionary OF 1o,7so. 900 words
They all hit Pepper" at once.
Vincent never sang after that Ho
was carried to his home by Happy
O'Kans and Norman and Chicken
CASTOR truged behind with Martin 8
hat. When Pepper" came to he
was fighting mad and he's been
that way ever since. All this sounds
like one Of Mr., Kiplins's Just 81
Stories" but It's quite true. Best
Beloved.
Vincent Pepper" Martins father
was Larry" Martin q gallant Zig
ure In the New York Fire Depart.
mani