The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-09-20
Report of Big Fight from Eye Witness

Lakewood for New 1Ofk, mas written
the Reporter In his inimitabie Irish
fashion under the name of Tom Hogan
of the Dempsey-Firpo fight. While
written in the comedy vein, the ac-
count Is absolutely correct and is
chronicled just as 1t happened.
New York, N Y.
Sept. 14th, 1923
Me dear Casey
We are sitting here this avenin'-
about $4,000 av us-waitin fer the big
scrap to come off and it is the most
wonderful soight I iver he'd in me
loife. Nearly a hundred thousand
people sitting around a bit of a
squared circle, all ixcited, nervous,
wild hearts batin loike triphammers,
impatient fer the tonne to come that
will bring togither the greatest
foighters of the day to battle fer the
championship av the world. Casey,
| wish yez were wild me. | know yez
would enjoy it ez much ez | do. But,
ez We can't be wild me l will write
and tell yez all about 1t.
Phoile | am maxim notes av the
things that are happenin' at the pris-
ent writin. Gates and Madden are go
in on wild their IL round bout, but
nobody IL payin much attintion to
thin. 1t is a very tame affair. 1t
would be jist as well eff they took
thin off and whit on wild the big at
traction. They are jist startin on
their last round and Louis Angel
Firpo has started down the lie and
the great crowd has seemed to rise
up on it's hind legs and gone mad wild
shoutin fer the Argintinian. He
comes down the lie wild a bit av a
naughty look on his face and there
isn't a man or woman that is in their
seats. They are all on their feet
and goin wild over the sight av the
big dark skinned warrior. And well
they moight, Casey. fer he was fine
speciman av manhood He climbed
into the ring and sat in his corner
and looked over that vast multitude av
people, but niyer once did he cast a
smile on him or seem to recognize
their shouts and applause. He wuz
jist loike an iceburg, wild an expris
sion tibet says "I'll show youse ginks
where dis man gifts Off" Well, sir,
I gev him won look! Jist thin
there was a terrific shout started and
down the lie KEN our old friend
| DEMPSEY. Man alive, Casey, yez
shud hey seen him! Jack Dimpsey,
locker finer and filter than liver before
in his loife. AS thrim as a race
horse He jumped to the ring and
danced about loike boy at play. The
great crowd almost wint woild as
| IL, nrft III "
| the man. Jack Dimpsey! Yez
shud hev seen him Casey. Oh, It's
hard fer me to write and tell yez what
a wonderful man this fellow Dimpsy
! is. There is not, in my limited vo-
cabulary, sufficient words to ixpriss
my feelins towards that man. He Is
simply the quint essence of perfection
a picture that no artist could paint
when he appeared in his white silk
! toights. Man alive, he was beauty!
Whin he gifts in the ring he walks
right over to the Firpo corner and
shakes the man by the hand in rale
ould Irish style. 1t wud .hev done
yer heart good Casey, to hev seen it
All the tonne the great crowd was
cheerin as though they would sprain
|
over, turnin to all sides so as to not
miss any one and presints thin wild 8
smile. And what a lovely smile he
has whin he wants to bestow 1t or
I any one. Well, anyway, it ken
tonne fer the announcer to go into
the ring and help out wild his dooties
So, in steps our old friend Joe Hum
phreys. Hasn't he the grandest voice
| Yez cud hear him three miles, asiely
He tould us that Dimpsey weighed
1921 and that Firpo tipped the bean
at 21612 and whin they dis ROBBED tC
hev their pictures took, begob they
both looked it. But that South
American looked almost twice as big
as our old friend Jack. He was tall
err. heavier, brownier and cud reach
six inches farther thin Dimpseyy. Mar
dear, thet's an awful handicap Well
to tell yez the truth, Casey,I thought
me two bucks were gone. | was just
about to kiss thin good bye" whin
caught sight of Monohan, who | he'd
made the bet wild. He looked at mt
and in a sheepish way says "Ill make
it TWinty to Three|' Well, ye2
know, Casey, he he'd me at disadvan-
age. l was in position tibet
couldn't hev the people around me
think | was a pikor. so in a non
chalant way Tipped the ashes off me
cigaroot and says You're on and
the bet was recorded.
Casey, you should hev seen the way
they he'd the place loighted up. There
were 10000 lights around the place
The ring was right in the cinter az
the field, right over the second base
and all around it was the most pow
erful loights yez liver saw. They
were avin stronger than the ones they
he'd at the lake whin they blew up the
! battleship. 1t was as bright as day
sittin there at ten o'clock at night
OF course, ii he'd to be that way SO
as they could take the pictures. And
behave me, they did take some pic
lures! 1t was loike rattle of mus
kerry, the sounding av the clicking
cameras. After the usual instruc-
lions the men whit to their corners
and
THE GONG SOUNDS. THE FIGHT
Is ON