The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-03

GREAT FALLS, Mont, July B. (By Associated Press.)-The Demp- sey-Gibbons battle for the heavy weight championship of the world was definitely called off after mid night by George H. stanton, Great Falls banker, after a last minute conference with Jack Kearns, Demp- sey'S manager.
 Kearns, it was stated, agreed
 to go on with the fight if the
 promoters would pay him $5O,OOO
 immediately and permit him to
 take tEc remaining S5O,OO0 of the
 guarantee out of the first gate
 receipts.
 Mir. stanton stated that he told
 I<earns it was impossible to pay
 him this amount as the cOmmit-
 tee, which he represented, ai-
 ready had mailed back the checks
 to those who hud advanced sums
 to make up the final amount.
 Mir stanton left the hotel where the conference took place and Maj. J. E. Lane, another one of the buSi- ness men who recently attempted to save the fight. closeted himself with KearnS in d last effort, it was said, to cause Dempsey's manager to re- lent and permit the match to be held. The crisis came late in the after noon when Maj. J. F. Lane, trustee of the promoters. admitted that the $100 900 due Dempsey on his $300,0O0 guarantee not later than midnight Monday had not been raised, and that he saw no prospects of rais- ing it.
 Calling the newspaper correspond ents into a hotel, Major Lane told them that any statement calling off the bout must come from Jack Kearns or Loy J. Molumby of Great Falls, who signed the articles of 1a tp11 m a a in Chicago early in the spring. MoIumby Edges Out.
 Molumby declined to remain in the hotel room while the announcement was being made to the newspaper men, although he was twice requested by Major Lane to stay. Molumby edged out of the room, saying that he probably would have a statement to issue later.
 Kearns, who had held out for the complete fulfillment of Dempsey's contract from the start, said he would not have any statement to make until midnight at which time the limit for the payment of Demp- sey's final $100,000 installment eX- pired. The heavyweight champions manager gave threatening indica- tions, however, that he would leave town with the champion unless the money was paid.
 MdJOT Ldlle ueCllneu to reveal HOW much money had been raised toward the $100,000 fund and also declined to issue a formal statement after he and his associates announcement of their retirement from all connec- tions with financing the fight. Committee Withdraws.
 "The committee which Friday ac- cepted the job of attempting to raise the final installnent of S100,000 due Dempsey Monday at midnight has been unable to procure the needed money" he said.
 Our mission is ended and we are retiring from any participation in the financing of the fight.
 Our opinion is the fight cannot be held unless the $100,000 is raised before midnight. We do not know if it can be done. I doubt it.
 There was not sufficient time left us for the raising of the money. The people to whom we looked for money evidently did not feel like coming to me rescue at this late date.
 Got "Cold Feet"
 All I care to say is that some of the men we had depended upon to contribute to this fund evidently got cold feet after they had given us their pledge to help" Mr. Stan ton said.
 Then the tall bank president hur- rled across the hotel lobby into the headquarters of the Great Falls tickets.
 While the sporting world was in suspense over the S100,000 payment there was one spot in Great Falls where normalcy ruled quietly and supremely. That spot was Demp- seys training camp, on the banks of the Missouri river, just over the hills at the edge of town. There was nos whisper or a ripple in camp to indicate that the champion was in the least perturbed over the frantic efforts to raise the money which his manager demanded.
 Clad in white flannels and white sweater, the champion sat on the porch of his quarters and looked down the slope to the rolling Mis- souri. Back in the house his spar ring partners sat playing cards. Willing To Talk.
 Jack was willing to talk but the fight or the $1oO,OoO seemed to be the least of his worries. His con- versation slid easily into idle banter and conjecture on questions utterly foreign to the ring. He seemed to be just what Jack Kearns had de- clared him-"a finished fighter, at the top of his form, and ready for Gibbons.'
 Down in his heart, it is known that Dempsey was ready to battle Gibbons for the sum he has already eceived-$210.0 000-but he relies inn plicitly on the instruction of Mana ger Kearns on all questions of fi- nance-and Kearns is the last word. when Kearns tells Dempsey to break camp tomorrow and leave town Dempsey will do that very thing.
 KANE BLAMES PROMOTERS
 SHELBY, Mont, July 3.-(By As sociated Press )-Bitterly disappoint- ed over the failure of his protege to