The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-15

6nrikis. Anu 10r Jack dempsey
an eternity.
Time after time he had been the
victim Of the vicious clOuts Of the
caveman, who, the experts declared
would never be able TO touch him
with a glove. Twice he had looked
over the brink into oblivion, and
once the power of Firpo punch
had sent him plunging head first
over the ropes and into the press
box-hfs eyes glazed, his legs wob-
bling, his mind logged from the
fury Of the Argent mans attack.
Down by the ringside q civilized
humanity became in q moment, q
frenzied, bloodthirsty mob. Eighty
thousand people rose to their feet
as one man, when the bell called
the two fighters together for tile
opening and eighty thousand peo-
pie were still standing at the finish.
1T was q smuggling match, pure
and simple. Science was tossed to
the wind; footWork was discarded
and the laws Of jab and feint were
forgotten. Two men, Unborn fight
ers, simply threw off the veneer
ef civilization and battled to the
end with their fists.
They call Luis Angel Firpo the
''Wfld Bull OF the Pampas." He
% rightly named. Like g. bull he
the attack. Like q bull, with head
lowered, his eyes fixed and fists
flying. he buckled to the task ahead
with the only method he knew. And
coming out to meet him there in
the center of the ring he found q
raging. maddened, crafty tiger.
Much has been said Of the effect
81 the crowd, the tenseness Of such
. moment, but 80 far IS those two
men there In. the ring were cen
cerned the battle may as wen
have been staged In the wilderness.
Perhaps some Thousands OF years
ago, ancestors Of the two men
struggled after the same fashion
Lnurels and death the lot Of the
loser.
Perhaps, too, IN those thousands
q years ago, there stood by az the
two men battled. tribe OF men,
thrilling as the crowd did last night.
g the lust Of battle, muscles taatts
nerves on edge. dIckipg and lodging
with the fighters themselves and
feeling in their souls the scoring
sting Of each blow as Il found lts
mark and was driven home.
Some experts have questioned the
gameness OF this Ffrpo-sneered at
his ability to stand punishnlent, and
scoffed at his fighting spirit. Those.
experts should have seen the South
American last night.
They should have watched him as
be took the deadly blows that the
champion sent to his head and his
stomach. They should have seen
him falter under the attack OF the
tornado, and then come on, and on
bleeding, dazzled, broken. but still
Sighting.
Five times in that first round
the Argenfinian went down under
the torrent Of blows which the
champion sent into him. And five
times blee
parently hopeless he came back.
And then, just when the ringsiAe
fans f1gu. els Ile WIS tEarOagli, taae4e
was o swing Of his Wild right, and
Champion Jack Dempsey went fly.
ing through the ropes and Into the
laps Of the newspaper writers.
Never win ringMde witnesses for.
get the look that came flashing
across the champs face at that mo-
ment. Surprise was written there,
a. II he was unable to believe the
thing that happened. What thoughts
were there that flashed through the
dazed brain, what depths Of de.
spair or what blackness OF doubt
may never be known. But surely,
Jack Dempsey, champion Of the
world, never was nearer Oblivion
than at that moment. And Luis
Angel Firpo, the wild bull OF the
Pampas, without friends. with but
few American acquaintance, had
his hand on the worlds heavyweight
title.
But Luis Firpo didn't know It.
Friends In the crowd called TO him
with him TO come on and finish q
falterng champion. Under their
breath they cursed, and swore and
raved like mad men. But the
muscles would not respond to the
spirit that called him. Luis Firpo
was unable to follow the advantage
that he had. And that inability
that falling Of Drawn and muscles
20 function at q moment when Op.
portunity knocked, saved Jack
Dempsey and America the cham.
pionship pugilistAc crown Of the uni.
verse.
To describe in detail the things
that happened in those four min.
utes would be as impossible Is "a
describe the flood or an earthquake
or q holocaust. 1t was too tremen
dois for description. It was print.
time man matched against primitive
man; q wild beast matched against
another wild beast, with each rely
Ing upon the strength that they
owned to turn the victory.
And the cr0wd-t11e thOusaxlds
who stood like raving madnen
upon their chairs as blow follow.
ed blow and with each succeeding
thud there came the red flow 81
warm blood and the dazed, stag.
gering form that told Of piled Ip
punishment.
Four minutes while that tremen
0ous struggle was going on thOs.
$1,000 people forgot their ciViliza
ton, they forgot their training an.
their culture. They forgot every
thins-everything but that prima
instinct that calls for blood--the In
born love Of battle that was. man
heritage from the forgotten ages O
smother world. There was n