Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-18

tOrneyS DelleVe Lney CAN IOiCe Hel
to reveal some details of Wards
actions the night before Peters body
was found on the lonely road in
Westminster county.
Ward is expected to plead self-de-
Tense, though his attorneys refuse
take.
fourth time F'irpo got up, and for the
fourth time he came on to give bat
tie. By now he was battered and
bleeding. Blood was running in red
rivers from his mauled and hammer
ed mouth. There was a knot upon
the side of his head. But his cOur-
age was still untouched. He was
still charging. They had just come
to a clinch in Firpo's corner when
the DELL rang for the end Of the
round.
Referee Overlooked Tt
At the bell Firpo dropped his
hands. But three times in success
sion without the slightest warning
from the referee Dempsey struck
Firpo in the face. Just what Gal
lagher was doing at this moment is
something of mystery. The least
he could have done was to have
stepped in and stopped Dempseys
attack. The most he could have
done would have been to disqualify
the champion. But he did nothing
at all, in spite of the fact that
Dempsey's last blow fell a good two
seconds after the round had ended.
When the two men came out for
the second round it was apparent
that Firpo had to land a wild punch
quickly or be cut pieces. He was too
far lacking in any art of defense, too
much unskilled to have a show be-
yond one savage punch that perhaps
might land again. He had proved
that he knew nothing Of infighting,
of defense. Yet he proved, as many
had contended, at in spite of this
he had a chance. If he had stuck
to Jimmy Deforrest and waited an
other year that might have been
quite a different story, for the cham
pion had also proved that his de-
Tense was none too good. In spite
of the fact that he was four times
as fast as Firpo, ten times as eX-
perienced and far more skilled, he
let the battered Firpo land that
crude right to both jaw and body
and land with enough force to al
MT put him out.
In the first round Firpo all told
had been knocked down ten times.
Only four of these came from clean
wallops that drove him to the floor.
The other six were from short
punches that caught Firpo in his
usual awkward position in no way
set to stand even a half blow.
After the second round opened
Dempsey was up again the wild
cat. He charged in with terrific
speed, came to close quarters and
within a few seconds had poked a
short uppercut that rolled Firpo
upon his back. The stamina of the
South American was ebbing swift
ly. He had taken too much. He
had taken more than any ordinary
mortal could ever face. On this
occasion the eleventh knockdown OF
the fight, as on four other oc-
casions, he had gone down
heavily and rolled about in
agony. He was now suffering I'M
believable punishment. He knew
now that he was doomed. He knew
that the fight was gone from him
when Dempsey had come back after
those first two punches he had whip
ped to the champions head. He had
no defense when he was fresh.
Beaten down he was even more
helpless than ever. Everything
was gone from him but his I'M
faltering courage. So far the
elesenth time he rose YEARLY to his
feet and stood to meet the cham
pion's next rush Now he was lead
ing the most forlorn of all hopes.
F'irpo was barely able to stand
up. Somewhere back in his scram-
bled brain there was the old instinct
to keep on as long as he could
stand. AS he came back up he led
one more wild right; it caught
Dempsey in the ribs, but it lacked
tie old killing force. And within
a few seconds Dempsey had worked
his way beneath the weary arms of
the challenger, and as he got set,
he let fly a right and left to the jaw
in startling succession. The two
blows might have come from a dou-
Dl6-Ddrr0lSu SuOlSuH uIou III 11Slll-
ming order. They came swiftly; they
came true to the mark, and they
came with crushing force. AS the
first landed F'irpo started to fall. AS
the second caught him he was lifted
in the air and landed upon his back.
The blood was running in thicker
streams of red from his open mouth.
His huge body lay twitching on the
floor. Twice he made vain efforts
to rise but bruised and battered flesh
and nerves rebelled. He could no
longer make either obey. He was
gone beyond recall, forced to be con-
tent with the fact that without any
skill at all, he had twice knocked
down the greatest fighting machine
of the day and time. He had proved
that red, raw courage still has its
place, even when it is backed up
with nothing else. He had fought
with all he had to give and he had
fought at least a fairer fight. The
Argentine had nothing to be ashamed
of in the battle that he waged
against the greatest odds that any
challenger ever faced. He gave his
blood and his heart to the hopeless
task, and, against all overpowering
odds, came closer than anyone will
IL IANN,1