San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-22
.IMazas4
Jim Corbett Talks.
Tells of Champs Woes.
Dempsey Has EN- Now.
Happy When He Lost.
A Tale of a Fireman.
BY Damon Runyon

ny Odmon Nunyon
Copyright, 1925. International Feature
Service. Inc.)
II met Jack Dempsey not long
after he won the heavyweight title
from jess Willard in 1919, and /
told him something then that he has
probably thought of many times
vince" remarked James J. Corbett.
the other evening. Il told him l
was happier after l lost the title
he had just won than l had ever
been while l held it.
Il suppose Jack, flushed with the
JOY of his new possession, thought it
was case of sour grapes with me,
but I'll bet he realizes now what i
meant" continued the redoubtable
Jim. I'll bet he realizes that 1 was
serious in my statement.
He has been undergoing the same
mental worry, and harassment and
public abuse that / did from time
to time. / suppose every heavy
weight champion has had the same
experience. 1t seems to 90 with the
title. A champions smallest action
IS magnified. He is the victim of
rumor and gossip. He has mighty
little peace of mind. and | honestly
heaved a sigh of relief when it was
all over, and / was an ex-champion.
1T is a nice thing to be the heavy
weight champion for time. But it
isn't long before the troubles begin,
and they soon outweigh the glory.
There is no cortentment with the
title, and ] guess Dempsey has long
since found it out"
encountered Corbett in the
Friars' Club, and with fifty-eight
years sitting on his shoulders, he
looked as young, and apparently felt
as clipper as any Of the Juveniles
around him.
He carried himself very erect, and
moves with a springy step. There
is only a spray OF gray in his once
black hair, and only few wrinkles
TO either side of his big nose.
As he talked. | thought of old
John Arthur Johnson's remark to
me Just after he lost the heavyweight
title to Willard in Havana.
climbed into Johnson's corner to
get a statement from him as he
stood there, huge turkish towel
trapped around his head, giving him
the appearance of an ancient Moor
and looking out over the receding
crowd through very tired eyes.
All All got to say is mebbe
they'll let me alone now" said
johnson. "Mebbe Ahll git some
peace"
He spoke as one who had just had
a great burden lifted from his mind
as if ne had been relieved at last
of a very great trouble. / believe at
the momnet John Arthur johnson
really felt that way about his de-
feat.
"I note Dempsey has his troubles
in the courts from time to time"
said Corbett. reflectively. "That is
one of the penalties of the heavy
weight title. Everybody sues you.
81 recall a we'll known boxer Of
nv time who showed up around my
camp while | was training for some
fight, and he asked me to box with
him. i took him on. because / boxed
with every Tom, Dick and Harry
that would put on the gloves with
me
Some time later ne tried to put
the bee on me when l was running
my cafe on Broadway. but it hap
pencd to be about the time that l
was sored up by being bad-chcCked.
and touched with such frequency
that I had resolved to put stop
to it.
AT any other moment, ! suppose
| would have stood for the touch
and thought nothing Of it. but he
caught me in bad humor and / re-
fused him. A few weeks later he
sued me for $500 for training me,
and he caused me plenty Of trouble,
TOO. That was only one Of many
similar instances.
"I recall another time in Phila-
delphia when a fireman suddenly
pushed into my dressing room away
up in the top of theater, while |
was naked. and dripping with per-
SEPARATION. / never saw the fellow
before in my life, ald he came rush
ing in very rudely.
81 said to him. Say. don't you
ever knock before You come into a
mans dressing roomT He replied,
'Aw. III come in when ! feel like it,
and I'll stay as long as | fell like
it.
"No. you won't, ! said, and I just
touched his elbow to turn him to-
ward the door. He Immediately
hauled off and hit me an awful belt
flush in the mouth. Naturally. | took
a smack at him. but he fell down
without being hit. and then took the
stairs on the hop.
Il fell all the way down the stairs
after him, and as / got up ut the
bottom n little dazcd. there he was
standing squared off Mt me. | gave
him n couple of smacks when some
body separated me. The next day
the papers carried stories TO the cf-
feet that ! Ind brutally assaulted IL
poor. inoffenSivc fireman, WHO had
done nothing at all TO me.
"Thcy did not mention the belt |
got in the mouth" sighed jim. "fhcy
said nothing whatever in my favor.
They made it appear that / was just
a suggcr going around looking for
trouble, whereas / was in the right
if | ever was in my life.
And that seems TO be what the
public likes to believe about n heavy
weight champion. His domestic af-
fairs are regarded MS public PROPERTY.
He cannot turn around without at
tracing notice. He is at all times
under the closest scrutiny, and gen.
orally under criticism. People take
the attitude of disliking him on gem
cral principles. even though they may
naVnr hnVp mot him -