New Britain herald., 1926-05-11
(BY JOE WILLIAMS)

IIendersonville, N. C., May 11.-A tall, emaciated gentleman well along in the titties, with graying hair and mustachc, sat on cane-bottom chair in q bare-walled living room up here in the mountains and frightened the strings on his old violin.
 II was Hiram Dempsey, father of the heavyweight, and he was pre- pairing 10 give his nightly recital of hill-billy airs, which have come to be just as much q part of the train- ing camp, routine as his hrawny sons roadworll and sparring.
 Pop" Dempsey, as Jack always refers to him, tiddled through a composition of agonizing length that, to the ineXpert ear, ran mainly to "awks" and "eoks."
 How'd you like that?" he asked, finishing with triumphant smile.
 "Einc," I lied bravely.
 I'm the only fiddler in the world that plays that piece. I wrote it myself and it's called Wild Goose Couldn't you hear the geese in it."
 "Jess Like sullivan"
 Assuring him that none who had ever been within q mile of the ami mals could possibly fail to dis tinguish the remarkable impeHona- iiou, l switched the conversation to the subject of fighting.
 I learned that yo William Harrison Dempsey, as champion was christened, was irtually a born fighter" At le4st Pop" re- calls that he weighed II pounds and looked jess like John L, Sullivan Specially in the shoulders!
 "Why you never saw John l.. Sullivan. Pop" cut in the champion. Flow can you say l looked like him?'
 Well you looked like him any how" insisted the kindly old man. holding his head in an autocratic waY which indicated there was nothing else to be said on the matter.
 Pop" says the first fight-thc first good fght--he remembers Jack had was against a neighbours boy, who was bigger and older and every thing than our kid"
 The boys name was John Daniels and the fight occurred in the Demp- soys home town, Manassa, Colo. 1 The families of both contestants gathered around in a circle to wit ness the battle. For four or five minutes il was an even tussle. Bite him, John!" yelled the elder Daniels, who apparently had antici- pated an easier triumph over the smaller Dempsey. John turned his | head 10 look at his father and as he did, young Dempsey clipped him on the chin and knocked him out. Bet Against son
 Pop then told how Jack drifted into the professional ring. The ] two of thom were working with a ] steam shovel crew in Utah. They had been there for three days. On the fourth day Jack dropped his shovel and said 10 Pop: wen never gct rich doing this . I'm going away and be prize fighter"
 A week passed and Pop" read in . the papers that Jack had been matched 10 battle the Boston Bear Cat" a giant colored puncher who had been winning all his fights in . tho west by knockouts.
 Pop" WIS a sporting man and he was inclined to back his Judgment in such matters with the ttukling coin Of the rcalm-and he wasn't tho kind 10 be influenced by senti- mont,
 His entire fortune at the moment amounted 10 something like $72O. l. was his conviction that tho Bos. ton Bear Cat" was q pretty fair sort ot fighter. So when a fellow ! ~borcr expressed d contrary belief, Pop peeled off five one dollar bills and said: Put up or shut up"
 You don't mean to say you bet against me in my first fight, Pop?" demanded the champion, who was listening to the narrative. I Yes, did, and shucks all fiddle sticks, l didn't eat all the nexr week."