Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-02

had been billing Jack all along as
the Fighting Irishman." Jack Demp
sey was naturally the excuse to let fly
on that score. but when ] met Pa
Dempsey he made me rub my chin in
surprise.
. Pa called Jack Harry" He always
has called him Harry, but when We
got down TO the family lines. he told
me that there was Jewish blood in
Dempsey veins. COME again,
gasped. for ] wasn't quite sure / had
got him right in the first place. ]
couldn't believe my ears. Jack Demp-
sey a Jew.
Yes said Pa Dempsey. Harry
has Jewish blood in him.
He also told me that they We're
Mormons by religion and had been for
a long way back.
Kearns Hankers for East.
l began To fret on the subject of
moving. ! wanted to so East with
the big fellow We had got a fine
start and his victory over Gunboat
Smith had percolated through to the
Atlantic Coast. There is nothing that
succeeds like success in this racket
and Dempsey had trimmed a man we'll
thought Of in the East.
He still was pretty sick and ! sat on
the edge of the bed with him, telling
him of our plans for the future. We
must hit New York while the iron was
hot
Finally l got him on his feet and we
hoped a train for Denver. It's al
ways Denver on my trips because Of
Otto FIoto. lie is the sports editor Of
the Denver Post and one of my best
boosters always.
T IN Ind n
and Harry Tannen, the owner of the
pa per. looked Jack over and seemed
quite impressed with him. Otto
spoke up and told Dempsey a few
things.
What FIOtO Told Dempsey.
You stick TO Kearns, here, young
fellow. and he'll make you the cham
pion of the world" Otto told Dempsey
"AlI you've got to do is to follow his
instructions. He knows this fighting
business better than any man ! know
and | know a lot of Them
That was putting the swell on for
me alright. but Otto meant a lot of it
at that
He wrote a fine big story and gets
me 900 copies of the yarn and
shoots it East. 1 flooded Chicago and
New York State with this fine bit of
ballyhoo. 1t was better than if ! had
been on the different spots doing my
own shouting. Good old Otto.
| went into Chicago with Dempsey.
This was in January. 1918. He was
still quite sick and had to go to bed
again. We eamped there at the Nor
rison Hotel for three weeks. Natur-
ally the sports writer's were all excited
about Dempsey and they wanted TO
see him, We had many an inspection
of Dempsey as he lay on his back in
bed l told them that Jack had bad
ankle. l had 10 give some excuse.
There was nothing we could do.
Starts the BaIlyhoO Again.
Three weeks is a long time TO be
held up when you're going along. but
] tried to make the best of il. ] started
the old ballyhoo going again. and in
terest in Dempsey naturally increased.
So did the visiting list. Managers.
promoters. sports writers. editors,
boxers, sports and broken guys came
in a long string to see the new Sensa-
ton. There was little that was Sensa-
tional about him as he lay stretched
out in bed, but l had to make the best
of it. / began to get comebacks from
the ballyhoo.
| had challenged the world. the
whole darned world for Dempsey, but
my big shout was at Willard, the
champion. ] ragged him pretty
called him everything. Soon | began
to get offers from all over. Any man
who would come out and defy Viii
lard would have TO be somebody, they
thought, and the Eastern promoters
were fishing for me and my man.
Starts Work on War Benefit.
Well, we began work on big war
benefit show for the Salvation Army
Willard had agreed TO come to Chi
cago to box Dempsey six rounds for
the charity, though ] always had my
doubts about his really intending 10
face my man at that time.
We steamed it UP pretty and every
body was talking about it, At its hot
test, Mayor Thompson steps in and
calls everything off. Guess he was
afraid to put boxing back right in
Chicago after it had been canned
there for 20 years or more.
] was more than disappointed
wanted only the chance TO get that
big egg in there. | was willing TO take
the chance that Jack could lick him.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES