Evening star., 1926-08-21

Say, you go long with that talk.
What kind of talk is that. How you
talk Mr. kearns. You know very well
that Harry can whip those two fellows
and in the same ring, Dempsey and
Willard. and you want him to be
sparring partner No. sir. You run
along with that trash proposition.
You chase yourself with it, Was it
Harry Wills speaking? Not on your
life. Mrs. Wills was doing the talking
and meaning every word of 1t. Most
of the talk came from behind a cur
tain and before it had ended. the mis-
sus stepped forward still talking and
speaking her mind about my PROPOSE
tion. Harry himself hadn't peeped.
He didn't dare, | guess. The boss was
on the job. l. tried TO argue the point
with Mrs. Wills.
She Was the Real Manager.
saw she was the manager here.
| explained to her that her man could
ruin our show and make himself by
stopping Dempsey in training and
would be we'll paid for it besides. |
talked and talked and I talked. |
think | can talk. but I'll bow right
out on Mrs. Wills any time. She
spiked the plan on all of us. | went
over the ground again and again. but
couldn't bulge Mrs. Wills. Wouldn't
she please reconsider?
Outside of the $4,000 involved. he
would have the host chance in the
world to show up the challenger. If
Dempsey is in Iiarry's way. what
would he sweeter for him to come
out there and knock out Dempsey
every day right in front of the big
i'm tho NVnrl19
They're all out there an1 Harry
couldn't take a shorter cut to the
title than to smack Dempsey over
every day for 10 days$ He'd kind Of
ruin us, don't YOU see? We've got the
spot right now. It's up to Harry to
come out there and knock Dempsey
off of it. Can't you see that angle,
Mrs Wills?"
All this time. Wills listened atten-
lively. but Mrs. Wills was bitterly op-
posed to any such arrangements.
l made all kinds of propositions for
him to come out. lie seemed on the
answer, but Mrs Wills headed off
everything left finally with a
promise from Harry that he would
call me in the morning and let me
know. lie never called. OF course,
Mrs. Wills had the final say. 1t was
NO" and that settled it. But I tell
this story to prove that Wills wasn't
breaking his leg to get at Dempsey
when it would have been the greatest
chance in the world to knock Demp-
sey off as the challenger. If it was IN
Wills, he could have ruined Rickard s
show; also the firm of Dempsey and
Kearns. After that little experience
l never seriously considered any Of
Harry Wills cOmDl3intS.
/ want to say also that no Sparring
partner that we ever had in camp
ever got any order other than to go
knock Dempsey dead if he could.
Many a sparring partner got knocked
out trying to X. O. Dempsey. That's
why I say that Harry Wills missed
the opportunity of his life. He had
only to wrap Dempsey up just once In
front of those writer's and we were
done for and he was made. He GER
tainly booted that chance if he really
thought he could whip Jack Dempsey.
When we failed TO get Wills to come
to our camp, we sent out worldwide
invitation for big men to come to the
aid of the Dempsey party. | drew in
a few, of course, but what use were
they? 1t takes a man with ring
knowledge to give you a workout.
Quickly X. O.'s New Giant.
remember one strapping big fellow
who came from Canada to try his
hand out against Dempsey. Much was
made of it along ballyhoo row. / had
all the big writer's right down front
that day. We had no notion of what
the fellow had outside Of size. He
stripped like AL Reich. as fine Il speci-
men as ever / clapped eyes on.
Dempsey knocked the Canadian out
! in two punches.
The press boys were steaming up
| the ca mn nnu. Ii tyas he one SOlIrCe