Evening star., 1927-09-23

Editors: This is a story of how the
Tunney. Dempsey fight affected the
biggest crowd ever gathered around
a ringSide. Fred Dye. an Associa ted
Press staff writer, seated within two
feet of the ring, but with his back
10 the fighters. did not see a single
blow struck except as mirrored t.
him through the faces and actions OF
the tremendous crowd that he faced
~ HICAGO, September 23 up
Two lithe-muscled athletes
stripped to the waist and en-
~ gagged in the most primitive
combat known to man pro
vided spectacle last night which
thrilled 10000 spellbound men and
women. hut those same 100000 per.
sons, gathering in the purple vast
ness about two cleaning bits of flesh.
provided a spectacle fit to thrill the
world. could ii have watched.
The athetes-Gene Tunney and
Jack Dempsey-each of whom has
worn the nmbus of heavyweight
champion. were intent only on each
other; 100000 pairs of eyes. the eyes
of statesmen, of fnanciers. industrial
leaders. movie stars. celebrities from
every field and just plain citizens,
were intent simply on those two, but
at least one pair of eyes watched
only that tremendous sea of faces,
and through it read a story of the
battle.
Cosmopolitan Gathering.
In the vast throng the business of
dual combat with fists for pecuniary
gain reached its height, and in the un-
precedented struggle a fight crowd
reached its greatest proportions.
United States Senators, governors, So
cletv leaders and men and women who
purchased tickets only by dint of hard
saving mingled in $40 ringside seats
and in the dim distant reaches of the
SIS sectors, two and three city blocks
away.
In their reactions to the conflict it
was kipling's old story of sisterhood
under the skin, Of Julia O'Grady and
the colonel's lady over again.
Gov. Fred Green of Michigan, Gov.
Len Small of Illinois, Frank l.. Smith,
United States Senator elect for Illinois:
George NJ. Reynolds, Chicago banker:
Mrs. Samuel Insull wife of one of the
worlds greatest executives; James j.
Ieffries, sometimes termed the greatest
heavyweight champion of them all;
George Brennan, leader of Illinois de.
mocracy; Mrs. P. d. Armour, III;
Jackie Coogan's mother; Lou Emerson,
Illinois secretary of State; Kenesaw M.
Lands, base ball commissioner and
former Federal judge; Mrs. Glen Eden
of Chicago, petite brunette and one
of eight women in the first 10 rows
faced; Mrs. George F. Rider of Chi
cago and young Frank Rider: George
Getz, millionaire coal man and nominal
promoter of the fight; one man in
khaki work shirt and thousands upon
thousands more were there.
Fails to See a Blow.
When the gong first changed and
the former champion dashed across
the ring as If to annihilate the man
who dethroned him last year, the
writer turned his back, and since
Dempsey missed his first vicious
strike, did not see a single blow
struck. although for the next 80 min.
utes the observer sat with his back
2 feet from the ringside in which one
of the worlds greatest man-to-man
struggles was recorded.
He found the story of the struggle
In the crowds involuntary muscular
reactions, its eyes, faces, cheers, booes
and exclamations.
IL was
Round One.
Jim Jeffries watched intently, his
face a mask. Senator Smith grinned
open mouthed. Secretary of State
Emerson hunched forward on his seat.
Getz slouched back in his chair, his
face a dream of satisfaction over his
promotional success. Dempsey and
Tunney seemed to be feeling each
other out after that first blind rush
of the former champion. Commits.
sioner Landis bobbed as if with a
punch. "Attaboy Tunney," the crowd
roared. Tunney apparently had rush
ed in with lefts and rights. Benny
Kruger, used for weeks as Demp-
sey sparring partner, crouched near
the ringside in ring regalia, new red
gloves tied to his fists. The little
Germans face told that Dempsey,
his ideal, the man teaching him the