Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-07
BY THORNTON FISHER.


~ rison Ball Park, Jersey
City, to witness a logical
contender" for Jess Wizards title
dispose of an ebony-haired, swarthy
obstruction named Dempsey. The
logical contender" was Fred Full
ton, blond, blue-eyed and gangling.
He lowered 6 feet Az inches,
weighed 220 pounds and had been
trading wallops with divers and
sundry opponents for five years,
during which time he knocked out,
among others. Arthur Pelky. Terry
Keller, Al Reich, Charlie Weinert,
'Gunboat" Smith and "Porky
Flynn. Most of these fights had
been short and sweet. Only once
had he collided with the floor for
a 1O-count. and that was when he
stopped the militant fist of the vet
eran, AL Palzer.
Dempsey, symmetrical, scowling
and pugnacious, two years younger
in the game of fisticuffs than his
opponent, standing heel to hat .
feet 112 inches and weighing bone
and sinew 100 pounds, had up TO
that moment attached his trade
mark to the chins of 80 victims,
having knocked most of them into
oblivion in one round. Like Full
ton, he, too, had been K. cd but
once. Fireman Jim Flynn, whether
by accident or design, who accom-
plished the feat in round, was
in turn knocked for a loop" in
one round a year later by his erst-
while prey.
Fanfare and ballyhoo had failed
to arouse the wise guys and
when Promoter Jack Curley gaZed
out upon his customers from the
ring that afternoon ne must have
suffered in the region of his bank
roll.
Ringside Seats Empty.
The ringside boxes and seats
We're as empty as pennsylvania
avenue at 3 o'clock in the morning.
Not a we'll known name was pres
ent. The boxing scribes had given
their working tickets to the office
bows and were down at the races.
The only familiar face was that of
DR.. George Muth (now dead, a
rabid fight fan and official time.
keeper for many years in New York
City.
It. was mere happenstance that
the writer attended. The referee
no one remembers.
Fulton was first to enter the
ring-a docile enough looking con-
tender for the heavyweight title.
His limpid eyes, pale flesh and
nervous demeanor proclaimed him
to be any one save an adversary
for the giant Willard.
Dempsey soon followed, accom-
panied by Jack Kearns. Not a
ripple of applause greeted the I'M
known as he climbed through the
ropes.
Jack wore a pair of blue trunks.
A bath robe was conspicuously abb
sent. He possessed one thing, how
ever, known in cultured and other
sets as cit" His dusky, sun-tan-
ned body, his menacing frown and
generally savage appearance at
least qualified him for the role he
was essaying. He ignored his OPP
ponent sitting in the opposite COR
ner. Fulton, on the other hand,
was apparently hypnotized by the
beady.eyed creature across the way
with the tousled locks and ferocious
mien. Somebody out in the bleacher
seats shouted, who are those two
bums?"
A few minutes later the referee
called the contestants to the center
OF the ring. The lanky Fulton ad-
Vanced slowly and extended his
gloved hand to Dempsey. He
might have saved this gesture, for
Jack refused to be sociable. On
the contrary, he obviously intended
TO develop hostility which would
wit H. l.
the referee instructed the two men,
Dempsey glared at spot on the
canvas, never once looking Fulton
in the face. Fulton. though, was
not missin ga trick. He scruti-
nized the "Manassa Mauler" from
head to foot. When the referee
concluded, Dempsey unexpectedly
lifted his head and blurted out.
Lets don't shake hands when the
gong rings-let's come out fightin'!
Suggestion Staggers Fulton.
The gangling Fulton almost
staggered at this suggestion. He
was licked before the bell sound
ed. In fact, IS 3-5 seconds after
the bout began the tall plasterer,
under the impact of two blows
to the body and a left hook to
the jaw, slid against the ropes
and fell unconscious to the floor.
One year later Dempsey was to
hammer the champion into in
sensibility. Another IL months
passed rapidly and Dempsey was
preparing for his encounter with
Bill Brennan. The champion had
leased an apartment in uptown
New York and it was there that
Jack and / sat one afternoon
looking over the many gifts he
was constantly receiving. Among
them was book written by an
East Indian mystic. For some