davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-09-23
BY BENNY LEONARD.


Undefeated Iishtverht, Champion of the
..-A y World.
CHICAGO, September %. Gene
Tunney proved too smart for Jack
Dempsey in the ring last night. He
outboxed and outpunched his chal.
fenger in all but the--yEyenth round of
their fight! In that round Tunney
became careless. and tried to swap
punches with Dempsey with the idea
of knocking him out.
In his anxiety. he let so a few
right handlers THAT missed Dempsey
Then over near Dempsev's corner
when Tunney was just. getting ready
to throw right. Dempsey, with one
OF those old-time attacks uf his, shot
short left hook which caught Tun
ney flush on the jaw. Tunney went
back on his heels and was starting
to go down from the punch when
Jack hooked him with a right and
another left to the jaw, which plopped
Gene down much more quickly.
i Tunney was down and dazed. Demp
sey did not go to a neutral corner
but stood there, and the referee. Dave
Barry, motioned him to a neutral cor
ner, and then took up the count. Al
the count of four .Tunney was i'm q
sitting position on the ropes. taking
the full advantage of the count like
q good ring general. He got up and
then kept backing away from Demp
sey. In the next round Dempsey went
down from little punch. a right, bu,
II was more because Dempsey was q
bit wobbly on his legs than because
the punch was hard that Dempse,
sort of slipped to the floor. He was
up ina jiffy. however, and the blow
didn't hurt him.
Gene Grew Careless.
Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey
fought exactly asyI predicted they
would. Tunney, the boxer, STAYED
away and waited for Dempsey to leat
most Of the time, but i'm the second
round he showed stiff attack. Tun
ney thought he might have a chance
to knock out Dempsey. and he fought
hard and fast in spots. The only thins
was that Gene got careless in thai
seventh round and Dempsey got luck,
with his punches.
I told you that he would be luck,
with his punches, but that / didn'
think he would be lucky enough I,
enable him to score a knockout
That's just what happened.
AS soon as Tunney got up after
that knock down, and was circlins
around retreating from Dempsey
Jack. finally slowing down to a wall
in his chase of Tunney, got tired ant
moticned to him to stop. making z
sort of "come hither" gesture with
his aloved hands. Just imagine Jacl
Dempsey being unable to catch a fel
low who is backing up. especially
after q knock down. when every one
knows that a man moving forwart
ought to be able to go faster thai
his opponent can go backward ordi
narily. That proved to me that Demp
sey's legs were weak.
Dempsey kept hitting for the body
tust as / predicted he would. Jack de
serves much credit. He fought Tunne,
a better fight than he did in Philadel
phia. i'm my opinion. He was almos
continually walking in after Tunney
with his legs bent at the knees ant
his head held down, and weaving IL
a circle more than he ever did. AL
this was almost identically what
forecast in my story picking Tunne,
to win.
haef n,,pch uae that Opo
Evening star., 1927-09-23
GENE PROVED TOO SMART
FOR JACK, SAYS LEONARD

two punch and he hurt Dempsey sew.
eral times with it. Indeed. he made
Dempsey wobble few times. In the
ninth and tenth rounds Tunney show.
ed 20 great advantage. Dempsey was
through then. He had shot his bolt in
the seventh round. trying desperately
70 finish Tunney.
He became arm weary and his legs
were unsteady after that round. And
So in the last two rounds, Gene had
fully recuperated and tore in after
.Jcck again. trying for Knockout
His attack cut Dempsey badly over
the eyes. =
Near the finish of the tenth, the
final round. Dempsey was In such bad
condition that he came near stumbling
down without being hit In this round
Dempsey landed no more than two or
three blows. while Tunney continually
punched him about the head. 1t was
plain that Tunney had won the con-
test and retained the championship
when the final bell rang
And when the decision was an.
nounced every one i'm the stadium
felt satisfied that Tunney had beaten
Dempsey. - The only question that
arose from some of the Dempsey fol-
lowers was that Tunney was down
for q long count. some saying as
much as IA seconds.
Recalled Benny's Plight.
After the fight was over l rushed
back to Gene Tunney's dressing room
! with him. Before any one had word
to say to him / cornered and con-
graduated him on the heady battle
that he fought against one of tn ,
greatest fighters that ever lived. l
| remarked to him about the wise move
that he made in taking the full count
and he replied:
Benny. ! never should have been
knocked down. 1t was just a little
over-zealousness on my part. / was
| too eager TO get Dempsey at that
| moment. and therefore left myself
wide open-just as you did in your
fight with Ritchie Mitchell in the
| first round. 1t was a tense moment
| for me. knew / was down there,
| but in few moments my head
cleared and / could have gotten up.
| l looked down and saw you looking
at me from the ringside. and that
memorial moment that you were
sitting on the ring floor in your fight
suddenly flashed through my mind
so l took all the count, which I be
| lieved was wise move"
Dempsey was great champion
He deserves all the credit in the
world for putting boxing in the class
it is now, among great enterprises
Dempsey, boxing will not forget you
The fans will always remember that
you gave them the best you had, and
that even though you failed twice N
your battle for the title. you have
been fighting right up to the finish.
! You don't need boxing any more
Jack, but boxing needs you. You
still are great among the great heavy
weights of today.
lCopyrisht 1877
Evening star., 1927-09-23
FANS in RIM.SIDE SEATS
WERE PRESENT, THAT'S ALL

trio score board across the stadium
from them; a board that carried the
names Gene" and Jack" in yal -
high letters, with a place left for the
round number and the recording Of
any knockdowns.
Even this trIf1ing satisfaction was
denied them, because when the fight
got under way the holders of seats In
front arose. blotting out the board.
The difficulty of which most of the
disgruntled S. spectators complained
was not so much the distance from
the ring, but the too slight sloping of
seats.
One advantage did these SIS sitters
have: They were nearest the exits,
and consequently able to get out first.
These cave dwellers of Soldier Field
we're at the fight anyway, whether
they saw 1t or not. And some OF
them learned who won-and this is no
exaggeration--when they bought pa.
pers downtown some time later.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
LACKS INTIMATE FRIENDS
FEEL SURE HE'LL RETIRE
Has Earned Enough in Last Two Battles to Put Him
On easy Street"-Fighter Has Not Made
known Intentions for Future.

By Associated Press Sports Writer.
CHICAGO. September 23.-Jack
Dempsey. humping into stone wall
along the weary old road that he
figured led back to the world heavy
weight championship, probably has
fought his last battle.
No definite word had come from
Dempsey today concerning his de-
cis;on to retire. but his intimate
friends expect him to make known
his decision very shortly. His friends
believe the lure of the ring no longer
has any appeal for him. now that he
has failed in his quest of regaining
the title from Gene Tunney, his con-
queror of a year ago.
Dempsey. in two fights within the
last two months. has earned nearly
$500 900 to add to his ring fortune
made in his stirring battles with
Mske. Carpenter. Firpot Gibbons,
Brennan and his first battle with Tun-
ney Dempsey got $4,000 for knock
ing out Jack Sharkey in the Yankee
Stadium last July. He was enriched to
the extent of $3.50. 900 for his 10-round
battle with Tunney last night.
Has Earned Big Sum.
As challenger for the world heavy
weight championship. Dempsey earn
ed S767 900 in two battles. bigger
sum than he had ever received in any
previous year, of his amazing ring
career.
Dempsey had no further comment
TO make today concerning the long
count" given Tunney when he fioored
the champion in that thrilling seventh
round with a left hook to the jaw.
He said that was one of the breaks
If the game, and Tunney got the
breaks-that was all. Dempsey
never has been a ''sQuawker. Last
night was no exception. He accepted
the decision with a smile. refusing
to add anything that might detract
from Tunney's victory.
Leo r. Flynn. Dempsey's manager.
however, made the accusation that
Dempsey was robbed. that Tunney
had been knocked out and that he
intended to appeal to the Illinois State
Athletic Commission to have the de
cision reversed. Flynn declared that
the timekeeper gave Tunney 10 sec
onds in which to get back to his feet.
and that besides this "knockout" of
Tunney, Dempsey won = of the 10
rounds.
Is Seconds, Says Flynn.
Flynn insists that three stop
watches timed the period of Tunn.y' s
knockdown as Is seconds. Ring OBJ
servers pointed out that Dempsey
himself inspired the ring regulation,
which. had he remembered it in time.
might have restored him 10 the
worlds heavyweight championship.
The rule requiring a boxer scoring
a knockdown to retire to the farthest
corner of the ring was made a ring
regulate when, after his match with
Luis F'irpo, there was complaint be.
cause Dempsey hit the Argentine
after Firpo was struggling to his feet
after knockdown.
In order to eliminate all future pos
sibility of question on the point, in
similar situation. Dempsey pro-
posed the very rule which had such
an important bearing on last snight' q
battle. Instead of going to the far
thest corner. Dempsey stood over the
fallen Tunney, then suddenly needed
Evening star., 1927-09-23
FOURTH ROUND.

Dempsey took the offensive but Tun-
ney's right cracked on his chin. Genes
left found the same mark.
While Dempsey raped two lefts To
the body Gene complained the blows
were foul and fought Jack desperate.
ly as they fell against the ropes.
Gene missed with a right and took
another left to the body.
Jack was leading again now. short
left to the body. while Tunney count
ed just as lightly to the head. Tunney
trying to nail Jack coming in. missed
with both hands. but saved himself
by falling into clinch.
Two right smashes to the chin
stung Dempsey. Gene lifted two mora
left hooks to the head and nailed
Dempsey on the ropes.
A right sent Dempsey reeling into
the corner. A left hook nearly hoored
him.
AS Dempsey lay against the ropes.
stunned. Tunney missed with both
hands and the bell killed his oppor.
tunity :
Evening star., 1927-09-23
FIFTH ROUND

Dempsey's handlers worked furious.
ly on him during the intermission
while Tunney's handlers yelled that
the stimulants were unfair. Tunney
missed right and they fell into a
clinch.
Jack fell in close pounding to the
body. when Tunney over-anxious,
missed again. Jack backed away now,
falling into the ropes. as Tunney took
to the attack.
When Jack tied him up they
spared out to the center of the ring
Dempsey bobbed out of three left
jabs.
Dempsey sent Tunney's head back
with a stiff straight left
A right high on the temple shook
Dempsey badly. The champion backed
away, however. content to jab and
wait
In another clinch. Jack raped again
on the hack of Tunney's neck. Gene
dug two nice lefts into Dempsey s
body at the bell
Evening star., 1927-09-23

Don't worry about me, I'm al
right Gene said. So gave him the
smelling salts.
Then l asked him again: How dc
YOU feel. Gene, and again he an
swered, Don't worry about me
Jimmy. Tn all right SO that time ]
gave him little hell. some more
smelling salts and some more hell
and sent him out there to answer the
bell for the eighth. | really made
him mad enough to chase Dempsey
around, but l didn't know it.
Tunney was unable to shake hands
with his guests due to pain and swell.
ing caused by too tight application of
the tape used to bind his fighting
bandages. Not a mark showed on his
face rs he chatted with Mayor VIII
liam Hale Thompson of Chicago and
dozens of notables who held i'm
promptu court in the Tunney suite.
Tie conqueror of Jack Dempsey
twice within a few days over a year
had nothing but praise for the former
champion today when the heat of the
open letter" controversy had died
and talk Of fouls, poor sportsmanship
and long counts subsidized.
Thinks Dempsey Through.
I'm afraid he's through. now"
Gene said bit regretfully. Now
that his dream of regaining the title
has faded l doubt if he ever will fight
again. He has been a grand warrior.
one of the greatest in the history of
the ring. and the gamest foeman l
ever faced.
I'D like another shot at him Just
TO prove that | could go out there
and slug with him, toe-to.toe, and
whip hin, at his own game. l did it
i'm ths final rounds. I could do it
again"
But the man who welded the smell
ing salts and doled out the help
when necessary shook his head. Ap-
parently memories of the heart wrench
that took every member of the Tunne Y
entourage when Gene suddenly hit the
floor was too real and recent for COM
fort.
Tunney will spend the next few
days with friends in Cleveland before
returning TO New York He plans to
leave tonight after sleeping most of
the day. Within week or two Gene
will hike for the Maine woods for a
vacation of indefinite length. He has
no ring plans, sees no worthy oppo.
nent in sight, but would prefer to
fight twice in the coming year. il
only to keep in. the best of condition.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
FANS IN ARCTIC REGION
TUNE IN ON BIG SCRAP

VANCOUVER. British Columbia.
September % R.-Fans in the Far
Northern sections of Canada, aided by
telegraph and radio. sat in" on the
Tunney-Dempsey fight.
In the Arctic Ocean region the Gov.
ernment wireless station at Herschel
Island, at the mouth of the Mackenzie
River, was able to pick up the story
of the fight. AT Cambridge Bay, 1000
miles east Of Herschel, the Hudson
Bay Co. motor ship Baymaud, in Win.
ter quarters. with only wireless op.
orator and a carpenter on board. lis.
tened in.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
SEVENTH ROUND.

Dempsey's handlers pleaded with
him to keep his chin down, as he
came out bobbing. Weaving under
Tunney's right, Jack slapped a soft
right TO the ribs.
A volley of right and left hooks to
the head fioored Tunney for the count
of nine.
Dempsey was on as wildcat as
Gene pedaled backward around the
ring. Dempsey was in close with a
smashing body attack
Tunney only could jump and floun
der backward. Dempsey rushed him
at the ropes and smashed d left and
right to the body Gene came back
weakly. jabbing a left to the head
Dempsey laughed and urged Gene
to come in and fight. Losing his tenn.
per. Jack smashed Tunney with left
and right swing to the head.
Evening star., 1927-09-23

Ia warning to go into his own corner
He stood there waiting for Tunney to
rise when Referee Dave Barry
ordered him to the farthest corner
before starting the count.
Delay Helped Gene.
George Lytton, one of the judges
made the surprising statement to
day that Dempsey's delay of three
seconds in getting back to his own
corner after flooring Tunney really
cost him the championship.
Two legs, rather than two fists
coupled with muddled BRAIN eally
kept Dempsey from the title. Two
months ago he knocked out Jack
Sharkey by taking advantage of the
Boston Lithuanian's carelessness in
dropping his hands while making a
protest of foul to the referee.
Dempsey won that fight by hair.
trigger thinking. He lost last night
by becoming muddled in an emer
gency.
The critics were unanimous today
that Dempsey while an improved
fighter over his match with Sharkey
and also over his first contest with
Tunney. no longer Is the amazing
fighting machine he was when he
fought F'irpo.
The old fighting heart is still there
He still packs dynamite in either fist
but they say he lacks co-ordina tior
and speed in the legs He appeared
to be too slow to catch the retreatine
Tunney after the champion had danced
away from the peril Of a knockout
Dempsey Is Befuddled.
Dempsey appeared to he befudlled
not knowing exactly what to do. Il
he had faced similar situation at thc
height of his career. the critics say
he would never have allowed Tunnes
| to escape. Once during that ferocious
seventh round Dempsey's face twiste,
into the snarl of wild beast. after
he had begged Tunney to fight instead
of run, and he flew at him like the
Dempsey of old, But it was only q
l0-second squirt.
The former worlds heavyweight
champion displayed no marks of the
/ battle today. with the exception of the
two wounds over his left eve. The
biggest wound, diamond shaped cash
was just at the edge of the eyebrow
while the second was a cash an inch
long at the end of the eyebrow
Both were old scars caused in previous
battles.
Dempsey had them treated immedi
ately after the fight. to lessen the pos
sibility of Infection.
| Instead of jubilation, with a Grove
of admirers at his quarters in tht
Hotel Morrison. Dempsey's frs
| thoughts after leaving the ring were
| for his beautiful actress wife, Estellt
! Taylor.
| He did not go to his hotel. Instead
| he hurried Immediately to the Edge
water Beach Hotel. with Manager
Flynn and the latter's wife, to jor
Mrs. Dempsey. He did not seem down
hearted as the car sped along the
North Shore boulevard. but his anx
iety to draw his wife into his arm.
was apparent.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
SECOND ROUND.

Dempsey was fighting cautiously.
apparently seeking to evade the dis
astrous first round, such as met him
at Philadelphia last Fall, They came
out boxing again and Gene shot lett
and right to the chin.
They were dancing. boxing high.
Gene dropped an overland right on
Dempsey's chin after chasing him to
n corner.
Another right missed and Dempsey
smashed left to the body and thre"
lefts to the chin before Tunney could
tie him up.
Hands high. Jack lodged away
from a right Three was little action
as they SPARED carefully in the cen
ter.
Tunney's left was short. but Dem.
sey merely fell into a clinch. Gene
missed two more lefts. while Jack
clipped two short left hooks to the
body as Dempsey lunged low. Tun.
ney missed again, but managed tn
catch himself and fleck two soft lefts
to Jacks face as the rounde ended.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
SHlBE PARK GALL WET"
AS PLAY TWO TOMORROW

PHILADELPHIA. September 2s
R).-Today's scheduled game between
the Philadelphia and Cleveland Amer.
lean League clubs was postponed until
tomorrow when a double.header will
be played
A broken water pipe In Shibe Park
the game. $3.50 s.'-.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
MANY EX-TITLE HOLDERS
WITNESS HECTIC BOUT

CHICAGO. September 23.-A great
gathering Of former champions and
near-champions of all sizes was pres
ent at the fight.
Among the ring notables who wit
messed the bout were Jim Jefferies.
Jim Corbett. Jack Johnson. Benny
Leonard. Johnny Kilbane. Battling
Nelson, Jack Sharkey darge and smalD.
Willie Ritchie. Johnny Coulan. Packy
Mcfarland. Tom Sharkey, Johnny
DunAee and Pauline.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
FIRST ROUND.

Dempsey missed left lunSe. fa!'
ing INTO a clinch Jack piled in again
with two left hooks tn the ribs.
In the clinch that followed he
clipped Gene four times with right
on The back Of the head. They
spared cautiously Dempsey prefer.
ring to feint for openings, while Tun
ney laid back. Gene snapped l'tt
to Dempsey's chin and followed WITH
4 solid right smash to the chin.
Jack fell into a clnch. taking an.
other right to the head as he came in
Jack dropped left on Tunney's body.
Jack backed away while the champion
followed him across the ring with a
volley of left and right hooks to the
head close to the ropes. Gene missed
an overland right as the bell sounded
Evening star., 1927-09-23
SIXTH ROUND.

They boxed carefully several Sec
onds. before coming together for A
furry of body punches. The crowd
beloved as Dempsey's right hand,
"old iron Mike" smashed under Tuh.
ney's heart.
But the champion came back. rip.
ping both hands to the chin.
Dempsey tiring, fell into a clinch
after the blows. Bobbing in through
stiff left, Jack turned the champion
half way around with a right hook to
tine head.
Tunney came back strong But two
more left hooks and straight right
stung the champion.
Missing a long left. Jack took a
right under the heart as they fell
again into clinch
Evening star., 1927-09-23
THIRD ROUND.

Again they boxed carefully. slowly
in the center of the ring. Dempsey
apparently was trying tn tantalize
Tunney into leading and making an
open fight of it.
Tunney snesked over pretty left
lab. but took a half dozen raps on the
hack of the neck. Gene took the Of
fensive. driving Dempsey into the
ropes. where Jack tied him tight.
As they bobbed in the center Tun-
ney led, and fell into Dempsey s
straight right smash TO the BODY,
Gene held. while Jack clouted both
hands to the midsection
A right smash TO the heart drove
Tunney back. AS they fiddled abnu.
Dempsey wove in close again to cuff
the back of Tunney's head with his
right and dig his left twice to the
cha m MONS ribs
Evening star., 1927-09-23
B. & 0. TEAMS TO PLAY.

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad teams of
Baltimore and Brunswick, Md. will
clash tomorrow afternoon at O'Clock
on the Terminal r. r. Y. NJ. G. A.
diamond here in one of the series of
games to determine the system cham
DiOnShin. -
Evening star., 1927-09-23

- HICAGO. September % HD.-
Let this be the Odyssey of the
S5-seats: of the homo Sapiens
~ who sat therein: and of the
fight they saW-if any.
The So seats--the cheapest and
most remote in the crater that is Sol
lier Field---Were really not as black as
they were painted They were blacker.
said some of the spectators. The men
who sat in them. and the women, be-
have like martyrs during the first
4iy-round preliminary. began directing
barbed remarks at the policemen and
ushers during the second. became un-
tractable after the third. and finally.
like a flood. burst through the blue
coated levees and swirled down the
aisles and over the planked seats into
the SO. $50 and. in a few cases, the
ringside reservations.
Late i'm Learning Result.
Two-thlrds of those, who remained
in these rim.side seats, three city
blocks from the ring itself. actually
did not learn who won the fight until
sometime afterWard. This was due
partly to their great distance from the
white.lighted ring. partly to the twist
ing thousands that screened their
view. and partly to the confusion that
seemed to exist in the ring itself.
| The referees count over Tunney
in the seventh round seemed uncon-
| sciously long to the far-from-the ring
| sidcrs, but as one of them explained,
! light only travels dS0 900 miles Sec
! ond
Those who came late and had the
! temerity to seek their exact location
| in the five dollar sections were greet
ed by outlaws from nearby fans and
even from the police and the ushers
! themselves. for there had been much
! nuog:ng forward, a row at a time, by
/ those way back, so that the best of
! the cheap seats were occupied as soon
| as the first preliminary was on.
! Nearly everyone, rs per cent, at any
! rate. carried some kind of glasses
telescopes, field glasses or the little
lenses that sold for quarter.
| To these fiv-dollar folk without
| optical aid the ring was a dot of light
! on which. marionettes moved. swung
! their arms or rushed at each other,
| for all the world like figures in a
| fantastic dream. The actors were
| in that dusk between consciousness
and unconsciousness-un eer:e-
and somewhat absurd.
| The blows with which Demp-
sey dropped Tunney in the seventh
were as obscure to the cave dwellers
on the S. planks as they were to
jehus nodding over their wheels in
taxis waiting outside. All that
could be seen were two toy pugilists,
one in white trunks. the other in red.
knotted together in a corner until
the legs of one of them seemed to
melt, dropping a champion onto the
canvas floor.
| Smoke Creates Fog.
! The smoke from tens of thousan nds
of cigarettes, cigars, pipes and from
Evening star., 1927-09-23

The average age Of the heavy
weight champions of the world at the
time. they lost their titles was SO
years.
Evening star., 1927-09-23
ns He Was in o Water Dempsey Probably Through With Ring
THE FIGHT BY ROUNDS

Gene, badly dazed. grabbed Dempsey
with both hands and still was holding
on fiercely at the bell.