The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-02-26

thing. It's caught up with all
NuLlivan's day to mine. hope
well, just remember it's not your
with the championship. And don
left Dempsey's foorn-a bit
akeptical about his views
n the years that Dempsey was
champion, ! paid close heed to his
career. and noticed all the trouble
he ran into ! used to think that
he could have avoided lot Of it
and I felt that IL / ever were in
HIS place, I'd certainly steer my
Z course so that should be clear.
ef troubles like Jack had.
But an awakening has come.
It's great to be 3 champion
apd II means much III the way
OE q certain citation and q GER
tain. happiness, and, ultimately,
IN financial returns. But pos.
session Of the title brings les
share Of grief and hurts and
pains, and often for no ex.
plicable reason.
All through my years i've tried
~ play the game Of life clearly
and honestly. I've never tried to
wrong any man and often I've
tried to help-and l have helped,
do not wear any halo ais the
result; i sprout no wings. But /
thought that the way I've done
things or tried to- DO thein--saf e.
guarded me somewhat from brick
bats and condemnation during my
championship days.
But / find / was wrong and that
Dempsey was right. AS the days
80 on have q greater understand.
Ing Of Jack Dempseys plight while
he WINS boxing king-and 3 greater
sympathy. For trouble has come
~ me in practically the same
measure that it was doled out
TO Dempsey much in the same
bewildering way.
l don't seem able to dodge it any.
more than the oceans surface can
dodge the sunlight. But / have the
solace Of knowing that what is my
portion of trouble is no greater
perhaps less-than was all the
others who ruled In the heavy
weight realms.
John Il. sullivan IL remem-
bered as an idol. Yet In the
days OF his greatness, many
termed him "a drunken bunn'';
many hOOted and jeered at him
that he was ''afFaid to fight
Peter jackson. /" And John Il.
wss involved in numerous at
fairs where lawyers were help
full in extricating him.
Jim Corbett has said that not
until he became champion did he
know there was such a thing as a
lawsuit In the worId-and that
afterward he didn't think there
was anything In the world but law.
suits-and men who sneered and
feviled him as a dude" and hated
him because he had beaten Sulli.
van.
F'itz had his troubles pro.
fusion Of them. After Jeffries had
retired. and was years past his
prime. the demand was made that
he fight Jack johnson. When he
refused on the grounds that he
couldn't do Justice to the white
race. he was called yellow and
coward" At last he yielded to
sentreaty, fought Johnson lost
and through the years since then
he has been abused for trying to
come back.
Fitz and Jeff and johnson had
their, share Of lawsuits. And
Jess Willard, too. The big fell
low from Kansas answered the
fiVe-Year cry OF restore the
title TO the white race. But
when he had done it, he was
just 3 "big bum" And after
jess came Dempsey with 10
troubles besetting through his
seven championship years.
I've been champion only q matter
of five months, yet in that brief
sweep Of time, I've been sued so
much by so many people. and been
entAngled in so many legal snarls
that nowadays, when anybody raps
on the door of my room. get up
close and ask:
F'riena-or process serveP?"
I've learned that when u fellow
IL q worlds champion heavyweight
champion. it Is not necessary for
him to ''pull" a shrewd deal. or do
anything really wrong to bring
trouble to himself. Trouble galIops
right along into his life anyway.
The mere fact that a man Is q
champion, seems to be excuse
enough for some people to get the
idea that he ought to be sued or
enjoined or something, whether
there IL any basis for the action Or
not.
When those first suits were
fired ct unexpectedly all Of
them without any basis Of merit
~ confess that It fretted ms
and Il hurt 20 find Ii head
lined "Gene Tuuny Defendant
IN Another Suit But now it's
different. ] let sort Of lone
some and feel that I'm neg
lected when q new day dawna
and nobody has sued me.
Uutil I became champion 1 WASH .
sure as 70 what sort Of profession
I'd adopt when my fighting days
are done But since I've been
champion, I've cultivated q very
clear and definite idea. TN be 4
lawyer and when l get my office
opened, I'll have printed on big
ahingle:
GENE TUNNEY,
OT AWVED