Imperial Valley press., 1927-09-19
CRY OF "CRUDCE
FIGHT" STARTED
OVER TITLE BOUT
Dempsey-Tunney Letters
Expected to Create a
Demand for Seats.
BY G. c. NICOLET
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent


CHICAGO, Sept. 19.-The good
old cry of "grudge fight" arose to-
day over the heavyweight champion
ship fistic engagement sche duled for
next Thursday night.
Certain Dempsey-Tunnev corresp-
ondence-.curiously reminiscent in
lis way of the Willy-Nickv cores
pondence which created a furore in
connection with another fight of
some prominence in 1914-was pub
lished in morning newspapers to-
day.
is first result was TO make
hopeful public believe that after all
Jack and Gene might be as inter
ested in knocking each other cold,
rs in the $i50,000 and $1,0S0,0Oo
purses respectively which they will
receive for their public services.
The letters came at an opportune
moment when many fight fans were
complaining loudly of the too gentle
manly air of craftsmanship which
seemed TO be surrounding the title
dispute and when Tex Richard 5
tickets were reported TO be selling
less speedily than he had expected.
The expensive seats were sold out
weeks ago, according to official an
nouncemcnt, but it was admitted the
-, so and $50 seats were not in
great demand.
Tunney's Reply "Hjgh Hat
Tunney's reply clearly was as
high hat in intent as the cham
pion has been charged with being
otherwise, though il WAS somewhat
less dignified than is customary
when members of the 400 set out to
/ squelch the lower orders.
1t referred to Dempscy's letter as
'trash - and GA. very cheap appeal
fer public sympathy.'
The letters seemed to convey the
idea that Jack Dempsey and Gene
/ Tunney ached for a chance to beat
each other up.
Dempsey S letter linked the names
of Tunney, Abe Attell, notorious
gambler, and Max " Boo Boo Hoff.
1t suggested something mysterious
might have occurred to explain why
Il flood of Tunney money appeared
in Philadelphia just before the
fight there last September and Just
after Tunncy, Hoff and Billy Glib
son, Tunney 5 manager, chad one
"a those conference things.
! 81 was told, > it continued,
that somebody with some sort or
political power--or power in box
! ing affairs-in Philadelphia, was
going to see to it that the referee
and one of the judges would be in
there to assist you; that if we were
both on our feet at the end of the
tenth, I'd lose the decision.
Letter Explains Shift
{ The letter FASTENED to explain
! that a last minute shift in referees
had put Tommy Reilly in as the
tuird man.
Il never fought with a man in
the ring who was better or cleaner
than Reilly the letter said. You
! CTunney) whipped me fairly and
sIuarely that night. I'll give You
credit for giving me the worst beat
ING ANYBODY ever handed me in
ny life time. But since then we
wondered what would have happened
that night if | had dccisivclv out
pointed you and if the referee that
| heard named as the official for
/ the fight had been in there. "
J Tunnoy 5 reply was:
"My Dear Dempsey:
- Your so called open letter to me
was brought to my attention. While
my reaction is to ignore it and its
evident trash completely, vet can
not resist saying that consider it
Il very cheap appeal for public sym
pathy. Do You think this sportsman
hkc!'
(Signcd "Gcnc Tunncy.'
! "P. ST. might add that | wrote
this letter myself