The Washington times., 1928-12-20
IlIJEERB(QJT
DESCRIBED
BY JACK
BY Jack Dempsey
Former Heavyweight Champion Of
thu World

Z 3
thn World
When / lit in Tonopah, New,
via a leap from a moving
train, Jack Gilfeather, my
manager, and Jake Goodfriend,
the fight promoter, came@to q
halt alongside me.
Goodfriend took a good look at me,
/ seemed bigger to him than when
was sitting in the train.
II guess you're Dempsey, All
right he finally agreed.
"Sure he is--iust like I've been
telling yOu, spoke Gilfeather.
.'And now that you got us to hop
off that train, whi. do You want
pf us here? The fight ain't to be
here, it's in GCidfield.'
..Now YOU two listen to me-" de-
nlanded Goodfriend. Il got you OF
the train so that Dempsey could put
on an exhibition here right now.
i've got the crowd waiting. This
gang win see you,' pointing to me,
"arid then il you show you can fight
they'll 90 to Goldfield to see you
against Sudenberg. You've got to
put on the exhibition to help me get
a crowd down to Goldfield.
/ wasn't In favor of any exhibition
idea. / had had no sleep all night,
my muscles were aching and tired
from terrible train ride and | was
weak from hunger. But Goodfriend,
pointing to crowd already parked
around pavilion. wanted me to go
on right away" If / refused !
knew he might call off the fight in
Goldfield, thus easing me out OF q
500 purse and leaving Gilfeather
and myself perhaps stranded IN
Tonopah.
"Ail right" / said and was
pushed into a place they called
dressing room. Coming out, ready
for ring action. found that
the exhibition was TO be with a
negro heavyweight called Slick
Merrill, or something like that,
powerful looking, but short and
squatty kid.
Somebody called time" and
out we went for exhibition"
purposes. But knew Slick"
wasn't i'm there with the hope OF
exhibiting anything but a knock
out waIIOp. If he could push
me over he could get the SUDDEN
berg fight.
Nor was II there to exhibit" /
was tired and muscle sore.
wanted to get something to eat and
figured that the sooner ] could
polish off Slick the sooner
could get acquainted with some
food--at Goodfriend's expense.
Slick and / got close up ana
then we both let go with a hay
maker. We both missed. The vio-
lence of our swings hurled as
against each other. At the mo-
ment of impact my mouth was open.
The shorter "Slick" rammed his
forehead against my teeth and rat
tied me from top to bottom.
But something happened to
Slick" too. My teeth hit "Slick's"
forehead. and the result was that
they ripped long cash in the skin.
AS we stepped away "Slick" felt
the blood trickling down into his
eyes. He remembered the concus-
sion, but didn't know it was my
teeth that hit him and ripped him.
He thought it was my haymaker. So
as | stepped toward Slick" he
grabbed fast bicycle and started
around the ring. with me giving
chase.
BY that time. the stream of blood
was binding Slick" He lost all
desire to do any more exhibiting.
He ran and ran screaming, cit dat
boy offa me-git him off befo' 1'se
killed."
That ended the exhibition.
jumped into my clothes and
hunted up GiIfeather. He was
talking to Goodfriend. I hoped it
was about a little matter like food.
was sure about it when Goodfriend
hurried to me and exclaimed.
"I've got great treat in store
for you"
Before I could say thanks and
ask him to lead me to the very
nearest restaurant, he added:
"I'm taking you aud your
manager to Goldfield in an au-
tOmObiIe-get that--a SWELL
AUTOMOBILE. And we start
right away. Here Is the car"
So 1t was. It rolled. Goodfriend
pushed Gil and me into 1t, climbed
in after us and then we rode 10
miles over a Nevada desert to Gold
field--the hottest. dustiest. tnirstiest
and most awful ride I've ever taken
IN my lifetime.
EN@lI u Lot