New Britain herald., 1929-01-12

would be evasive at times, he would
 refuse to answer you and when
 caught in . pinch he might hold
 you to a confidence with almost .
 daring faith that you would shoot
 as square with him as he had shot
 with you.
 He was amazingly frank. I know
 of reporters who have gone around in New York for days with first page
 stories in their pockets because
 Rickard had told them that it was confidential until he gave the word. It was his shrewd way of putting the stiller on a story. And I know of one or two reporters who could print some astounding things now that Rickard had told them about politicians and the like. He told those reporters then they could use their own judgment about printing them. They weren't printed and We believe that they will not be printed now even in the fever to publish everything that anyone knows about the mans life.
 Along with his frankness, his wealth of news and his established reputation for veracity was his most obliging way of being affable, genial and accessible at any hour of the day or night I am sure it was all natural with him and I never have met a big man who was so consistently agreeable day after day over the course of the last 10 years as Tex Rickard was. If he didn't have a story for you he would go to any reasonable lengths to stand for one and the lengths were usually left to the reporter who had some kind of a tough assignment from the desk.
 He would always answer the phone in his office and he would leave word where he could be found when he wasn't in. He didn't have his home number in the phone book. Most big men don't and most big men refused to give their number to 1 any newspaper source. Rickard | would give his to any reporter and | he would never answer with a srouch when he was pulled out of | oed.
 One afternoon in his office he told | he boys that his home number had | been changed. He mentioned the | new number and added - If you ! lon't have to, don't be calling me at l hree in the morning and askin' me l been killed in an auto smash lp."
 Rickard had full realization of ! he value of publicity, but I always | bought that he didn't know the real | lews value of information he had 1 He would sit down at his desk at | imes and knock you off 2ur chair with story that he considered to be 'asual. Maybe it was an act but he lever was an actor. His own publici- v department never got any hot tories from him. The hot stories ust fell out bit by bit when he was alking. Maybe it was an act. He vas an amazing man.
 He knew the mechanics Of news, however. He certainly did. One .fternoon he said to me in his office:
 Wish there'd be some kind of umor come out of Chicago that I vas going to put on a show out here. Kinda like to see what the ellers out there would say about it."
 That wouldn't be very definite. t wouldn't cause any comment if 'ou didn't say what 1t was," l said.
 Well. can do that" he went on usually. ''If you can, you write the tory that I'm going to put Dempsey nd Tunney in there on September ? in that big stadium they got out here"
 Good Lord. are you going to do hat?" I asked. almost reaching for he phone.
 "Yeh. but whoa there. young eller. I said that was to come out f Chicago and l ain't to be quoted. you can use 1t yourself without ettin' me into it, you can use it. 'ut don't quote me-"
 This was a month before the an- ouncement was made and he lived D to the facts when he made the fficial announcement.
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