Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17

o.
ctusiUely for The Star and the North
American Newspaper Alliance. FOL
towing IS the thirty-ffth and final
chapter.
BY TEX RICHARD.
I'm Collaboration with Bozeman Bulger.)
EFORE the Tunney- Dempsey bout
- at Chicago Tunney already had
agreed to fight his next fight for
- me. After returning East we
went over the details of the new
contract at the home of Bernard F.
Gimbel, Tunney's friend and adviser;
with his lawyer. George w. Whiteside,
and my lawyer, William v. SAKE.
Tunney insisted upon virtually the
same agreement we had made for the
Chicago fight. I hesitated over the
guarantee, as this bout would be held
IN New York, where a heavyweight
championship was no novelty and where
neither base ball park would accom-
'modate as many spectators as the Chi
cage arena. Finally, however, 1 agreed
TO the same terms as before a $525, 900
guarantee with the privilege of a per-
centage. had to have Tunney. He
was the champion.
II had known then what / knew
later / never would have consented to
such an obligation. Before the next
championship fight was held Dempsey
had retired and the Federal tax had
been increased to rs per cent. Tunney
wanted to fight twice, once in .J0ne
and once in September. I. on the other
hand, wished to hold an elimination
tournament, match the winner with
Dempsey and then match the ultimate
winner with Tunney. In that manner
was sure to get out with a big profit.
Tunney rebelled at this idea, chiefly
from financial standpoint He knew
that he would draw more with Dempsey
than with any other opponent, and he
neither wanted to take a chance on
any one beating Dempsey, nor to stand
6y and see Dempsey collect for two
nights while he collected for one.
Dempsey Wanted Chance.
But knew that a heavyweight cham
plonship differed from any other bout.
IL Is big show which draws spectators
from all corners of the land. It takes
q lot OF working UP, and you cannot
nolo Two OF them in year. That is
more than the traffic will stand In these
Gays or tremendous overhead. / de-
termlned to go ahead with my elin1ina-
tions and argue the matter later.
dempsey was eager for another shot
at MS old title, and the reception he
got from the crowd at the Heeney-
Maloney bout In October was ample
demonstration of his continued popu-
iarlty and drawing power. Then came
the first blow. Dempsey grew con-
cerned about his eyes and decided to
retire. could only hope that ne would
change his mind.
In March, Tunney and I were both
IN Miami Beach, Fla There we nlayed
and talked golf rather than fight. But
the New York Boxing Commission was
getting impatient, and was even
threatening Ttinney with suspension
unless an opponent was named. Both
Iunney and had believed that Dempsey
would get TO feeling fine on the Coast
and reconsider his determination to re-
TIRE. but he remained firm. The elini-
nation contests proved disappointing
but 1t got to the point where Sometime
had to be done.
March 10. Tlnney and , with Walter
Trumbull present as a friend of both
met IN Tunney's rooms In the Roney
rla2a. Since Dempsey's elimination
there was no question of two bouts. It
remained only TO settle upon one OPP
ponent and the date. The possible op-
ponents seemed to be Heeney, Sharkey.
Rlsko and Delaney. This was previous
to the Sharkey-D Delaney bout.
Tunney was willing to box any OF
tnem. The only question was which
would draw best. With q short dis
cussion, but no argument, we SeLued on
heeney. AT the time he looked the