The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-19
Talking
IT OVER
WITH JOE WILLIAMS
New York, Oct. 10.

the beaten Cubs, a crowd Of repre-
sentative loafers 'gathered at the
terminal TO give him a roaring ova-
ton. Wilson professed to be greatly
surprised at all this yipping and
multiplying in his behalf, especial
" since ne had had the misfortune
TO lose two basballs in the glare of
a vicious Philadelphia sun, the net
result of which was the loss Of that
particular ball game and possibly
the world series.
The phenomenon Of the situation was
ness cbaTaeteristic Of the Leiperville VIII
sons he delivered himself Of the following
~ ssnf frure YOU fellows out. When
I'm going all right you ride me and when
I'm going terrible you cheer me- "hat 90
you want?"
ONE OF THESE DAYS WILSON WILL
LEARN THAT LIFE IS PRECISELY LIKE
THAT AND THAT THE MOB ALWAYS
FINDS IT EASIER TO BE MAUDLIN IN
IT'S s-STIMENT THAN KEEN IN ITS
APPRECI TON. I'M NOT AT ALL SURE
THAT THE SPORTS CUSTOMER DIFFERS
VITALITY IN HIS ODD EMOTIONAL RE-
ACTIONS FROM THE AVERAGE BIPED.
WHOSE INTERESTS RUN TO OTHER
AND sANER FIELDS. CERTAINLY THE
TENDENCY TO DISREGARD LEGTIl-
MATE VALUES AND ENSHRINE THE IN
DER DOG. REGARDLESS OF CIRCUM-
STANCES, IS NOT RESTRICTED TO ANY
ONE GROUP.
VXTHILE the analogy is not as
w fitting as I would like to make
. II. I am reminded that in the court
room the sentiment is Overwhelm-
ingIy in favor of the defendant, and
that this sentiment grows in pro-
portion to the outrageOUsness OF the
crime committed, or the shapeH-
ness of the dainty murdereSs'
ankles.
of hand don't believe Scarface al Ca
none would be looked uDon as a gente-
man who has contributed Importantly TO
the finer phases of civilization. vet when
he moved into Miami Beach wear ago
renOuncing his beer barony ana pineappIe
groves on the shores of Lake Michigan he
became a distinguished figure.
INSTEAD OF BEING VIEWED AS
MENACE TO THE PEACE AND MORALITY
IsaING IN THE HEART OF THE FINEST
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR OF THE BEACH.
WAS ESTEEMED BOTH AS A VIBRANT
STlhIULANT TO TRADE AND RESI-
DENT WITH A THROBBING SENSE OF
CIVIC DUTY. WHOSE CHECK FOR THE
COMMUNITY CHEST FUND WAS NEVER
LATE OR SKINNY.
XTOU heard that Capone was a
i very much misunderstood per-
son. That at heart he was just a
boy, and that to know him was to
love him. A great many people
seemed to deem it a conspicuous
glory to be invited to his mansion.
In spite of the fact thai a week
end at Os--niug promised similar
excitement on a bigger and more
varied scale.
OF course there is nothing new in the
disc 9Sure that the people who make IN
snort crowds are UNNECESSARILY tickle.
psychologist would have no difficulty II
telling Won why. Very rarely Is the stuff
durable timber. The difference between
the sibiIant hiss ard tho rousing honpla is
often marked by the frailest of circum-
stances.
FOR YEARS JACK DEMPSEY WAS THE
MOST UNPOPULAR FIGURE IN THE
FIGHT GAME. ONE NIGHT A CROWD m
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN BECAME so
DEMONsTRATIVE IN ITS ANTAGONIST
THAT TIE THEN HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD FOUND IT
ADVISABLE TO LEAVE THE PREMISES.
MUCH OF THIS HOSTILITY WAS DUE
TO A POPULAR BELIEF THAT HE
WOULD NOT DEFEND HIS CHAMPION
SHIP AGAINST HARRY WILLS. THE NE
GRO.
A FEW years later another fight
IA crowd in the Garden stood and
cheered the same Dempsey for ten
frantic minutes, rendering him an
grafton the like of which in point
of spirit and Spontaneity has been
accorded to few kings or conquerers
in history. Dempsey was no longer
the champion. He was the under
dog. Somehow this seemed to make
a difference.
once had a talk with Dempsey about
fsht crowds and what they meant to him.
Because he had not gone TO war popular
sentiment squarely against him at the
start. Even when he whipped the unin-
spring willard he was not accepted with
an enthusiastic acclaim.
IT think the first time a fight crowd
ever cheercd me- said Dempsey was the
night I fought FirpO. Up to then. every
time was introduced the sour notes
drowned out the scattered applause that
bit overcome bv the sensation of having
the crowd with me that night. At any
rate I know I went out resolved to put
Firpo away with punch If I could Just
TO show the crowd that I appreciated Its
support.
"TTHAT resolve almost cost me
L my championship. I discard
ed all caution and tore at Firpo
rather blindly. I missed with a
swinging left and as did he caught
me in close with a right that
knocked me dizzy, though it was not
observable to the ringsiders. A few
moments later he had knocked me
clear out of the ring"
With this experience still fresh in
memory Dempsey admits he isn't quite sure
even now whether a friendly reception is
as desirable TO a fighter as carload of
raKzberrieS.