The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-05-26
/ ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK. May 26.-Is man
IN within his legal rights in
punching another mans noodle OH
If he pays for the privilege? Mr..
Rocky Stone, an eccentric prize
fighter. has petitioned a tribunal
Of Justice in Boston to award him
the sum of 100000 for the loss OF
a glim or eye allegedly incurred in
the course of his daily beatings at
the hands of Mr.. Jack Sharkey, an
other eccentric prize fighter. On
a number of occasions Mr.. Stone
served as what is formally known
as the sparring partner in Mr..
Sharkey's training camps. Tor winch
services he was paid at the rate OF
s25 per day.
Nv the terms Of the agreement Mr.. stone
was 70 appear In the ring at appointed
intervals 10 function In the capacity OF
human guinea pig upon which Mr. SharkeY'
the ring scientist. performed various teats
Of viviseetfon designed to heiEhten MS
surgical deftness.
There Is no suggestion that Mr.. Stone
surrendered his anatomy to these clinical
exploits under duress or that ne "ss
ca yoIed or trieked into the acceptance OF
his daily wage therefor. On the contrary
the evidence indicates Mr.. Stone looked
upon the work with high favor.
I recall watching Mr.. Stone in one Oh
his sacrificiai performance man s., enc ne
seemed TO derive from clout on ne
whiskers and belt under the heart he
Forrsrd and inviting Mr. sharkey. to take
free swing at IT. an inyltation Wnic, a Hat,
sharkey. being Rraciously obliging' never
failed to accept.
TTPO- being hit by a whistling
L punch Mr.. Stone would stumble
into a clinch. smile out at the loaterS
who gather in the city gymnasiums
to watch such things and humble
through cracked lips, this guy
thinks he can hurt mel" obviously
the Joke was on Mr.. Sharkey.
suppose there should be nothing ou'
svmpathy for the professional sparrink
mariner. In many cases he Is patne'c
example Of medIocrity trying to exc OUT
meal money at the depths OF the only
trade be has ever learned. In sim o'nerS
he is an old timer, his skill ana stamina
spent reluctant TO leave the game Oe
hans destitute. moving around on p@,''e"
1.rs before a yougnster who couldn't nave
carried the water bucket for MIN "nen NC
vas a big shot at the garden
n
cnre in a while of course sparIlng
these daily pOunQlDRS dtlo
comes on 70 greatness Of his own; JeniIe S
was a hired hand in Jim Coroe| CAM anD
,,ne1tirs davs we're over to become a
iourreyman heavyweight ana Z On. Cna hs1 In
kid Mccoy was human punG;n D wsek
R9 y,ll,l' then the weiterweiRht champion. ha9
no use for McCov. who was oVeIoesa n, ~
tSo eIest mans estate. Ryan took
sadistic delight in cutting him up.
1.-TWO or three years later MCCOY
had his revenge. Feigning Ill
ness and Stimulating a rasping
coueht he lured Ryan, fat and I'M
trained. into what was to have oeen
a fake. and after subjecting him to
a cruel savage beating, knocked
him out
Few fighters are humane in their train
inr work. Dempsey was a desperate. DC
got the best men he could. paid them Wel'
and they took the consequences. He didn't
want anybody around who could not stand
mn under severe punishment. have seen
him knock weIterweights cold with punch
and register annoyance over the delay IN
getting a new victim ready.
Training for the first Tunney fgnt
Dempsey persuaded Tommy LouRhLan 70
come over from Philadelphia TO work with
him. The FIRST day Loughran worked ne
oatsmesine him That night in his cot
tage ne would speak to no one, ne Mss
worried about his condition. but ne was
more disturbed because he had aloWeo
sparring partner to outslug MIN.
TIME next day was Sunday.
i Dempsey could scarcely wait
until he got into the ring with
Loughran. Again he was outboXed,
but along about the middle of :
first round he ripped left to Vile
heart and a right to the head that
stifened the Philadelphia all over.
After that he was himself again. and
that night he asked two newspaper men
how thew we're doping the nRht. Iney
both said they thought he would win;
Don't quote me but I think I'm cinch,
he said.
CI T01~o0