Evening star., 1932-08-14

w-a VERY teacher wants to have at least one
pupil who'll be great, and every prize
- fight manager wants at least one cham
pion of the world. Look at Tom
O'Rourke and George Dixon, or Sam
Harris and Terry McGovern, or Danny
Morgan and Knockout Brown. Brown was a
champion. Don't ever think he wasn't. he
licked Wolgast twice grandpop will tell you.
Also there was Doc Cunningham and Tommy
Malone.
DOCS never had a champion Perhaps he
doesn't rate one. Docs reputation is none too
sweet He's been in lot of build-ups and
lot of frames.
His BOYS fight as he tells them, and lot OF
promoters will tell you Docs in the game strict
ly for what's in it. He works Few other
rackets, too ward politics and protection and
so on A tough old turkey, Doc Cunningham
is and don't try to make any hero out OF nlm.
He picks his fighters out Of the fringe OF the
underworld; they drift back to it again wnen
he's through with them. He's ruined many
good truck driver, left him goofy and punch
drunk, and down and out; he's killed many
good boy by bad match, LEFT him In there,
taking it, instead of throwing in towel
He's got the heart of lion himself, for all
that: he's been in many a tough spot, and the
man doesn't live who can say he ever made DOC
show yellow. Tough, yes; crooked, yes; Ient'
yes, but he's no coward.
IA h/ELL, Doc Cunningham took Tommy Ma
w lone off truck, but not off his own
truck Tom was doing a little desultory low
grade hijacking when Doc got ahold of him,
and made him contender for the title.
Made him? Yes. This Malone didn't have
the brains of baboon.
He could fight, all right. He was cruel he
was dirty, he knew neither pity nor fear. He
liked to fight he liked to hurt, he liked the
sight of blood
At his best. he could have taken the cham
pion down the cellar and left him for dead
there But the rules handicapped him a little.
He was one Of the few fighters that Doc ever
troubled to nurse along. He fused over Tommy,
he was careful about his matches, and he made
him train.
What a sweet job that was! Tom Malone was
always thirsty, and he had 20 or 80 sweet
hearts to whom he was brutal and untrue.
However Tommy was generous with his
money or, perhaps he had no sense about 1t.
few drinks, and he'd begin to spend what
ever he had, or to give 1t away; he'd spend,
he'd throw his money away, he'd give 1t to his
sweethearts together with his curses and his
blows.
Eariy in his career he turned in one bum
fight for Doc. 1t was over in the Cambria; ne
was fighting pretty good boy Honey Simpson,
one Of those Kensington boys who fights Few
times on Saturday nights, and then gets mar
ried and goes back to work in the mills
They've got more good fighters in Philie tnan
there were in the 10th Legion.
Before that bout Tommy was low and hstless
Something seemed to be on his mind. Doc
finally got it out of him. Tommy's brother
was in jam. He needed plenty Of jack, about
$4,000 Two grand would spring him, Tommy
said
Doc Cunningham wouldn't have given 81 600
to see julius Caesar fight Napoleon. 1t was
always difficult to get Doc to part with any real
money. Also, at this time, Tommy was no
topnotcher Two hundred was a lot for any
promoter to offer for him.
However though it broke his heart, Doc
did give Tommy sum of money-$50O, as he
afterwards clamed-and sent him out to see MS
brother. Doc instructed Tommy that he should
come back and report progress; Doc was some
thing of a fxer himself.
nut went Tommy with Docs money, but he
~ didn't get far He must have met some
body. He never shaved till 10 o'clock the next
morning and wherever it was he'd been, he
couldn't have been visiting jail. He had
hangdog look and hang -over, and he dropped
the subject of his brothers woes with some
f1nality.
That was with Doc. Larry Malone,
alias. alias, ! profession soup man. he
blew up safes had record that stretched
through miles police blotters Doc didn't
want any part Of him.
As time went on Doc came to the conclu-
sion ftat Tommy wasn't crazy about his brother
Larry. either. He was scared Of his me OF