The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-01-14

with Q well-directed right when to of your shoe, HiIad, and walk lem oi
 The fact Is, however, that Joe Humphreys was called "the Beaut" because he was good-looking and possessed the best tenor voice in the Fourth Ward of New York's lower East Side. Joe the Beaut had the complexion and skin of . girl and no other could sing Maggie Mur- phys Home" Paddle Your Own Canoe" and "As We Drink From Our Pint of Beer" quite as well as he. Ifo lot hll quartets, and became quite . card at smokers.
 An orphan at 10, bootblack, news- boy, and page in Wall Street, little Joo Humphreys first came in direct contact with boxing as mas cot of the old Nonparell Athletic Club, situated over . stable in Oli- yer Street, in the late '90s. At 10 he was Q bartender at the corner of Park Row and Chambers Streets. Later he poured at Mike Minden's, near Dalys Theater: Mindens ct Broadway Ferry; and at the White Light, next door to the Red Light, on Seventh Avenue, just of 2Srd Street. t
 Loudest Voice Lands the Job
 Humphreys broke in as on an. nouncer when he was 10 ct show arranged for the purpose of raising 9IbO for Nigger Tom Welch, n white man of bed habits who hung around the New York Produce Tx. change, whore Joe the Beaut paged brokers.
 "Drinking was one of Niggor Tom Welohs bad habits," says Hum. phreys. "Ono night he hit ono Hans Peterson and broke his jaw. They put Nigger Tom in jail. ft looked tough for him, and Petersen said it could Do squared for 92bo; that he wouldn't appear against him if he got that amount We all thought Q lot of Nigger Tom 50 we arranged . benefit ct Gus MAiSch'B (Tho Dutchman'O Little Casino, Q combination beer garden, shooting gallery, and honky-tonk In New Bowery.
 "doed old Charley Harvey was tho top announcer of tho period. HRe was invited and so were Fred Burns, the Demosthenes of tho Bowery, and silver-Tonguo John Parnell Dunn, but none of them showed up. got the job because l had the loudest voice."
 Joe Humphreys, now 03, has been in the announcing business, aS he calls it, from that night to this, but dld not get the break in tho line that made him famous until several years later.
 A Good Democrat Gets . Break
 Charley Harevy and hiS handle. bar mustacho held forth at the old Broadway A. O., on Broadway near Eighth avenue, then tho fountain head of the beak-busting business. Harvey was Q Republican. Young Humphreys worked hard for Big Tim Sullivan and Tammany in m election In the late '00s. When it was time to reward him, the Beaut would accept no money.
 ".We'ev got to do something for the Beaut," said Q Sullivan lieu. tenant.
 He'd rather announce than be president" remarked another. "Why not toss out that Republican, Har- vcy. and put him in at the Droad- way?"
 Joe Humphreys was installed at tho Broadway 4. 0. without delay, and thus really began the Spectac- ular career of sports most cele- brated mouthpiece.
 Humphreys has soen more fight- CTS in action than any other man who ever lived. Tn 45 years of an- nouncing he has introduced the principals in fully 10000 battles. He has held aloft the hand Of ev- cry heavyweight champion--from John L. Sullivan to James J. Brad- dock.
 Humphreys sentorian voice has been heard by more people than there are in the United States. Hun