Evening star., 1939-02-27
From the
Press Box
Johnston's New Scourge
Threatens Mayhem
BY JOHN LARDNER,


NEW YORK. February 27.-As
long as he he can sink tooth into a
quivering ear and hang on, at the
same time clutching his public by
the coat lapels with the celebrated
E Guatemalan double thumblock,
James j. Johnston will be figure to
reckon with in the prize fight busi-
ness.
Hurled from his Office in Madison
Square Garden some time back. and
pried loose from his autocratic grip
'on all the fight traffic in America.
except in a couple of spots which
his voice failed to reach. such as
Juneau. Alaska. and San Juan,
Puerto Rico. the little man with the
big lungs found himself a new
podium and now talks better fight
than ever.
The greatest heavyweight pros
pect in the world says James, the
man who will knock Louis ears
down his throat in the very near
future. is Tommy Tucker. my new
est scourge. If he fails to do so, it
will be because Robert Pastor. my
scourge-before- last. has already at
tended to that detail and scram-
bled Louis face.
Tucker Broins Supplied
By Old Moster
Tucker is a great prospect. He
has everything-speed, gameness
punch and brains. I carry his
brains around for him, in my own
head, but, as long as James j.
Johnston is in there thinking by his
side, Tucker has nothing to fear
He can't miss. He will kill Louis"
At this point, Mr.. Johnston clears
his throat for further duty and looks
around at the audience.
How does that sound?" he in
quires. Good as ever, huh? That
spiel reminds me of my famous bum
from England, Planting Philip
Scott. Except that Tucker. of
course, is not bum, but scourge." J"
Scott was a scourge, too, when
you were managing him. somebody
recalls.
Eyes. yes, how true murmurs
Mr.. Johnston, patting his round
equator with satisfaction. Il gave
Philip frightful character. l made
him sound so tough that he scared
himself But then, ] don't take
much credit for that Philip scared
easy
That's one thing you can say for
Mr.. Johnston-he is very frank
about his fighters once they cease
to be fighters.
THE last I heard of him." says
James. Phillip was running some
variety of tea shoppe in London.
He put out a very tasty brand Of
tea, too.
You know that I am an expert
on tea. When I had Philip fighting
over in this country, the two of us
used to account for half the tea
consumed in New York City be-
tween us. There was some idle talk
to the effect that Scott drank more
tea than I did but that was just
<alk. If he drank as much tea as
l did he would be as smart as am.
and not even Philips best friend
would claim that for him."
Scott Made Big Money
By Sitting Down
Mr.. Johnston, coming as he does
from darkest Liverpool is great
fan for the brain-building proper
ties of Pekoe. He looks with scorn
upon the average fight manager,
who feeds his brain. his most vital
asset. upon red whisky.
Scott was not so dumb, at that"
continues the boy bandit. In one
year he made more money than the
President of the United States, just
by sitting on the floor. l believe
he is the only man who can make
such claim.
, "Of course. other fighters have
drawn good dough for being knocked
out, but Philip was seldom knocked
out. He figured it would impair
his beauty, and, if that was the way
NE felt about it, didn't see any
reason to tell him the truth about
the way he looked in the first place
my Philip was an artist in his
line. When Sharkey hit him on the
AlAp AAC oPSAlV Aodl AllllluVSS
In the rosin and clutching himself
with screams of pain. He screamed
30 loud that l had trouble getting
It over to the referee that, if he
failed to award us the fight there
end then, he would be a bloody
robber.
MY Philip coined money. But,
II you were to pin me down." says
Mr.. Johnston thoughtfully, land
ask me which contributed most to
that result, my brains or Scott's
artistry, YOU would put me in an
embarrassing position because I am
. modest man."
Mr.. Johnston gives himself the
rare indulgence of pause for
breath. He is silent for fully 20
seconds and his guests begin to sus-
.pect he is sick Until he says:
But watch my new scourge, Tom
my Tucker. Watch him closely. He
Is the fighter of the future. He will
take Joe Louis says Mr.. Johnston,
land cut him in two. Mark my
words"
Mark Jimmy's words. But mark
them for reference in 1945, when
we may hear the truth about
Tucker.