Evening star., 1940-07-20
ue for Championship Close Finals Of Rppshsnnok Horse Show
From the
Press Box
Dempsey Would Enjoy
Go With Mild Tunney
by JOHN LARDNER,
4necinl CorreGnondent ~ The ataY

10 With Mild unney
by JOHN LARDNER,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
CHICAGO, July 20 (NA.N.A).-
Jack Dempsey, Democrat. Of New
York Is here in Chicago with .
small party, including two bruised
ribs and one swollen ear.
Mr.. Dempsey did not acquire these
souvenirs from the delegates he
kept in line IN his capacity of
assistant sergeant at arms at the
Democratic convention. The dele
gates were soft and tin1id fellows.
They revered Mr.. Dempsey and
buckled to his slightest wish. If all
the men he met In this world were
delegates, Mr.. Dempsey would Be
q happier citizen.
Unfortunately, the world also Is
full Of sulky wrestlers with coarse
manners. Mr.. Dempsey has been
fighting characters like this recently
for several thousand dollars a per-
formance, and though he always
wins by knockout. conveniently
early. he sometimes wonders wheth-
er the business really pays.
Two weeks ago he suffered bruises
and abrasions while subduing Cow
boy Luttren in Atlanta, Ga. This
week he received a further bruise
in the ribs and puf1ed ear. the
gifts of one Bull Curry, Detroit
wrestler.
Domoge to Dempsey's
Dignity Terrific.
Aside from these wounds, the
damage to Mr.. Dempsey's dignity
has been terrific. Mr.. Bull Curry
held Jack in his deadlock till the
great mans face turned mauve. He
also hauled Mr.. Dempsey out OF
the ring in one of the double jack
knife dives so dear to the hearts
OF wrestlers. He was uncouth from
start to finish, and he Inundated
Mr.. Dempsey in front of Mr.. Demp-
sey's friends.
In revenge the best Jack could do
was to knock the Bull out, and this
was a hollow satisfaction, since Mr..
Dempsey had no way of telling
whether the Bull was really out or
not. Mr.. Curry often fiope from
force of habit.
why am I doing it?' says Mr..
Dempsey. ITO be very frank with
you, boy, I am doing it for the
dough-"
Mr.. DempSey's predicament Is
tragic. He is a richman, but he is
land-poor, annuity-poor and ali
mony-poor For the sake Of ready
cash he must sacrifice his prestige to
the boorish society of wrestlers and
he must runst the risk of catching
one or more of the various eye and
skin diseases which afilict wrestlers
and other canvas wallopers in the
pursuit of their duty.
Money Not Coming in
For Some Time.
Mr.. Dempsey has annuities total
ing s4O0 900. but they will not fall
due till 1912. He has $65 900 sunk,
and well sunk. in his tea shoppe
on Broadway. New York City. He
has deposited $150000, per arrange
ment,= to the accounts OF his two
daughters. He has q piece Of this
and piece of that, but nothing that
pays OF in cash.
The support of his wife (they
recently were separately will set Mr..
Dempsey back a stiff toll every week
and he still is one of the worlds
softest touches for a loan. He can
use every nickel of the loot he ex-
tracts from the Cowboy Luttrells and
the Bull Currys.
A notion very close to Mr.. Demp-
sey's heart at the moment is that Of
Turing Mr.. Gene Tunney, the rich
Connecticut bourgeois, back to the
ring in Chicago for a brief fight.
He admits that such a spectacle
would draw something less than
the 100000 Dempsey and Tunney
drew in Chicago 13 years ago, but
something less than $1,000, 900 still
might be something pretty good.
where's the harm in it?" de-
mands Mr.. Dempsey. "The Red
Cross would cut in for a good
amount. Gene and me are both In
good shape for our age and We
know enough about this business
not to get hurt or break any blood
vessels.