Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-24
Stacker Les
Came From
Australia
AEF May Hear Tales
Of Famed Fighter
By DAMON RUNYON

u Australia ever hear anything
from the old timers there Of a
young prize fighter from down
under" who came to this country
when Australia was in another
war to die under pathetic cir
cumstances. Probably they do
hear. The Australians love their
sports traditions and James Les
lie Darcy is a great tradition
among them.
1t was Is years ago. lacking
something over a month, that
Darcy, known as Les. died In
Memphis, Tenn, of what was
officially described as fever and
mental breakdown, but which
many thought at the time was
just broken heart due TO bitter
criticism of him by sports writ
ers as military Stacker.
He had gone to Memphis TO
enlist in a ground crew OF the
American aviation corps.
He was then % years old. He
had come to America with a
reputation as one OF the great
est of the many great fighters
that had been developed in Aus
tralia. / think his prowess was
somewhat exaggerated. which
was the fashion of the times.
He was a rough and willing
kid, a pretty good boxer, a good
puncher and had licked some
American fighters of note. but
be was probably not quite as ter
rifle as his publicity had the
ringworms of 1917 believing.
LIE was a middleweight, edg-
IL ing into the lightheavy di-
vision, netting around 160 pounds
and he was on the short side
five feet six.
The ballyhoo attendant on his
arrival made him appear for
midable enough for the heavies.
He never had the opportunity
10 demonstrate his ability here,
his boxing activities being con-
fined TO a few exhibitions. How
ever, il can be said he possessed
tremendous promise.
Darcy was the ring king Of
Australia in II. He had been
defeated in some Of his earlier
fights. but then began knocking
out fellows like Eddie McGoorty,
Fighting Billy" Murray. Mick
King, Buck Grouse and George
Chip and besting Jimmy Clabby
and George X. o. Brown in 20
FOUNDERS.
These were we'll known ring
names in those days and while
some OF them were no longer
at their peak. they were tough
opposition and Darcy's fame be-
gan reaching these shores.
Australia had adopted con-
scription for the war and Darcy
was an eligible. One day il de-
veloped ne had suddenly sailed
for the United States on board
a Standard Oil tanker. and be-
hind his sailing is said 10 have
been the fine hand OF Jack
KearnS, who had taken some of
the American fighters Darcy
licked TO Australia.
There was considerable criti-
ciSm of Darcy in his homeland
for lamming in that fashion.
though afterward many plaus-
ible excuses were made for him.
America was not in the war
when he sailed.
IN ANY event. Kearns was In
Il New York awaiting the ar
rival of the tanker, and the ring
world was really what you
might call agog over the matter.
Tex Richard was the big pro-
moter of the day and Tex was
not man 10 let another fellow
steal a march on him.
Radio communication with
ships at sea was not as common
then as il is now but Tex man.
aged to make connection some-
where that enabled him 10 get in
touch with the tanker and Darcy
by wireless.
Moreover, he got 10 the ship
at quarantine. leaving Kearns
standing on the dock and Darcy
was spirited off the tanker and
taken to a hotel near old Madi-
son Square Garden and held in
communicate as far as Kearns
was concerned.
When he did finally emerge
from the room, the Australian
was under the management of
Freeman Bernstein. with Rick
ard, of course, holding promotion
rights.
I REMEMBER seeing Darcy
Il introduced in evening clothes,
high hat and cape. one night at
the old Garden. plainly i'll at
ease in his unaccustomed re-
gala. I talked with him on a
couple of occasions. and thought
him a nice quiet kid, though his
handlers kept him pretty we'll
hid from newspapermen and the
general public.
Then America entered the war
and many sports writer's sud-
denly fell upon Darcy and hit
him with everything in the
Thesaurus for not being in uni
form.
The reason for the assault was