Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-27
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS STANN

By FRANCIS STANN

DOC KEARNS, who is in town with Kenny Lane, his
asc protege of the moment, was enjoying his day
breakfast at Golde Ahearns and telling why, at IT,
he's still in pursuit of the will O. the wiSp.
After Jack Dempsey and Mickey Walker and few
Others not to mention Archie Moore why keep at t?
asked Doc "You must have kept little of the loot
Ah it gets in your BLOOD Jack Kearns replied He is
thin wzened but there is tremor in his hands
and his and mind are sharp with me 1t started when
was 49, maybe 16.
Jack London and were couple of kids the way
to Nome, Alaska Those good days and there
good guys-Bob Service Rex Beach, Herbert Hoover But
there wasn't nothing for sport but watch Eskimo dogs
fight, stir up something between guys who wanted
to fight.
so j.. it's long story, but here am"
KEARNS MAN is FIGHTING Virgil Atkins tomorrow
for Goe Ahearn and national TV at Capitol Arena He
is southpaw who isn't quite the lightweight champion.
What with difficulty making the weight Kenny is making
his debut weter AS it happens Atkins used to hold the
welterweght title
But Lane and Atkins barely mentioned after fell
low taking breakfast with asked second question:
What can remain in boxing for you? After Dempsey
at Toledo and at Shelby and Walker around the world,
what Lane do for you? Or, for that matter, Archie
Moore?"
I'm still in business" Doc said. Dempsey is gone .
Walker is gone We wrung out Joey Maxim-you know
must have handled 10 world champions I've still got
left-Moore Later maybe Lane.
81 saved little of the dough- but not much He'll it
in so fast spent it fast It's been good life and
fast one
AFTER MANAGING THE LIKES of Dempsey and
Walker it ventured isn't the handling of Lane
other modern fighter, likely to be routine?
The old gaffer smiled Dempsey" he sighed eve must
have crossed $40 $40 million. Walker must have
crossed SO or $40 million"
"You speak of gross all the time" he reminded
"Was there any net?"
KearnS grinned.
well, Dempsey and went through pile of money
But managing Jack grimmer than handling Walker
made money with Dempsey, but spent more with
Mickey
Dempsey -. I dunno, he serious and so much
under tension After his marriage the one to Estelle
Taylor cut out with him. But Walker, he Joy and
an experience"
THE RANPAGES OF WALKER and Kearns are mat
ter of history Even the oldtimers still speak with of
their escapades Walker fought the ring for money and
out of 1t for nothing in front of Billy La Hs tavern
at street in New York shortly after he'd taken
15-round beating in Yankee Stadium in fight that drew
$37500O.
They had rollcking times Kearns and Walker. "The
Mick a lousy drinker," Doc musng 1.-TWO beers
and he was on his beted him couple of times
myself, in hotel Of course he belted back
But he tried, and spent lot of dough living it up
remember he fighting King Levinsky and he'd
had second beer back in the hotel He back to the
corner after the first round and said:
Doc, see two LevinskyS! Which one do hit?'
&c Hit both of EN- told him.
"He did. Mickey won the decision"
ONE OF THE MOST fabulous sports stories of all time
was when Dempsey defended his title in 1928 against
Tommy Gibbons in a remote town called Shelby Mont
1mpoSsibly the of 100000 was to be raised as a
guarantee to Dempsey and Kearns.
1t broke the town. 1t was horrible match too, Demp
Sey winning by decision in dull affair refereed by
friend OF the champion The fight didn't draw expected
and Kearns and Dempsey fearful of the Weserners
VINO might draw guns, fled. Legend has it that Kearns
carried all the money, $4,000.
"IhatS win al
Goddess ut only about 100000 But we did kind of
leave IN hurry he conceded Some people say hired
special two-car train to take to Great Falls Mont
4hatS not So e. we didn't travel that plush.
we were in hurry, like l said so grabbed this
engineer in his cab and said
LOOK heres $500 cash got to get the Champ outta
town.
SO hear TELL he said and maybe he was looking at
the Satchel was carrying But als got to hitch onto
this engine is a cabooSe. Take it or leave it,
I'VE took it, and that how Dempsey and left
Sheby-in caboose two-car train N.Y. how things get
exaggerated"