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Show RfSlSiIL Charlie Lange Is Reminiscent Over Former Champion Jack Dempsey. PAYS TRIBUTE TO MEMORY OF LAMENTED BOXER- Long-Forgotten History and Anecdotes An-ecdotes Dug Up by Old Trainer. By Charles Lange. "You .ay you don't bellcvo it? Wh-a-a-t's th-a-t? Why, I trained with' Jack Dempsey, the dear old Nonpareil, In the good old days when we were practically prac-tically boys together In tho fighting business, bus-iness, and there never has been another mlt Juggler In tho business like him. He hold the light and middle-weight championships cham-pionships against all comers until he went up against Bob FitzslmmoiiB In that memorable battle In New Orleans, January Janu-ary H, 1S91, for the middle-weight chum-plonship chum-plonship or the world, which went thirteen thir-teen rounds before Fitz snuffed out Jack's light. First Time Ho Met Dempsey. "L shall never forget the llrst time I met Dempsey. It wan In the 'fcOs In Now York. Me had Just landed and looked llko some farmer from tho old country. He was a cooper by trade and first broke Into tho game In the four-round contests held nlghtlv at sporting houses run by Harry Hill. Mike Cleary. Harry Miner, Capt. Dnly, and others of tho old-tlmu sports. Then was when a fighter had to go some to even tret a pleasant smile from the bunch and you had to finish with any one you went up against to make 'em like It. Hard Work in Olden Days. "It -was nothing for a new boxer to fight three or four times a night with all comers for years maybe, before some of the wise guys like Pat Sheedy. Parson Dnvles and Mike Smith, who brought out John I.. Sullivan, would pick you up and shove you to tho front. "Jack's first mntch of any Importance was with George Fulljames. the champion cham-pion of Canndn. In New York for what was termed the 'International championship." champion-ship." I was the Nonpareil's advisor and trainer for that bout, which he won In jig time. "Tho next time I mm up with Jack agnln was In New Orleans, when he camo on to fight Blcksemos. a French boxer. Dempsey putting him away In sixteen rounds. Was a Finished Boxer. "Jack was never a knocker-out. but n finished box"?r. and could 'sting' a man to death with his terrible loft. I fought George O'Rourko and George Fryer, the Nottingham Slasher, while Jack was there, winning both events. "Tho lutter bout was billed as being for the Richard K. Fox championship belt, which the Slasher was carrying around with him more for advertising purposes than anything else, as It was not Included In the articles of agreement Fryer was In charge of Arthur Chambers, Cham-bers, the then noted world's ehnmplon lightweight, now residing lo Philadelphia. 1 beat O'Rourko In three rounds and the Slasher in eleven, fighting 'Uho last three .rounds with a broken hand. "Dempsey and I loft New Orleans together, to-gether, he going to Ogdensburg, N. Y , while I went back to the old home at Cleveland. O. This was In 1RS4. Dempsey's Card Game. "1 met Jack again In San Francleco In 1885, where sui h famous athletes as Dunnan C. Roes, Mike Cleary, Capt. James C. Daly. Clarence. Whistler, WI1-lliam WI1-lliam Muldoon, Charlie Mitchell. Jack Burke, Tom Cleary, called 'Nowburg Red,' and othors, were congregated. Jack waB running a saloon. "I was there at tho time which all old-timers old-timers will remember when Dempsey got Into a game of scven-up with "Newburg Red,' tho stakes being tho Nonpareil's saloon. Jack lost and walked out of the place, leaving everything to the winner. Cleary. however, after enjoying his new acquisition for a few Jolly hours, turned It back to the original owner. "Shortly afterward Dempsey got an attack at-tack of the old boxing fever and giving away the saloon, hooned up with Jack Burko for a tour of the country, under tho management of Parson Davles. In the meantime I had gono out with tho Jim Dillon, Dune McDonald, Dune McMillan Mc-Millan and Charlie Moth combination, and was here In Salt Lake In 1SS7 when tho 'Two Jacks." as they were called, went through here and sparred with both of them In the old Walker opera-house, which was located where the D. F. Walker Walk-er and Atlas blocks now stand. Mokes Tour of Country. "From that time Dempsey toured the country, and at the close of his engagement opened up tho Pastime Pas-time club at Poftland, Or., which ho operated until ho went back to New Orleans in '91, wher ho mot Fltz, who ended the Nonpareil's career ca-reer In the ring. Ho never recovered from the effects of this battle and went back to Portland, where he died. He married mar-ried Kate Brady, who survived him but a few years, both dying from the same disease consumption. "In 1SS5 Dempsey had one fight with a 'would be' named Davo Campbell on an Island somewhere between 'Frisco and Portland, that I'll never forget. ThlB Campbell was ono of theso fresh, handsome hand-some guys, and kidded Dempsey from the clang of the bell. Finally, in the second round, Jack got tired of the Joshing and said to Dave. 'Young man. you're too pretty to bo a fighter, so I'll Just bust your nose in the third round.' And he did It In about the third wallop, and then trimmed the chesty lad to a farc-you-well. Instance of Jack's Nerve. "I recall another Instance of his nerve when he was training for his fight with Fltz. We were working out on the famous fa-mous shell road at New Orleans. Jack had been troubled nil night with one of those loose and nchlng molars so that he didn't get any sleep. As wo wore running .along he suddenly stopped and cussing the offending tooth for troubling him,, reached into his map with those sln-owy sln-owy fingers of his and twisted tho tooth from Its hitching place and. throwing it to the ground, kept on with the run. "He was tho finest man to work with that ever came over the hill, with a heart In him as big as an ox; alwaj-H ready with the pennies for any ono who he thought needed them, nnd a thorough gentleman at all times. It was a sad day for the followers of the sport when ho cashed in, but his memory will always bo fresh and green In the hoarts of all who knew him. Only One in a Family. "And say, did you ever take notice of the fact which I have claimed for years, that there is only one fighter in a family, what I mean, of championship caliber? Dempsoy has a brother, Martin, who was a wrestler, but got swelled up on the boxing gag, and was put out In a punch In his first match, nnd was never heard of agnln. Take Sullivan's brother, Michael, the Brltts, tho ITerreras, Mjauro and Aurella. the younger Attell, Terry's brother, Hugh, Jack Jeffries, for Illustrations. Illustra-tions. "They arc all good men, but not a chance for chnmplons. See?. "Now, sklddoo, kid, the lino Is busy till the next bunch Is on the way." |