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Show Torrance Has Shrimp Dish Named for Him in Orleans By HENRY McLEMORE United Press Staff Correspondent DAYTONA BEACH. Fla, Feb. 17 Another "Louisiana Bubble-is Bubble-is broken. News dispatches from New Orleans bring the information that Jack Torrance, the Bayou Behemoth, hasn't been knocking out prizefighters prize-fighters at all, but collection of high divers who allowed themselves them-selves to be swept off the springboard by the breete from Jack's mighty haymakers. Torrance had disposed of four opponents op-ponents and was already to dust off a fifth when No. B was suddenly overcome with remorse (either that or he didn't want to get his nsw suit wet) and confessed his guilt This wa a sad blow to New Orleans, 1 know, because when 1 was there a week er so age Tor-ranee Tor-ranee and his man-killing feats were the chief subjects of conversation, con-versation, being even mere popular popu-lar than the rise of the river and the strength of the levee. The i town had even gone so far as to I name a shrimp dish after him, I and In New Orleans this I the highest possible compliment. It waa caviled "shrimp la alack Tor-ranoe." Tor-ranoe." Ths sntlrs city had a tremendous Interest In Torrance, particularly as to bis efforts to reduce. I talked to doaens of cltlsena and there wasn't one of them who couldn't reel off his latest measurements as readily as brokers do stock quotations. quota-tions. They were Immensely proud that be bad brought his waist down from M to 48, and shaved several slsss off his neck. They interpreted this as a sure sign he could be next heavyweight champion of th world. They did not seem to remember that Paul Whlteman lost hundred of pounds without gaining a title. He had knocked out" three mas when I waa there, and 1 talked to several elUsen whs had aeea him send hkt opponents Into beautiful eoe and one-half gainers, swans aad bank Jack-knives. Jack-knives. They were tntnendously enthuelaatie, aad said his "abet pur punch waa the most devastating devas-tating thing si noe gunpowder waa Invented. I nmesnber asking at th time tf his eppeawnts had been bona lid pugtlista, aad I isauesu-ber isauesu-ber being told they were snea ef great skill. X left New Orleans eonvtnoed that Torrance waa th ring's new killer, and with a not on my cuff to writs a story pointing out that at the rate he was going, Torrance soon would outdistance even ether aa a producer pro-ducer of unconsciousness. When the New Orleans boxing commission heard the full details of what some term a "-scandal- it promptly suspended Torrance's board ef strategy. It la a good thing that all other state commissions have not treated similar eases with such severity, because if they had half the heavyweight champions this country has produced would have the bar sinister across their crests. Prime Camera, to name one. would have so many bar ainlsters across his coat of arm that It would resemble a asbra, for Old Boo tale spent a full year doing nothing noth-ing else but pushing over pushovers with Invisible punches. Of course, Prlmo had a pretty good excuse-that excuse-that was hist about the only type of article he could know down. That and Jack Sharkey, whose knockout by Prlmo will always go down In my book with other such mysteries aa the whereabouts of Charley Ross and the name of Cock Robin's dastardly das-tardly assassin. |