NEARLY LOST.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 23 May 1917, Page 6

NEARLY LOST.

One of the things Bob Fitzsimmons did when in Portland a few weeks ago, and of which he is very proud, was to visit the grave of Jack Dempsey, “Most persons do not know that after I defeated Dempsey wc became great friends,” said Bob. “Dempsey was my second-in-chicf when I knocked out Dan Creedon in New Orleans in 1894, and ho saved me from losing the fight. Before the fight Colonel Hopkins, the manager of Creedon, had been abusing me terribly through the newspapers. I entered the ring detrmined to got even by whipping Creedon as quickly as possible, and I did a good job, knocking Dan cold in a couple of rounds. I couldn’t resist the temptation to step through the ropes and wiggle my fingers in his face. And I was just doing it, leaning through the ropes rvith one leg out, wiggling my fingers at the Colonel, when Dempsey jumped up and began acting like a crazy man. ‘Get back,’ Jack yelled, ‘get back, you fool!’ I got my leg back through the ropes and into the ring just as the referee said ‘nine, ten.’ Had my leg been outside the ropes when the referee fiiished counting I rvould have been disqualified and lost the fight under the rules of the club.