1937-08-14 — Page 21

HUTCHINA MAIN

WONDER GOLFER'S DOUBLE LIFE

famed Sportswriter

HOW JOHN MONTAGUE

AMERICAN SPORTSMEN AND HOLLYWOOD

MONTAGUE DUPED

DUPED Sportswriter Rice heard that Monf

MYSTERIOUS GOLFER WHO

AS "WORLD'S BEST"

DZ

ABOUT ten years ago the city of Syracuse, N. Y. became highly conscious of a lively young man named La Verne Moore. Son of a churchgo- ing steel mill worker named Matthew Moore, whose other offspring were two beautiful daughters and a son who lived up to his name of Harold, La Verne was nicknamed "Bull" because of his phenomenal physique, his excellence at games, his unruly disposition. For strength, Bull Moore was marvellous. He could fight three men at a time, toss a waiter across the bar of a lunch counter, lift the front wheels of an automobile with one hand.

Jague had, 1) played Crosby la baseball bat, a rake and a shovel and beaten him, 2) broken the course record at Palm Springs four days in a row, with a 61 the last day, 3) picked a bird off a telegraph wire with a golf ball at 170 yards, 4) been called by onetime U. S. Ama, teur Champion George Von Elm, who had played with him daily for la month, the "greatest golfer in the world." Sportswriter Rice play- ed several games with John Mon- tague. In his Sportlight, Grantland

Rice substantiated Golfer Von Elm's opinion

-NOT ONLY BEST BUT—! Sportswriter Rice's column estab

lished a golfer who was not only conceivably the best in the world, in tournaments or have his picture

but also so shy he refused to play.

With a slight edge on his appetite, he would break a dozen eggs into taken as a public figure. John Mon-

mother's frying pan and eat them in six mouthfuls.

AT GAMES, THERE WAS NO ONE LIKE BULL MOORE, HE WAS THE BEST POOL PLAYER IN TOWN. HE COULD THROW A BASEBALL SO FAST IT BECAME INVISIBLE.

HE PITCHED FOR THE ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH TEAM AHD WENT SOUTH FOR A TRY- › OUT WITH THE BOSTON BRAVES. A BIG-TIME FOOTBALL COACH SAW HIM AND SENT HIM TO PREPARATORY SCHOOL GOLF WAS BULL MOORE'S FORTE HIS BROTHER HAROLD, A CHURCH ORGANIST, WAS ALSO A GOLF PROFESSIONAL AND HAD TAUGHT BULL THE GAME. BULL WOULD DRIVE A BALL OUT OF SIGHT AND MAKE ANY KIND OF TRICK SHOT WITH ANY KIND OF CLUB. HIS SHORT GAME WAS ECCENTRIC BUT HE WAS PLENTY GOOD ENOUGH TO EARN A LIVING AS A PROFESSIONAL.

Work did

It was in his attitude toward earning a living that Bull Moore particularly charmed the street- corner, pool-room and blind-tiger high-school set of Syracuse in the Prohibition era. did appeal to him. Just where this adventurous buck got his miney was something of a mystery but his pockets always seemed to be well lined. Among the exemplary things about Bull Moore was his response to drink and women. Bull was a man's man Doubtless, he could have held more liquor without showing it han anyone else in town, but no one ever saw him drunk. He could have made a conquest of almost any girl he wanted but his dealings with the other sex were not- able for old-fashioned chivalry. Bull would not even let his friends boast about their conquests in his presence....

If Bull Moore was above any kind of mix-up that concerned a! girl, his dare-deviltry sometimes brought him to the edge of other kinds of trouble. In 1927, a grocer accused of selling liquor complain- ed that a young bully posing as a policeman had walked in and

taken $50, promising to have the accusation quashed. Bull Moore was tried for this offence. He got a six-month sentence which the judge suspended.

On the night of August 5, 1930, one Kin Hanna, owner of an inn near Jay, N. Y had a painful experience. He and his father-in-law Matt Cobb were beaten, gagged and bound by four men who then took $750 from the till and made their get- away.

In the gateway, the robbers ran their cars off the road and one hit a culvert. The cars were going fast One of the gang, John Sherry, was killed. Two of the others, Roger Norton and William Carleton, were caught and jailed. The fourth man disappeared. Soon after the robbery Bull Moore ceas- ed to be seen in upper New York State and the police began to look for him.

MONTAGUE APPEARS: About three years ago, Holly- wood, always on the lookout for new and interesting personalities, began to take note of one who call- ed himself John Montague. Hand- some, debonair and genial, Mon- tague would have been a welcome addition to Hollywood for his social talents alone. He had other ones as well. He was so modest

Michigzz, zmateur, shown wife and loyal! er, is believed

to have set a world record - for

competitive wolf by going Arbor Hills course at Jackso strokes under par for aree-round Be won the Michigan oper

With

2

tague promptly became major news. Last September, Westbrook Pegler devoted a column to him.

By this spring John Montague, according to Joe Williams, of the New York World-Telegram, was the most discussed golfer in the US.. Reams had been written about him in newspapers and magazines. SAT rumour that he would play in the British Open made headlines in London.

One of the latest Montague stories was that a match was being arrang- led between him and Socialite

dow Brook Club on Long Island for Thomas Suffern Tailer Jr at Mea!

$10,000 a side. Last week locker: rooms were full of gossip about this match that would finally reveal the truth about John Montague.".

THE TRUTH AND HOW? The truth about John Montague

present. For strength, John Mon-came out last week but not on 2. tague was marvelous. When golf course. It came out in Log friend had a blowout, he held the Angeles County Jail where he was- rear end of the car up while he taken after being arrested because changed the tire. John Montague his fingerprints matched those of could drink whiskey by the quart La Verne ("Bull") Moore.. but no one ever saw him drunk Story of the search for La Verne Finally, he was a prodigious golfer. Moore and the arrest of John Mon- WITH-OLIVER, HARDY tague was as simple as the fugitive's By the time Montague had been career had been- fantastic Last around Hollywood for a year or month, one of the innumerable ac- two, he was sharing a house with counts of the famed Montague. fat Comedian Oliver Hardy whom Crosby golf match finally caught the he could lift with one hand. Heleye of someone who knew-La Verne #golfed with celebrities like Bing Moore and was interested in find

Crosby, and joined the Lakeside ing him. This was Police Inspector Club where the rumour was that John Cosart of Troop D, Oneida, The amused the members one day NY, who clipped the article, sent.

by standing busky Cinemactor it to Inspector Joseph Lynch George Bancroft on his head in his Malone, N.Y. who sent Moore's fin- locker and closing the door.

gerprints to Los Angeles.

at

Through his social success, John Story of Montague's arrest con- Montague retained his peculiar trasted shaply with reports of all Ishyness: Whence he came or his previous Hollywood activities. where he got his money, he Shy no longer, he last week posed told no one. His friends for photographers as often as they were either too afraid or polite wanted, oven let them photograph to ask There were rumours that his hands to show how he held a Montague had gold mines in Ari-golf club in his celebrated fingers zona. This was merely because he Asked how he had succeeded

he answered

foften disappeared into the desert other

for months at a time. It was said the

The had

that made

because he

geared u

questions.

any amiable, he

•

Only my

but John Mont

GOOD TECHNIQUE Surest way to attract attention whe anywhere is to appear to shum it. what would happen

his money

the

let

Stall

to New

In Hollywood, where attention is Montague last week the population's bread and butter, up the first Answer this technique is doubly infallible.will depend on whether or not that, in a community where a pri-fused to have hi pictures taken, And what Montague did on golf avoids being extradited vate telephone number is con- politely smashing the cameras of courses would have brought him no-York. Day after his sidered the ultimate in self-efface photographers who tried it.

toriety anywhere whether he shun-week, Montague was ment, he not only demurely refused

con $10,000 Where chivalry is rare, he made ned it or not. to reveal the source of his appar-no secret of

bail, with Cinemactor men First public notice of Montague's Crosby and Guy Kibbee named

Hardy, ently lavish income but firmly re- should not swear when ladies were golf was written two

rences on his bond.

arrest last