1958-11-18 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER

*1958.

Whats Best in Kowloon

THE RANDY TURPIN

STORY: By Harry Carpenter

TOO RICH TOO SOON AND

HE HAD TOO

LITTLE

PERSONALITY

ANDOLPH TÙRPIN, for 64

RA

days King of the Ring, headed home after Harringay, where he said: "I'm through with boxing," to drive a scrap lorry through the streets of Leumington,

So far as fighting's concerned, 30-year-old dusky Turpin, scrap- metal dealer, is on the scrap heap. He won't ask for sympathy; and

I doubt if he'll get much.

In 1951, when he beat the fabulous

Sugar Ray Robinson to hold the world

middleweight championship |

(4)

<x

tou

For this fight with Sugar Ray he got £75,000... and corned it,

glory seven

In a

with

World champion.

and home to a civic reception

confidently expected that the stunning fists of Turpin would blast fresh fame for their quiet, crinkly haired owner.

But the Leamington Licker,

na ho wit le:OWI", "Bøver really

lived again after 1951.

It was an ersatz Turpin from now on, as his private effairs became more and more tangled had with his ring career.

In 1853 camto the series of

incidents which catapulted him frem boxing idol to bad boy" questioning of sport.

for 64 days until Robinson low at Earls Court on Turpin's the three boys and two girls on deafness. This, above all, helped

pension. years 27a a week.

She to mould the Turpin character, won it back, Turpin had, Ing

scrubbed floors to buy food. which was never particularly

anlable. guess, the biggest fan-wor-buture?

together The trouble with Turpin, who They huddled ship accorded to any British should uday be ofte

the abigle room,

He never heard half the ques- fighter since Jim Figg start-revered retired ring characters,

All the Turpin boys-Ian- tione slung at him in interviews. like bright buffoon ed everything in 1719.

Freddie He also made £150,000 (on Mills, is that he suffered from dolph, Dick, Jackie quickly Hence the lazy nod and muttered too itarbed to Bight in Leamington's half-answer which made him so paper), more, much more, than

streets to combat colour preju- unpopular boxer Now

Pressmer.. dire any other British

the ho's hustling scrap to pay tax-men.

As for popularity with the aght crowd today when M.C. Johnny Beat sprang the drama- tie "I quit" message on Har- ringay's 10,000 fans during the

of champions parade merely buzzed will interest.

they mild

Night Of Glory

I wonder how many of them had also stood and ecstatically sung For He's A Jolly Good Fel.

much

Mend- quickly, (b) too many lines of the wrong sort, and (e) too Ittle personality.

Some fighters. Ike Mills, take

the melight and the time naturally.

Shy Turpin haled background didn't help.

In One Room

big-

His

sea-

His father, a merchant man from British Gulana died In 1929 from the effects of Ger- man gas in World War I.

Turin's mother, a near-blind white women, was left to bring

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

HMA OBOE-PLAYER. PLITTERY-MAKER COUPLE --FORTY THOUSAND A YEAR SATISFACTORY TO YOUT

WHERE

IS THIS

JOB?

FERDINAND

bits

NANCY

HI, KIDDIES -- THIS IS UNCLE GUS

HI, UNCLE

GUS

O

JOHNNY HAZARD

YOU'VE GOT A RALLY GOING, CORKY! WHY

PON'T YOU PINCH-NIT

FOR THE PITCHERY

1201

WE'LL NOW HOLD A MEETING OF

OUR THRIFT

CHIVABA'S A PRETTY FAIR-HITTIN' MTCHER, HAZARD! BESIDES, I'VE GOT A HONCH ON HIMI'LL GO WITH THE DOY ALL THE WAY! |

CLUB

Randolph survived preu- mola and pleurisy. The weak- 1ing child later in life developed a fetish about fitness.

Deafness

25

Turpin's favourite reading

apart at adult,

form comics, was a physicui culture maga- zine. He spent hours in the gym having medicine balls bounced on his stomach,

defect

Ersatz Turpin has never learned to express himself colourfully in public. That is why only the Jurid side of Turpin's past pri- vate life sticks in the pubite's mind. His escapades always hit personality the headlines; his

did, because it didn't never exist.

After the return losing fight the childhood

with Robinson in New York, n never left him-bis considerable year went by in which it was

But

YOU'LL LEARN,

SHORTLY YOU MUST

BE INTERVIEWIED

AND HAVE AN

12. TEST,

4-1

By Lee Falk and Phil Davis

REMEMBER --- YOU CAN'T ATTEND THESE

MEETINGS UNLESS

HE GOING TO WORK THE CORNERS ON ME... NOTHING, GOOD TO INT.... GUESS I'LL HAVE TO OUTSMART THEM

IF I CAN...

YOUR PIGGY BANK

Is FULL

STEP IN HERE, PLEASE.

By Mik

By Ernie Bushmiller

HERNIE BUSHMILLER,

By Frank Robbins

"JUMPIN' GOPHER

BALLS THREE RUNS BEHIND THAT OUT BASED LOADED: AND "THAT IDIOT BUNTS;

on

Notoriety not fame

the light- only to beat hitting Carl Bobo Olson,

Instead of triumph-disaster. the very day he fought was cited as Co- Olson he respondent in a divorce action brought by a Preston police-

man.

bo

'Bad Boy'

In June his firat marriage was

His training for Olson was a

He refused to dissolved. The marriage crashed shambles.

earlier in 1948, 19 interviewed. He sulked alone He even threatened much

after the wedding, for hours. months

summons for assault 10 pack my bags and go home when a

by his wife,

if I'm pestered any more.” Mary

He

by Olson. was thrashed brought

Was dianlesed at

was days inter tie A few Theresa, Warwick.

arrested in New York on an October 1953, was to be the

later dropped, assault charge, Magnificent Month when

Adele York's Polo brought by Harlem giri Turpin, in New

Daniels. would recapture the Grounds.

afterwards She

rued for title. Не

$100,000 damages (and two world middleweight

years later settled for $3,500). Turpin had to leave behind £3,370 as surety

that he 20 could sail kome to a frosty reception from a disillusioned British public. Turpin denied

Sheaffers

NEW BALLPOINT WITH EXCLUSIVE

STERLING SILVER TIP

isbon

SWISSAIR

SMART

ALL CHILDREN LOVE

SMARTIES

AUSTIN

for

COMFORT

METRO CARS (H.K) LTD.

the charge.

From this point Turpin's career foundered. In October 1953 he reltred" after a four- round hiding from Gordon Wallace.

He returned, with only the loyalis Midland fans trehind him, to fight on, although he admitted after Wallace that "I saw the parches coming, but I couldn't get out of the "way."

£150,000

He fought on because he had to--out of those splendid carn- ings of the Golden Era, 1051-53, the income-tax authorities now claimed their share,

Last year I visited Turpin in Leamington to probe the "mys- tery of why the 4130 who should havo been Britain's wealthiest fighter still struggled on for cut-down pursen,

No one except Turpin, bis Middleton, George

manager

and the O.H.M.S. people know

TONY'S

There is a

maidenform

for

every type of figure

ALL STYLES

also just unpacked

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HALF SLIPS FULL SLIPS

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7 CHAMPAGNE ARCADE, KIMBERLEY ROAD, (Opp. Miramar Hotel) KOWLOON, HONG KONG.

TEL. 68746

DEMOLITION

SALE

ALL GOODS MUST BE CLEARED REGARDLESS OF COST

Take Advantage of This Sale Buy Now for Christmas and SAVE!

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38, NATHAN ROAD, KOWLOON. TEL: 63955.

CHRISTMAS TOYS-DOLLS

OUR 19th ANNIVERSARY

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HAS STARTED

10%

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OFF OUR

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From 10th Nov. Till 28th Nov., 1958

NATIONAL TOY COMPANY

220 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Tol, 63096.

just what Turpin earned, It SMOCKED, APPLIQUED & EMBROIDERED

could hardly have been 1ess

than £150,000.

For the second Robinson flight alone lis official sharo was nearly £75,000.

In the days when Turpin tried to become a personality boy. he struck up a business arrangement with a Liverpool tycoon named Leslie T. Salis, mock-medieval who owned castle in Wales and who set out to exploit the name "Turpin** financially.

There were to be Turpin ties, Tirpin ringwear, Turpin books. Turpin invested £7,600 In a Llandudno hotel. But the ox- material- pected wealth mover leed.

I Lent Money

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Turpin fold

me: "Earninga are never what they seem. A

to my manager. There have been all sorts of expenses, I lent various people quilo largo Bums and they novor nepald me."

It sounded like the old old story of the inexperienced boy who couldn't believe he had struck it co rich-and didn't ktow how to handle it

Turpin is happily married [now, with two young daughtera, He doem't drink and, as far know, never has. Ite seldom smokes.

He doesn't need noft living to he happy.. When I last visited him he was living in a shabby. terraced Leamington house with front door that opened on to a poor, street.

10

I doubt !! we shall hear much more of Turbulent Turpiti or hals money troubles. The won derful Aghter who soared stardom on his punch (almost as rapidly.

What ho won was rather than fine.

plunged

notoriety

32 KIMBERLEY ROAD.

TEL. 65976

ANY FIRM USING THE NAME APPLIED TO OUR

“ZORIC

199...

DRYCLEANING SYSTEM

HAS NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER WITH THE UNDERMENTIONED CO.

.

•

PLEASE TELEPHONE DIRECT TO

59195

FOR COLLECTIONS AND DELIVERIES

THE STEAM LAUNDRY CO.

No. 1, Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon,