1959-12-03 — Page 9

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THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1959.

SCANDALS OF SPORT

Nobody Would Listen To The Achilles Of The Ring

By REX LAWRENCE

The fast-talking newspapermen crowded round the Wonder Man from Down Under. They had come to praise him, at the invitation of the legendary Madison Square Garden boxing promoter, Tex Rickard. And Rickard wasn't selling his latest acquisition short that day.

His name, Rickard told them, was James Leslie Darcy, known

as Les to his thousands of devoted fans in Australia.

Darcy's record was more than Impressive. Since first donning, boxing gloves at the age of 16, he has won 40 of his 44 fights And -20 within the distance. here Rickard rattled of a list of useful

of the exponents pughatic art who had traded punches their disadvantage against the Australian.

to

Greatest Fighter

Darey was now 21, with a ble future ahead of him. Pound for pound he was the greatest hier in the world. Mere,

would The the next middleweight champion. The fact that he would have fight for it in the ring was

a mere formality.

in on public anxious to ensh demand, even began Importing puglists from the United States to test their local fiel.

Skilled boxers like Jimmy Clabby, Jeff Smith and “Kuk- aut" Brown.. they all came, they fought Darcy and they were all defented.

Then, suddenly.

news reached Australla thai Dares bad

AS landed in America. first his fans were indignant. But then they thought of the coveled world middleweight rrow

and Darcy's promise it back. All W

to bring forgiven.

Next came the highly rated

Other forces, however, were contender for the world

battle with middiewelt crown, Eddie Asembling to s

Australian, unsuspecting McGoorly. After a never-to-the

Thr

had only United States hind be-forgotten battle that the crowd on the feel, Darcy just entered the war in a blaze the Doored the

of patriotic fervour, and American in the

Very newspapermen who had eighth round and established

sunit his praises ely a few himself heir apparent to the

days before now turned against world champlonskip.

him.

By now Darcy's reputation had sprend throughout the world. There was hig money for Fair the Slates he could

"The boy' great the farm 30.000 dollars for one fight,

apreolest," Bigiturd said.

And Dares might have been, had fale not det him such a chal below-the-beit blow that

it broke his heart and Analy caused his death.

zanie

him. the

The blow that crushed Darcy

those

very came from headline-tungry newspapermen who now crowded round For before Darey even hind chanc of living up Rickard's barls, he was knocked out cold by the most secandalous ad merciless compaign against any individuat the history

of boxing.

in

Branded

They branded him "Klacker." They accused him

Д

of deserting his country LA Ila hour of need, of tireing lo America dodre military service while his countrymen were spilling their blood

In

the battlefields of France. And they condemned him

without ranting

him

courty of fending himself.

the

all about

Yel, viewed coldly, not that

published was Darcy at the time was untrue. fact It was, for instance, a that he had stowed nway at bound in a freighter Sydney for New York, in direct con- travention of

energetics

גן

act prohibiting Australians between the ages of 17 and 45 frem travelling.

But the charge that he was

a "slacker" or u call-up dodger

unfounded.

was

bad

For

Darcy

1st

Brisbane enlisted at

1910, but had

cen exemptal

from tary

service because

of nis mother's

insistence that

he was the bread-winner

a family of cloren.

all

uf

Darcy could have explained

this. But no one gave

him the chance.

One Long Struggle

first

breath he

won

From the drew at his parents' home at Woodville, near Maitland, New South Wales, on October 28, 1895, Darcy's life had been one long struggle against poverty. After 44 fights, he had £9.697 and was then on the threshold of big-time very

World boxing Now a First Wor emergency net dented him his passport to world fame and fortune,

In a wesic moment, he had succumbed to the promino

of

vast rewards across the Pacific and had violated that energency furt,

Les Darcy began his pro- fessional career as a home- town idol, facing and beating wandering challengers for thate the years. He used most of money to buy his family out of their slum-dwelling at Wood- ville and into n confortable new home in Maitland.

wall

When his family seliled, he set aborti conĘKER- ing the world with his fista, Sydney, Mecca for all Aus- Arst trallon boxers, was his target. And Darcy hit it with a bang. By the time he was 19,

he was welter und middle-

weight champion

Like An Achilles

At this stage, Darcy waa

t-

gold mine. About 5ft 10 Ins

tall, te was built Lio

Achilles, carried not in ounce of surplus fat and packed a dynamic patch in uncla fiat,

Never before in the history of Australian boxing had one man ao captured thes Dublia imagination. First promoters, -

Subject Of Scorn

as much as he could earn in four years in Australia-any- time he cared to make the trip. | being a

Disappeared

Darcy tried through normal chanels to obtain the necessary.

But travelling document. was war-time and the restric- | tions were tough,

and

Indiscreolly he took the law intu hig own hand mysteriously disappeared a few days after his 21st birthday on For wecks, 28, 1916. October

Newspapermen police combed the length and breadth of Australia úr him.

Their search yielded nothing. For Darey was slowed away o a New York-bound freighter,

FOUR D. JONES

MADDOCKI

WHAT THE...

I'VE BEEN

PUNCTURED,

FERDINAND

tol yame The one-time the subject of indignant scorn,

Darcy was now becized of money-prabhт and untatriofic. It was decided to

example of him depite the fact that many pro- ! minent American fighters were

keeping out of the services.

mike

Al this point. Les Darcy could have returned home to a feverish welcome. Instead, he decided to stay and light.

In an attempt to cash in on the publicity his newest prodigy kad aroused, the shrewd Tex Rickard matched him against Jack Dillo

But not ever the far-secing

what Rickard bargained for came next.

NANCY

SIT UP

ROLL OVER

BRICK BRADFORD

BRICK, PAM AND KRIS KRES APPROACH MARE IN THER SEARCH FOR THE CRUKSHIN CHO "THE BOLINE? FROM

OUTER BARCH

DOWN COMES A CAPITALIST - UD THE WORKERS,

LIE DOWN

THAT RADIO BIGNAL

19 DISTURBING THE

ELECTRONIC DEVICES ON THE TIME-TOP! )TM**

#

GENERAL MACARTHUR: IN FOOTBALL MEN I HAVE FOUND GREATEST RELIANCE

New York, Dec. 2.

"Es war and in peace, in football men I have found my greatest reliance."

So spoke U.S. General of the Army Douglas Macarthur last night after receiving the National Football Foundation's gold medal award for contributions to the sport.

"No one ever deserved the honour less or treasured ( more." he said.

Macarthur was principal guest at a dinner which also honoured 10 Inductees Into Cosiball's Hall of Fame one coach and nine former playing greais,

Stil straight-backed and firm of voice despite his near BD years, the General told how a suecemion of U.8. Presidenis had attached great importance to football and how graduates of the sport had distinguished themselves on the battle field. ile elled particularly incidents 'involving the late Capt John Trent, who was an end, and Arnold Galiza, who was quarterback, on the grea! Army team of 1949.

Trent, he said, was defending an important flank in the Korean campaign when he fell, mortally wounded. But the enemy did not break through,

"Through bloody lips," Macarthur said, "Captain Trent gasped fust before he died: "Stupid, thinking they could tarn my end"."

Macarthur said the same combination which makes a great football player strength,

and Indomitable ski courage - niso produces natural leaders—AP.

1

coun-

First, the Governor of New York State stepped in and banned the fight. In a state- nut to the Press, he said: "Darty, 1 am informed, run-away from his own try. In disguise and under an alas, he left his country be- cause he was afraid to fight in the cause of which his fellow- curlymen are sacrificing their live. He prefers to give a brutal exhibition at some per- zonal risk for a purse of 30,000 dollars."

Banned

This accusation, groundless us it was, acted like, an electric shock in

every state of the Darcy

found himself Union. an outcast, banned from every ring in America.

He went On on extensive vandeville tour, but continued trying to rid his name of the stigma that had halted his etter in is very primc.

The

He was playing in Mem- phia, Tennessee, when startl- Ing news reached lilm. ban had been revoked. The sudden turn, however, was too late.

Only a few days before, Darcy had taken out United States naturalisation papers and had joined the Reserve Flying Corps. dis- Abnost Jenedistoly, Illusioned Darcy went down with ar attack of pneumonia.

Heartbroken

In his natural condition, he would have shaken off Jus 11- nors without a great deal of trouble. But his dreams had |been shattered, tus person and his character hounded and de- iled. His heart was broken.

On May 24, 1917, he died, al- a mere shadow most penniless, of the Achilles of the Ring.

Darcy's body was shipped back to Sydney. Thousands turned out to watch his tragic hanecoming on June 26, 1017, and his funeral at East Mait- land, near his home, WIS а gigantic affair.

Today, the memory of the scandalous treatment that Les Darcy received remains vivid in the minds of Australlan boxing fans.

They can never forget that their idol fell because no ond would listen to his side of the

story.

THE BALLOON FALLS..

OH!. TOH, MY GRISOT

"WHAT

STUDIO J

IDIOT

DID THAT?

SOVIET

FÄNNY!

THE SHOT BALLOON WILI SMATTER US

PEN SKETCHES OF MCC TOURISTS

TED DEXTER ONE OF THE FINEST ALL-ROUND SPORTSMEN

Edward Ralph Dexter-"Lord Edward" to his Test colleagues has yet to prove himself as a worthy successor to England's great cricket all- rounder Trevor Bailey. But, in sport generally, he ranks as one of the finest all-rounders in the world.

the

New Zealand In February did not dispel his disappointment.

Dexter retuned to the Eng- land team for the fourth and

The son of a hockey-and- men verstis Players match. His Hugby-playing father, he enjoys rst five avers saw five wickets cricket, gulf, real tennis, rackets, tumble for eight run and he

As finished with eight for $5. squash, rugby and athletles. in handicap-one golfer, he cap The toiluwing year Dexter Tests against India this

tained Cambridge last year and made

England selectura year and again his performances was nominated es a Walker Cup take notice by lending Cam-(three wickets for 21 and 58 runs possible.

bridge to victory in the Inter- in three innings) did nothing to Varsity match. He loot three strengthen his position as an Dexter, born in Milan and wickets in

his first four overs England player. educated in England,

and enjoyed a scend Imings At 24, he has plenty of time introduced to cricket at the knock of 58 in 43 minutes, in to gain a regular Test berth. age of seven, He kept wicket cluding 20 in one over against Bat inless he can deliver his at Radler

Oxford off-spinner Fiachaüd.

sengers with

greater necuracy

College.

ahire; then he

off-spin bowler,

Berk-

became

First Cap

Astonishing Debut That year he also led Cam- bridge to victory in the later

first

fourth

this At Cambridge.

power- Varsity golf match.

Tus six-footer bowled fully-built lively medium pace and gained arpatation as a big hitter, from the wicket and from the fce. In his year as a freshmau Cam- (1956) he topped the bridge batting with 839 and scored centurles against Mid- dlesex and Sussex.

Dexter bad in 1957 rstonishing debut in the Gentle-

bts Dexter gained England cap

the Test against New Zealand last year, In his one innin be hit 5% 136 in boundaries), But he was Juni for too late; the MCC parly

Australia

named had been the previous day,

CHESS

by LEONARD BARDEN

C. 5128)

Here is a problem by A. P. Guigner (Italia Beacchistica. 1930). White to play and mate In two moves.

London Expresa Serpier.

SHEAFFER'S “SNORKEL"

ал

and intelligence, he will never become another" "Bailey.".

ADELAIDE PRO

TENNIS

TOURNAMENT

Adelaide, Dec. 2. Pancho Gonzales beat Rex Hartwig, 6-4, 6-4, and Low Hoad boat Frank Sedeman by score last night in Pening matches in the Adelaide professional terrats tournament,

His luck changed dramati- the same cally in December when he received an emergency call to reinforce the injured tourists. He broke off a businesa engage- ment in Paris, postponed his wedding, and flew to Australia where he played in the third and Ath Tests.

Not Impressive

Bob Barnes, Australian ogent for the Jack Kramer pro troupe, released figures to show that the Kramer players had been paid a total of $390,000 so far in 1959, and raid that total would grow to $450,000

by the end of the

Year

"It's a

His Journey was hardly

record payment for necessary. He failed as a bowler any one year, and it refutes any and made only 18 runs in four claim that pro tennis

Oil Ale Test innings. His 141 against downgrade," Barnes said,—UFI,

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