12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 49: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE PUNCH PROFESSOR 41 just didn’t make sease. Why should a per- fect stranger suddenly attack him like a madman and everybody treat him like a leper? He picked up a typed note from the dresser. At the top was a printed tet- terhead: Office of the President, Ruzford Gollege. Brian read it for the twentieth time. Sir: Gonfirming the message given yeu over the phone by my seoretary, this is to inform you officially that ang eonnection Ruxford ‘College may have contemplated with you is irrevocably severed. You must realize that Ruxford cannot be associated with a man such as precipitated the affair in which you were itivolved this afternoon. Please refrain from attempting to com- municate further in any way with this of- fite. The matter fs officially closed. Yours truly, JONATHAN BR. RICE President, Ruxford Golléza. The note had been delivered to Brian an hour ago by special messenger. He had phoned the office of the president imme- diately upon reaching his room after the brawl and explained that he had been accidentally delayed. He asked for an ap- pointment later, After some delay, a feminine voice informed him that the president was not interested in arrang- ing another appointment and broke the connection. When Brian attempted to reach the president himself, he was in- formed that Ruxford’s head man wanted no part of him. Mathew Rourke Brian flung the note back on the table. He ran the fingers of one hand despairingly through the crin- kiy brown hair of hie head and a bleak tirhtness waa in his eyes. Little bunches of muscle bulged along tlie long slope of his jaw. He didn’t intend to take this thing lying down. The trouble was, where to start? The rap of knuckles on his door broke off Brian’s train of thought. He opened the door. Spike Babb and a big slouchy man stood in the hall. The wiry little box- ing coach said: “Can we come in, Brian? This is Tim McCarty, he’s a newspaperman, We got something we want to go over with you.” Tim McCarty was a big blockhouse of aman with shaggy sandy hair and nine thousand freckles dotted over his broad | face. He affected a slouchy carriage and ‘;ooked soft, but the grip he gave Brian as they shook hands belied the flabby appearance, He had keen gray eyes and they surveyed the young professor thor- oughly. Brian said, “Come in. Newspapermen know what goes on, don’t they, Mr. Me- Carty? Perhaps you can give me some idea of what has happened to me.” Tim McCarty eyed him curiously, shrugged. Ss “I figured you could tell me what goes on,” he said. He pulled a folded newspa- per from his pocket, added, “Have you seen this?” T WAS the night’s copy of the Rux- ford Chronicle. A two-column cut was above a story headed: Battler Alders Addles Nazi Sympathizer. The picture showed Mathew Rourke Brian dazedly pushing himself to his feet with Battler Aiders standing over him. Brian read the story beneath the picture: Battler Adlers, in town for the annual ring show sponsored by Ruxford College Athletic Association, this afternoon per- formed a service for Ruxford Coljlege and Ruxford community. According to Alders— and his account of the affair is conroborated ty B. J. Benson, prominent restauranteur ‘and member of Ruxford College Board—~ Alders was descending the steps of Admin- istration Hall when he was rudely bumped by @ man later identified as Dr. Mathew Rourke Brian. Brian was on his way to an . appointment with Dr. Rice regarding a pro- fessional positon on the college staff. It is alleged by Alders that Brian snarlc” an insult to Alders when Alders attempted 2 courteous apology although he did not feel that he was at fault. Brian allegedly said, “When our New Order comes to America, iouts of your character will not brush aside college professors!” Alders thought he had misunderstood, but Brian is alleged to have continued in the same vein, “Hitler’s New Order will put American swine in their place!” Battler Alders, like all men in the public eye as a professienal boxer, is constantly by men who think it is a badge of something or other to insult and even swing | om 8 fighter. He hesitated to take action be- Gomichooks:co ‘