12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

ag: 12 SPORTS ACES 2 Oo Oe oes Oe Oss Bes 01 Bs BH ee Bes Gee Bnet he Bo Bors Om BO 11 Ors OE OG os Bi Fess Pa Bee GAs Er Oe Ce Gs 1B Ger Be hb GO AB per i 42 Bt Bt Bee Gor bee herdse - ause he thought Brian was such a crack- pot. But in the words of Alders to this re- porter, “I ain’t in khaki yet, but nobody can tay no dirty Nazi tongue on America when Battler Alders is there, so I let him have one. The lug tried to fight back—I’ll give ’im that—so I had to clip him a couple of real ones.” It is understood that no charges will be made against Brian, but Dr. Rice emphatical- ly stated that any possible relation between Ruxford College and Brian were unthink- able. : A Chronicle cameraman just happened to be on the scene and obtained the above pic- ture which... ; “That ‘just happened to be on the scene’ line is pure baloney,” Tim McCarty said. “I’ll tell you about that in a minute, What about it, doc?” “It’s the most fantastic tissue of lies I can imagine,” Brian said. He told them briefiy what had actually passed between him and Battler Alders. “That is the ab- solute truth.” Tim McCarty nodded, “I was with Alders and I didn’t hear anything like he claims in this story, The thing stinks, and I told the boss so when he didn’t print the other shots I got. He fired me when I refused to turn over the plates. Somebody knew what was coming off when I was assigned to stick with Alders and got a shot of anything inter- esting.” McCarty eyed the youthful Ph.D. a space, suddenly said, ‘““What did you ever do to B, J. Benson? Any reason why he’d be after your scalp?” “I never heard of the man. I wouldn’t know him if I saw him.” _“Benson is a big-shot around here. Fienty big. And for my dough, Benson is behind this smelly setup.” — McCarty reached into the inside poc- ket of his coat and brought out two pic- tures. One showed the head of Battler Alders snapping back from the jarring right uppercut Brian had landed, and the ather showed the Battler sprawied flat. in the background of the second picture was a well-dressed, full-faced man. His suit did not conceal the paunch of his belly. “That’s Benson.” McCarty pointed to the man in the background. “Know him?” “I never saw him in my life,” Tim McCarty looked at Spike Babb, shrugged. “Okay, Spike, I’m satisfied, Looks like there must be sometiring in the angle you’ve got. It’s squirrelly sounding, but —give it to the doe and let’s see what he says.” PIKE BABB leoked off across the room 2a moment, then he looked searchingly into the face of Mathew Rourke Brian. “IT knowed this afternoon when I glimmed you in Faculty Lounge that you reminded me of someone. Then tonight when Tim brought me that newspaper yarn and I read your full name—well, maybe it is squirrelly Hke Bim says, but you oughta be able to set me straight whether it’s off the beam or not.” Spike Babb drew a long breath and began: “Twenty-two years ago it was, when Jack Dempsey was in his prime and Tex Rickard held off the big fights until he built ’em inte million dollar gates. Mind, I don’t say that the man I’m telling about could have taken the Manassa Mauler, but I’m saying that he had the potential stuff to give any man he stepped into the ring with a great battle. “He was a big rugged black-haired Trishman and he loved to fight. He came out of the West and stood the Eastern heavyweights on their ears. He won ten straight fights and eight of ‘em was K.Q,’s. He carried dynamite in both fists, hut he had the hardest right I ever saw— and I’ve seen Joe Louis, too.” The little boxing coach seowled even at a memery. “This big Irisher was set for the big stuff, maybe even a shot at Dempsey’s title, when the thing happened. He fought a palooka by name ef Killer Birk in the Garden, and this Killer Birk didn’t have no business in the same ring. By Judas! He went by-bye in the seeond minute of the first round, a elean knockout from a short right to the solar plexus that may- be tvavelled eight inches. I was at the , ringside and I saw it. ) =~ comicbooks com