Gentleman Jack O'Brien, Great Fighter, Interviewed

1920--

GENTLEMAN JACK O'BRIEN, WHO IS APPEARING AT THE PALACE THEATRE, GIVES A LENGTHY INTERVIEW ON RING BATTLES OF NOTE

Former Champion, and One of the Greatest Fighters That Ever Crawled Through Ropes, Is of Opinion That Present Champion Will Fall Before the French Fighter—O'Brien Is an Actor of No Little Ability, Having Appeared Before All Crowned Heads of Europe—Was Great Worker for Charitable Institutions During War.

Gentleman Jack O'Brien, one of the most unique exponents of the squared ring that has ever visited Olean, was a guest in the Herald office this morning. Mr. O'Brien, who is a gifted and polished conversationalist, discussed a wide range of subjects from keeping in perfect physical trim to the League of Nations and easily demonstrated that he has not traveled the world over in vain.

In a word Mr. O'Brien is an "uplifter" but not of the usual variety. In a thoroughly sane and unbiased manner he discussed the things that have brought ring battles into disrepute and showed the way for a reformation to the ultimate end that these contests in physical strength and endurance might be so staged that they would appeal to the most refined and intelligent, as they did when staged for charity, during the late war, particularly in France and England.

Mr. O'Brien was somewhat guarded in discussing the Willard-Dempsey fight in Toledo but unhesitatingly expressed the opinion that when Dempsey meets Carpentier there is going to be a quick knockout and the Frenchman will win. This opinion is of more than ordinary value due to the fact that during the war Mr. O'Brien boxed Carpentier, in France, for the benefit of the Red Cross.

Among the famous fighters that Mr. O'Brien has met in the ring are Sam Langford, Stanley Ketchel, Kid McCoy, Bob Fitzsimmons and Tommy Ryan and in speaking of some of these events he said that in the days gone by there was no fiddling over a big bonus, or vast sums to be paid to the loser, but just a case of taking on the best fighter at hand for the best terms offered, with the whole idea of pleasing and satisfying the public.

He discussed boxing as an aid to long life and incidentally suggested that he had made no great sums out of fighting and that the best of his work had been done in the interest of some public benefit or charity, just as he boxed, during the late war, for the benefit of the Red Cross, War Chests and Liberty Loan drives. Mr. O'Brien was in the aviation corps, during the war, and he was requested to aid the various loans and drives, particularly in the United States. At one benefit performance, for the Red Cross $125,000 was raised, largely through his efforts.

At the present time Mr. O'Brien is signed to meet Joe Beckett, heavyweight champion of England, in London on July 4th, but anticipates that so far as England is concerned the fight will be stopped because of his announced intention of giving his share of the proceeds to the Irish organizations, to use in their fight for the freedom of Ireland. He says, however, that the fight will be held somewhere if called off in England.

Mr. O'Brien, who is appearing in a remarkably interesting monologue at the Palace Theatre, has appeared before President Wilson, William Jennings Bryan, Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, Sir Henry Irving, the late Theodore Roosevelt, former president, William Taft, in this country, as well as the King and Queen of England, Madame Barnhardt, Queen Alexandria and other titled personages, in the old world, from all of whom he holds personal letters of appreciation.

In every sense of the word Mr. O'Brien satisfactorily fills his title of "Gentleman" and in his conversation, stage work and writings easily demonstrates that he is as much at home in a drawing room as in the ring, and a person not only of rare attainments but of wonderful personality.

--Olean Evening Herald, Olean, New York, December 13, 1920, page 11.