Dempsey and the Wild Bull by John Jarrett

Author:John Jarrett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pitch Publishing
Published: 2015-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

13

Rickard In Court – Dempsey in Europe

AS the year 1922 got under way, Dempsey’s name in the headlines was sensationally replaced by that of his promoter. ‘TEX RICKARD INDICTED IN GIRL CASES Geo. L. (Tex) Rickard, famous boxing promoter, was indicted by the grand jury today on charges made by young girls. Two indictments were voted against Rickard. Each contains three counts. They were based on the testimony of Alice Ruck and Sarah Schoenfeld, 15-year-old girls. These girls say Rickard lured them to his office in the tower of Madison Square Garden, which was formerly the studio of Stanford White, in which parties, described in the famous Thaw trial, occurred. They also allege he took them to an apartment house on 40th Street. Rickard’s attorneys were notified to have him appear in the Supreme Court at once to plead to the charges. He is already out on $10,000 bail, which he supplied when first arrested.’308

A few days after the hearing, Rickard was approached by three men who demanded $50,000 to ‘get him off the hook’. The promoter steadfastly refused their threats, saying he was willing to have his day in court.

Rickard’s trial began on 20 March in the Criminal Branch of the New York State Supreme Court before Justice Isidore Wasservogel. Chief assistant district attorney Ferdinand A. Pecora insisted that Tex be held without bail, meaning the promoter had to spend nights in The Tombs, New York City’s gloomy old prison. This so upset friends of Rickard’s that they authorized his lawyer, Max D. Steuer, to offer bail in any amount up to half a million dollars. The offers were refused by the prosecution. With four indictments against Rickard, it was decided to take up first the one charging assault upon 15-year-old Sarah Schoenfeld.

‘A remarkable feature of the case,’ wrote Samuels, ‘was the staunch loyalty of Tex’s wealthy and influential friends. Some of them wired from Alaska, South America, Nevada, and other places that they would travel around the earth, if necessary, to testify to his good character.’309

Rickard’s ordeal lasted eight days. On 29 March, Associated Press reported, ‘Seldom has there been such a demonstration in the court house as that staged when the jury brought in its verdict freeing Rickard. Hundreds had lingered about the big building, thinking the jury would not deliberate long before reaching an agreement. When the first syllable of the verdict fell from the lips of the jury’s foreman, the word was shouted through the corridors and passed along to the throng waiting in the street outside. Rickard was almost overwhelmed by his friends, but made his way through the crowd to a telephone, where he called his apartment and informed Mrs Rickard of his acquittal.’310

Before leaving the courtroom, Tex addressed the assembled reporters, saying, ‘Thank you all. God bless you. You have all been very nice to me. I’ve never been happier in my life. Boys, I have shot craps for $35,000 a roll and I was never in any greater suspense than when the jury returned to the courtroom.

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