MRS. "TOM."

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 214, 10 September 1928, Page 11

MRS. "TOM."

PȣTTY AMERICAN GIRL. CHARM BEWITCHES THE CROWD. "I will not say that Tom would have won, but I think he could have lasted out the full distance if the referee had not made him stop." It was Mrs. Tom Heeney who was speaking, the pretty New York girl whom Tom married a few days after his championship fight. A hundred per cent American, Mrs. Heeney is an orphan. Standing alongside the burly Tom she looked rather smaller than she really is. Dark brown curls peeped from underneath her smart black toque, and she smiled charmingly in response to the cheers of the crowd on the wharf. "Everyone has been very lovely to us," said Mrs. ( Heeney. "Coming across the States, there were crowds at every station, no matter how small, to give us a welcome. It we were asleep they would knock at our door until we appeared. At one station Tom was surrounded by a crowd of Indians, who whooped about him in a lively war dance." "We also got a wonderful reception lat Suva," mentioned Mrs. Heeney. "One of the New Zealand cruisers was in port at the time, and the bluejackets gave us a rousing send off." Mrs. Heeney, who is probably a couple of years younger than Tom, was born in New York, and went to college there. She first met Tom a few days after he landed in America, being introduced to him at an informal party by Mr. Frank Kane, whose son manages Sammy Mandell, the American light-weight champion. She and Tom were friendly from the first day they met, and they eventually decided to get married after the fight, but to keep it very quiet. "We tried not to let anyone know about our wedding, but it got out, and there were photographers outside our hotel for two days," she said. "The Americans think so much of Tom that one big manufacturer is going to put a Kia Ora silk on the market," added Mrs. Heeney. Talking of boxing, Mrs. Heeney said that she had always been interested in the sport, and naturally was a lot more so since she had married Tom. She was quite in favour of her husband returning to America for more fights, as it was his business. Within a few minutes last evening, Mrs. Heeney won the hearts of the big crowd that had assembled to welcome her husband home. Her happy smile and quiet, almost shy, manner worked magic with those on the wharf, and she was given a rousing cheer. On the wharf she was presented with a bouquet, over which she smiled as she drove off with Tom and Mrs. Heeney senior. Clearly, the rtew Mrs. Heeney was as popular as her husband.

"HULLO GISBORNE."

HEENEY ON THE AIR. "Hullo New Zealand and Gisborne," said Tom Heeney, speaking into the microphone at the Auckland Broadcasting Co.'s studio last evening. Tom thanked the people of Auckland for the great welcome they had given him, and said that he was returning to America to make another bid for the title. Mrs. Heeney, and Tom's brother-Jack r were also heard over the air. >

SCENE ON PRINCE'S WHARF.

OFFICIALS POWERLESS. "No such scenes have ever been witnessed on Auckland wharves within recent years," said a Harbour Board official referring to the reception afforded Tom Heeney when the Aorangi berthed at Prince's wharf last night. The mob went almost mad, and the only wonder is that there was no one killed. Fortunately a heavy shower of rain shortly after 6 p.m. dispersed some of the crowd or I don't know what we would have done."

Two thousand people bought tickets for admission to the wharf, and then the gates were closed. Those inside swarmed all over the sheds and up the cranes, in imminent peril of being electrocuted by the high power electric wires. Later in the evening the gates had to be opened to allow the mail van on to the wharf, and the crowd took charge. The united strength of about a ; dozen constables and Harbour Board officials was futile to stop the rush, and when some of the latter got in the way fists began to fly. Several of the gate-keepers bore knuckle marks on their faces this morning. In the rush several women fainted and were trodden down. Some were rescued by the officials, but others were rolled in the mud and emerged very bedraggled. "The women fought worse than the men," said one of the gatekeepers, "and I have bruises all over my ribs from trying to stop a party of elderly ladies."