TOM HEENEY WELCOMED

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 58, 18 September 1928, Page 9

TOM HEENEY WELCOMED

BOXER AND SPORTSMAN In the eyes of the sportsmen of New Zealaud Tom Heency is as great in defeat as he could have been in victory. Two memorable gatherings proved that last night. Every available scat was taken in the Town Hall, where au amateur tournament was staged in order that the fancy could show their appreciation of the New Zealander's ellort in the quest ot the heavyweight boxing championship of the world and at the ccomphmeutary ! social afterwards there assembled perhaps the greatest gathering of representative sportsmen New Zealand has ever known. The Prime Minister (.the lit. Hon. J. G. Coates) presided, and among those present were the Hou. A. D. AX'Leod, Hon. J. A. Young, Hon. K. S. Williams, Sir i Charles Jstatham, Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, Sir John Luke, the Mayor (Mr. G. A. TroupJ, Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., and representatives from every branch oi | sport. During the evening Wight-Lieu-tenant C. Ulm arrived with Major T. M. Wilkes, and he was enthusiastically received. In proposing the toast of Tom Heency. the Prime Minister said that New Zealand's representative had been a worthy successor to such men as Bob Fitzsimnions, Billy Murphy, Otto Cribb, and Dave Smith. For a small country the Dominion had produced several outstanding ringmen, and the promise of Charlie Purdy and the achievements of A. Cleverley and X Morgan showed that the country was still being splendidly represented. They had hoped that Hceney would win, not only for himself, but for the country to which;he belonged, but he had- taken his defeat as a true sportsman. By his conduct in America he had done much for New Zealand. He had worked his way up to the position of challenger, and when he had failed against the champion he had shown courage and splendid character. Heeney had done more than any other man to make New Zealand known to the great nation of America, lie was one of Nature's gentlemen and a great sport, of whom New Zealand was proud and the world admired. Mr. H. E. Holland heartily endorsed the welcome extended to Heeney and his wife. He wished the New Zealander the fullest measure of success when ho returned to America to make another bid for the championship. „ The Mayor, Mr. G. A. Troup, said that Heeney in defeat had not been disgraced, but had added lustre to his former prowess, and stood to-day a greater man than he did before his contest with Tunney. When two men went into the ring one had to lose, and Heeney had taken his deteat in a way that had endeared him to the hearts of all sportsmen. The well-known referee, Mr. Earl Stewart, speaking on behalf of boxers generally, said that Heeney from his days as an' amateur to the present had been the epitome of a gentleman. "Honest Tom, he had been called, and the title well suited him. Mr. li. A. Armstrong said- that Tom Heeney in his contest with Tunney was an exemplification of the late William Ernest Henley's line, "His head is bloody, but unbowed." HEENEY REPLIES. Prolonged applause greeted Tom Heeney as he rose to reply. Ho said that he owed a great deal of gratitude to his many friends in Gisborne and to mm like Mr. Earl Stewart and Mr. Alan Maxwell for the way in which they had encouraged him. It was Mr. Stewart who had told him to go abroad and who had given him a letter of introduction to Mr. Bernard Mortimer. Heeney paid a tribute to the sportsmanship of tlie American people. He and his three brothers had been given wonderful welcomes wherever they went. "In my first fight with Paolino," ho said, "I lost the decision, and I was sorry at the time, because 1 had 100 dollars on myself, but the p-apevs said that I got such a raw deal that Paolino must have been sorry in the end that ho won. You have all heard ot Tex Kickard; well, he id ;\ very fine man. When ho says 'Yes,' he carries out his word, although it is not often that he does say 'Yes.' Fully 90 per cent, of the American people hoped that I would win. I found Tunney a fair sort o£ a.fellow, but others said that he is a 'high hat' who reads Shakespeare. I don't believe that he does. When I went to America they asked me if I had read Shakespeare and I replied 'No.' I was then asked if I knew anything about him. and I replied that I knew he was dead. "When I go back to the United States. 1 will train as I have never trained before. T will put zip into my work, as I will know that thousands of good old Now Zealanders will be following me closely. If I do not win you can rest assured that I was a trier." Lieutenant Ulm, who was prevailed upon to speak, said that he could bear out Heeney's. remarks in regard to the sportsmanship of the Americans. Frankly he had not thought that Heeuoy would win. and he had won five dollars on the contest. "I don't know why in the devil I am here," said the aviator, '"I would rather fight Tom Hceuoy for one. second than talk, but I wish Tom Uerney every success when he goes to America again, and as far as I am concerned ] hope that he will win, not as a Now Zealander, but as an Anzac." The toast, "The New Zealand and Wellington "Boxing Associations." was proposed hv Mr. T. M. Wilford. and replied to by Mi1. D. R. Howard (New Zealand Council) and Mr. W. G. Talbot (secretary of the Wellington Boxing Association). Sir Joseph Ward gave the toast, "The Gishorne Boxing Association," and the Hon. K. S. Williams and Mr. B. Aialabie responded. "The Chairman" was proposed by Mr. J. G. Duncan.