BoxRec

"Deacan" Jack Hurley was one of the most famous and
colorful boxing men during his long career. In addition
to being an acknowledged master as a manager, trainer,
promoter, and cornerman, Hurley also had few peers
when it came to cultivating the press. In addition,
Hurley's unique personality was a source of endless
fascination for many of the top sportswriters of his day.
As a result, there was a endless number of amusing
stories about him over the years.

It is true that Jack Hurley never managed a champion.
He also managed only one truly great fighter, Billy
Petrolle. Is this the reason that Hurley is nearly
forgotten today? Yes, it may be that we are in
an era where only the bottom line as we see it
counts.

Yet to ignore Jack Hurley is to forsake the
folklore in boxing. It should also be pointed
out that Hurley seemed to care little about
having his fighters go for championships if
the money wasn't there. Of course,
championships were not plentiful in the
days before the alphabet bodies and
when there are many more than eight
weight divisions.

It may be that younger boxing writers know
very little about Jack Hurley. If you want to
know more about Hurley, seek out W. C. "Bill"
Heintz's book, ONCE THEY HEARD CHEERS.

- Chuck Johnston

last year i was looking for info on the deacon and managed to obtain several interesting news items about him. he was to say the least one of the major characters of his time.

He got the deacon name on account of the fact he would sound of any any subject and was at times very funny with regard to what he said. I will dig out some of the comments he made and post them as they are well worth the read.

was not aware of the book so cheers for that a pal of mine will be keen to get it.

Published Dec 5 , 1951
By Jack Hewins

Until you’ve met
the old professor, Jack Hurley,
you just haven't been around.
He's boxing at its best; sharp,
suave, honest, uncompromising.
As dour looking as a plate of
piddes, he has a sense of humor
like a stiletto. He stood up at a
meeting of sports writers one day
and declared they were a bunch
of free-loaders, interested only in
complimentary tickets. They
chuckled and patted their palms.
Anybody else they would have applauded
with a handful of smashed
potatoes.

To say Hurley is the man behind
Harry "Kid" Matthews is
to underrate the gay. He is Matthews.
He does everything- bat
the pitching and catching of
blows in the ring, and we don't
mean this sardonically. Harry's
sudden Jump to fame after long
years of plugging dates from his
meeting with Hurley.

Harry is the perfect fighting machine,
but the thing that has made
him great is his ability to absorb
teaching and follow instructions.
He has subordinated all his own
ring knowledge to put himself completely
in Hurley's hands. He]
doesn't even bother thinking about
who or when he's fighting next If
you think the Kid is unsmart you
should see his bank account.

Full Time Job
Hurley works at the job of being
Harry Matthews 24 hours a day.
We've had calls from the guy at
home in the middle of the night,
and so have other writers all
around the country. The guy's
phone bill must be monstrous. He
confided once he had $20,000 invested
in Harry before he began
getting dividends.

He takes 50 per cent of the
Matthews earnings and out of it
foots the bills. This arrangement
startled Harry when he first
went to Hurley and offered the
old professor his contract. He
suggested the usual 33 1/3% per
cent was sufficient. "How much
you earning now?" asked Hurley.
"Nothin'," said Harry.
"How much," stabbed Jack, "is
50 per cent of nothin'?"

In the Matthew corner on fight
night he reaches full stature.
You've heard how he talked the
Kid into believing when he was
all but exhausted during the Bob
Murphy fight that he had his second
wind and was in better shape
than Murphy. No doubt Jack had
to do some mental gymnastics this
week when Danny Nardico was
giving the kid a large, bad evening.

It's an odd thing to say about a
man who fought for 13 years before
meeting his Svengali, but it
was Hurley who taught Matthews
to fight. He told the Kid he was
nothing but a novice (made him a
bit mad. Incidentally) and started
him all over.

Was Unfancy Dan

"The object of this same is to
hurt and be hurt," he told Harry
the Kid. "You're nothing but
fancy Dan, and not very fancy."
They spent hour after rugged
hour in the gym, teaching an experienced
fighter how to throw a
punch. The fact that Harry was
young enough - he's 28 now - and
willing to learn saved the partnership
and made the fighter.

This is unusual in the fight game
- a manager doing all the chores
for his man. The common practice
is to turn the boy over to a
trainer so the manager will have
enough time for the mental work -
and for many of them there isn't
that much time. Once - just once -
we asked professor Jack why he
didn't hire a trainer.
"A trainer," ha said, "is a
man with a towel across his shoulders.
Anybody can wrap a towel
around his neck and fill his mouth
with toothpick swabs. I should let
one of those bums ruin my lifes work.

A friend of mine is planning a book on Hurley...

thats good to hear as it should make for a very interesting read. i will put some more stories about him on asap.

These are some more short stories about the Deacon which I hope you enjoy.

There were 3 things he hated in life
Women
Daylight
Amateurs.

He took the position that everyone in the world was a pickpocket in one form or another whether they ran railroads or a streetcorner horse book. They called him the Deacon because he could deliver sermons on the evils of marriage, of leading with your right and of working for nothing. “God deliver me from amateurs” he would say.

He was the best there was at moving a bum fighter into the big money. He maneuvered Harry Kid Mathews into a shot with Marciano who had as much business in a ring with Marciano as he had standing on a railroad track. When he was taken out in 2 rounds Hurley shrugged and said “ The Kid turned amateur on me. I taught him how to beat marciano but he panicked.Did you ever see a fighter of mine walk backwards against a puncher before”.

When he was 80 a young lady knocked at his door. She said “Oh I’am sorry I’ve got the wrong room” Hurley shook his head “No the wrong year”

In 1966, the great sportswriter, Bill Heintz, went
to Seattle to see Jack Hurley, who was managing
and training a promising heavyweight, Boone Kirkman,
at the time. On the same trip, Heintz would accompany
Hurley on a plane trip to Idaho where Kirkman had a bout.

In his book, Once They Heard Cheers, Heintz wrote
an highly entertaining chapter on Hurley. Heintz's
observations about Hurley during the 1966 trip
formed much of the chapter.

Yes, Hurley professed a distain for females, whom
he called "creatures." At the same time, he felt
sorry for the males ("mules") who were married
to "creatures." Hurley would make endless
observations about the "creatures" and their
ability to make the "mules" do their bidding.

Hurley was at the airport in Seattle in order to
pick up Heintz during the ca. 1966 trip. It was
obvious that Heintz and Hurley knew each other
very well at the time.

Heintz had written a high regarded boxing novel
called THE PROFESSIONAL. One of the major
characters in the book was based on Jack
Hurley.

I recommend that one read Bill Heintz's
book, ONCE THEY HEARD CHEERS.
Besides the chapter on Hurley, Heintz
writes about visiting and visiting ex-athletes.
Of course, Heintz is a terrific writer.

- Chuck Johnston

In the book, Once They Heard Cheers, Bill Heintz quotes
Jack Hurley as follows: " Isn't it terrible, the condition the
fight game is in today? You wouldn't believe it, would
you? A lot of Johnny-come-lately booking agents who
call themselves mangaers and don't know the first thing
about it. Amateurs! Why, amateurs just clutter up the
world. They louse up everything they put their hands to.
Look at what that television did, too, and it'll do it to pro
football next. Why, you can't give away your product free
and have people still respect it. That TV cheapens
everything it touches. It would even cheapen the Second
Coming."

- Chuck Johnston

yes I have a cutting somewhere about his dislike of the tv showing boxing. I will get it and post it asap

yet another of his little gems

According to Bill Heintz, Jack Hurley hated to eat alone.
As a result, Ray Arcel called Hurley, "The Life-Taker."
After an operation took that took two-thirds of his
stomach because of ulcers, Hurley had to eat
three times a day.

Ray Arcel told Heintz, "It was during the
Depression, and Jack had just retired (Billy)
Petrolle and had money, so he'd take these
poor guys who were half-strving to eat with him.
Jack would have a bowl of soup, or milk and
crackers, but they'd order big steaks. One
guy ate so much that Jack had to buy him a
new suit of clothes, and another one actually
ate himself to death."

- Chuck Johnston

I made at least a couple errors in my previous post
on Jack Hurley. After the operation removed two-
thirds of his stomach, he had to eat SIX times a
day, not three. I also misspelled the word, "starving."

- Chuck Johnston

he was quite a guy. Just found the item I was looking for by the way. I will see what else i can find on him. His comments - and there is no shortage it appears- are great.

I collected them when looking for things about Vince Foster as it happens.

When Bill Heintz visited Jack Hurley in 1966, Hurley had
an operation on his right eye for cataracts just before the
visit.

Heintz: Who hit you in the eye?

Hurley: Cataracts, so I decided to go for the operation

Heintz: Good! That's one they've become very proficient
at.


Hurley: Don't I know about that? So what happens? When
it's over, I say to the doctor, "Now, Doc, I understand that
after ninety per cent of the operations, the patient's sight
can be corrected with glasses to 20-20. Is that right?"

So he (the doctor) says, "Well, no" So I say, "All right.
How good is my sight gonna be?" He (the doctor) says,
"Well, pretty good."

Now you know wouldn't you know that (Hurley said this
sentence with "that pinched look of disgust coming over
his face.")? Ninety per cent are successful, but I have
to be in the other ten per cent. Why?

Heintz: I don't know.

Hurley: Now tell me something else. What does he mean
by "pretty good." Just how good is "pretty good?"

Heintz: I don't know that, either.

Hurley: I can't see a damned thing. Oh, hell. I can see
some, but at the hotel I've already fallen down the stairs
twice, and now I've gotta have the other eye done. How
about that "pretty good" though?

- Chuck Johnston

Bill Heintz and Jack Hurley were on their way to the
airport to take plane to Idaho for one of Boone
Kirkman's bouts. Hurley looked at the heavy
traffic going into town in the morning and make
the following comment, "Look at the mules. Isn't
that terrible? At 4:30, they'll heading the other way
to take those paychecks back to the creatures. When
I started out, my mother wanted me to get a steady
job. I said, 'Mom, a steady job is a jail. I see these
fellas I grew up with here, and they're in prison ten
hours a day. I want to see something, go somewhere,
and I can make a living doing it.' "

- Chuck Johnston

When on the plane flight to Idaho, Jack Hurley was
trying to take a nap, but a kid and his mother
interrupted Hurley's sleep.

Kid: Eeee choo-choo, Mommy? Eee choochoo?

Woman: No. Not choo-choo, dear. Airplane.

Kid: Eeee choo-choo?

Hurley (After opening his eyes while having that
pinched look on his face): Isn't that something?
With the whole plane to pick from, I gotta draw
a creature and her kid. Wouldn't you know it?
Ninety per cent of those eye operations are
successful, too, but I gotta be in the other ten
per cent."

But Hurley's rheumatism was acting up ano more than
twenty minutes after the plane took off and he had
to stand in the aisle, so he would not have got much
in the way of sleep, anyway.

As Heintz and Hurley got off the plane in Boise,
there was the following conversation:

Hurley: Isn't that terrible? A whole plane, and that
creature and the kid have to sit behind us.

Heintz: But he was a cute kid.

Hurley: Yeah, you're right. I took look at him, and
he was.

- Chuck Johnston

In 1966, Jack Hurley and Bill Heintz were sitting
in a lobby with some of Jack's cronies. Hurley
was talking about the pitfalls and heartbreaks
when training and moving a fighter:

Heintz: And how about women? Have you
explained women to this fighter (Boone
Kirkman)?

Hurley: The creatures? I explained it all to
him. I've told him, "Look, marriage is for
women and kids, and it is expensive. You've
got to be able to afford it. Your best chance
is to make a lot of money is to become a good
fighter, and then you'll be able to afford marriage."
He understands that point.

Hurley: Did I ever tell you about the fighter I had who
started looking at the creatures, and one day
he went to the movies? When he came back, I
said, "How was the picture?"

Fighter: It was good. It was a Western.

Hurley: Any dames in it?

Fighter: Yeah, one."

Hurley: How many guys were after the dame?

Fighter: Three

Hurley: Anybody get killed?

Fighter: Two

Hurley: The dame one of them?

Fighter: No. Just two of the guys.

Hurley: "There! Doesn't it figure? Don't you see how the
odds are stacked for those creatures?" It didn't do any
good.

- Chuck Johnston

Jack Hurley and Bill Heintz were sitting in the
lobby of the Olympic Hotel with the same
cronies. Hurley tells the following story:

"Then I had another fighter who was starting
to think he was in love. You can tell when they don't
have their minds on their work, so one day we were
walking along the street and the light changes and
I said, "Wait a minute." Next to us is this creature
with a little creature, about three or four years old,
and the little creature is all dolled up and has a
little pocketbook. I nudge the fighter, and I said
to the little one, "Hello, little girl. That's a nice
pocketbook you have there. Do you have any
money in it?" So she says, "Yes! Three
pennies."

So the light changes again and they go on their way,
but I say to the fighter, "Don't move." Here comes
another creature now with a little boy, and the light
changes again and they stop. I nudged the fighter
again, and I say to the little boy, "Say son, that's a
nice new suit you are wearing. Do you have any
money in pocket?" The little kid looks up at me, and
he shakes head, and says, "Nope."

So I said to the fighter, "You see that? That little
creature with pocketbook is being educated in how to
handle money. This poor little mule here is being
taught nothing. All he'll be taught when he grows
up is to bring the paycheck home each week to
the creature. Don't you see that?" You know
what the fighter said?

Heintz- No

Hurley- He said, "But, Jack, my girl is different."
light changes again, and this time I go MY way.
Isn't that terrible?

- Chuck Johnston

great stuff chuck.....clearly a bit of a fan.

I will get the articles i have and send you them in a day or so. Aside from the humour of his various comments on all things in life he appears to have done quite well in the training side of things.

I assume you have the book.....does it give a good account of the fighters he trained/managed and if so what date was it published. Any idea of what the current cost is etc.

What is the thing he had about women.

Robert- It appears that Hurley treated women well as
individuals and would exchange pleasantries with
them. Moreover, Heintz says that Hurley made
sure that a waitress were tipped properly.

The chapter on Hurley has some details about
Billy Petrolle and Harry "Kid" Matthews.

Believe it or not, I bought ONCE THEY HEARD
THE CHEERS when it had a huge markdown
a long time ago. I would think that you could
check the Amazon website to see if they have
the book. Let me know if you want me to
photocopy the Hurley chapter for you.

Thank you for making the effort to send the
articles to me.

- Chuck Johnston

hi chuck........no problem about sending the articles. got a few more earlier as it happens. If you can copy that stuff for me i would be very pleased.

I will need to re type some of the ones I have hence the delay in posting them here. I will send a few at the moment and others in due course.

About 1949, Jack Hurley moved out to Seattle from
Chicago in order to manage Harry "Kid" Matthews,
leaving his wife. By 1966, Hurley had been living
in room 679 of the Olympic Hotel for seventeen
years since he came to Seattle. Hurley told the
following story about being taken back to Chicago
for desertion:

Hurley- So I'm hustling to make a living in Seattle
when one day these two detectives from Chicago show
up. They've got a paper charging me with desertion,
and they drag me back. Now I'm in Chicago again,
and late one afternoon I come into the lobby of the
hotel where we're living. All the creatures are
sittin' around there- they've got nothing else to
do- and as soon as I walk in I see them lookin'
at one another and their heads start going. One
of them says to me, "Oh, Mr. Hurley. When you
get upstairs you won't find you wife there." I say,
"Is that so?" She says, "Yes, she's left you."

You see? She can't wait to let me find it out for
myself. So I say, "Is that so?" She says, "Yes,
she's gone to Miami." I say, "Thank you." I
turn right around and I go to the station house.
I walk up to the desk segeant, and I say, "I want
to report that my wife has just left me." So the
desk segeant says, "So what?" I say, "So what?
I'll tell you what. You know those two donkeys
you sent out to Seattle to bring me back? Now
I want you to send them down to Miami to bring
my wife back." You know what he said?

Heintz- No.

Hurley- He said, "Liston, Hurley. You get out of
here before I lock you up" Now, isn't that terrible?
What kind of justice is that?

- Chuck Johnston

Bill Heintz wrote the following on Hurley:

Of all of those I came to know in sports nobody ever
fascinated me as did Jack Hurley. He seemed to me
a literary character, as if he had stepped out of the
pages of a novel, and I put him in one about a prize
fighter and his manager. A novel, of course, should
be larger than life but there was no way I could make
my Doc Carroll bigger than Jack.

There were the last days I spent with him in Seattle
and Boise in September of 1966, and all week I kept
telling myself that I had written the book ten years
too soon. He was moving his last fighter then, a
heavyweight named Boone Kirkman, and when I
got off the plane he was at the airport. I hadn't
see him in eight years, but there he was at the
edge of the crow, tall and bony, craning his neck
and then waving. He looked a lot older and thinner
and paler, and there was dark green glass over the
right lens of his bifocals. "How are you?" I said, as
we shook hands.

With Jack I always knew what the answer to that
one would be. The moment I would ask the question,
I would get the feeling that I was a straight man in
an act. "No good," he said.

- Chuck Johnston

Bill Heintz wrote about accompanying Hurley to
a cafeteria:

That first afternoon I walked Jack down Fourth
Avenue to his favorite cafeteria, and watched
him have a bowl of soup and a sandwich and a
cup of tea. Then we walked over to the Eagles
Temple at Seventh and Union, where the fighter
trained, and all along the way people recognized
Jack. "How are you, Jack?" they'd say. "No good,"
he'd say.

One noon we sat down in the restaurant in the
Olympic Hotel. He had been living in that hotel
for so long by then that just about everyon on the
staff knew him, and when the waitress came over
she was smiling. "Why, Mr. Hurley!" she said.
"Hello, Hilda," Jack said. "Mr. Hurley," she said,
"you won't like what I'm going to say." "What's
that?" Jack said, squinting up at her.

Waitress- You're looking much better than the last time I
saw you.

Hurley to Heintz- Isn't that terrible? You know I set
the world's record for those sinus operations. They
found out with me that there is no sense in operating.
I was a guinea pig for medical science, just a living
sacriface to make the world safe for guys with bad
noses.

- Chuck Johnston

After the success of Hurley's promotion featuring the
World Heavyweight Champion bout between
Floyd Patterson, the champion, and Pete
Rademacher, the challenger who was in first
pro bout, Heintz quoted Hurley as follows
after the bout was over:

Just think. An amateur (Rademacher) did this for me.
I guess it shows there's some good in everybody.
Somebody told me that he went to college, too, and
took a course in how to be an animal husband. Now
what kind of a college course is that?

Bill Heintz had a conversation with Jack Hurley's
brother, Hank, a number of years after Jack had
died. Hank told Heintz about what happened at
the Olympic Hotel after Jack died.

Hank Hurley: At the Olympic, they put a floral
display on the door of room. In the dining room,
at the table where Jack always sat, they had a
black ribbon and a single rose and a card that
said, "Reserved for Jack Hurley." At a chair at
the counter they had another single rose and
another card, an they kept them there for a
week.

Heintz: They thought a lot of him there, and
I remember he used to tell me, "You know I've
got my plantin' suit, I've had it for years, and
every now and then I try it on to see that it
still fits."

Hank Hurley: He had several plantin' suits. Every
now and then he'd buy a new one.

Heintz: He said he had sent you an insurance policy
and told you, "When I check out, this is for the burial,
but nothing fancy. Just have them sharpen my feet
and drive me into the ground, and I hope it's not
during the winter.

Hank Hurley: That's right, he used to tell me, "Don't
make a production of it, and don't open the casket
for you and our sisters and a couple of friends.
Nobody else knows me there (Fargo, North Dakota)."
We did open it for our sisters and Billy Petrolle.

The reason I included excerpts from Bill Heintz's
book, ONCE THEY HEARD THE CHEERS, about
Jack Hurley was to show what a unique character
he was. Yes, Don King, Jack Kearns, and Mike
Jacobs were characters, too. However, Hurley
was a boxing character with more of a heart.

- Chuck Johnston