“Shelby’s Folly: Jack Dempsey, Doc Kearns, and the Shakedown of a Montana Boomtown,” by Jason Kelly, University of Nebraska Press, hardback, 214 pages, $26.95.

By DAVID CRISP The Billings Outpost

The story of the heavyweight title fight in Shelby between Jack Dempsey and Tommy Gibbons in 1923 has been often told, most famously by John Lardner, the eloquent son of Ring Lardner; but also by Jack Kearns, Dempsey’s manager; by at least one Shelby resident; and by most of last century’s greatest sports writers.

Fortunately for us, Jason Kelly missed all of that. When he ran across a newspaper story about the fight, he thought he had stumbled upon a great forgotten story of America’s past, and he decided to write a book about it. His research quickly showed that he was hardly breaking new ground,

but he stuck with the job, and the result is “Shelby’s Folly,” a readable and thorough account of the fight and the destruction it brought upon a small Montana oil town.

It is a classic and irresistible story. Boxing was at its zenith in the 1920s, and Dempsey was its brightest star. Gibbons, an outmatched but thoroughly game journeyman opponent, won the hearts of the crowd by setting up training camp in Shelby, fighting essentially for free, and staying on his feet through a brutal 15-round fight.

Although history has treated Dempsey kindly, he was much less popular in those days, drawing criticism for avoiding military service in World War I and for dodging tough fights. He also was managed by Jack “Doc” Kearns, a ruthless and conniving deal maker who claimed credit for making four Shelby banks close.

A less apt location for a title fight could hardly have been found than Shelby, which lacked just about everything needed for the job. Local boosters went after the fight more in search of free publicity than an actual bout. When the fighters crossed them up by agreeing to the match, Shelby found itself committed to a $300,000 advance to Dempsey.

The town didn’t have the money and was never able to raise all of it. It also lacked the necessary skill and experience to stage a title bout, and it lacked adequate transportation, access to major markets, hotel rooms and even an arena. Shelby didn’t even have the trees necessary to build an arena and had to haul in lumber to put up 40,000 seats in just a couple of months.

A massive influx of fight fans never materialized, in part because Kearns kept suggesting the fight might not come off, and the bout took place before a fraction of the expected crowds. Many of those who did attend managed to get in free. Dempsey outlasted Gibbons to win a decision, then hopped on a train out of town with two black eyes, his $200,000 advance and a black bag containing $54,000 in gate receipts.

Mr. Kelly, in his second book, tells this story in a highly entertaining fashion with great detail. Two small defects slightly mar the enterprise: Dempsey, the most famous character on the scene, remains mostly in the shadows. Gibbons wrote a detailed account of his experience, and he emerges as an honorable and brave man, just out to do the best for his reputation and his family. No clear picture of Dempsey emerges.

Mr. Kelly also places all of his references in a bibliography at the end, making it difficult to track down quotes, especially since there is no index. But these are quibbles; the book is a fine read, even for those who know the story well.

As for Shelby, it certainly got the publicity it was after. Sportswriters who came to town included Heywood Broun, Grantland Rice and Damon Runyon, so distinguished a trio that no modern equivalent exists. Shelby eventually recovered from the financial disaster, and the investment still yields an occasional return.

We passed through Shelby on vacation a few years ago and picked up a postcard commemorating the great fight. As far as I know, Doc Kearns didn’t make a penny on the deal.