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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 1910)
3 JACK'S VICTORY PHOTOGRAPHS OF. FAMOUS RLN"G HEROES, AND SCENES AT THE JEFFRIES-JOHNSON FIGHT GORBETTTELLSWHY Californian Scorned ( Advice, Says Gentleman Jim. 'Has Beens" at Ringside Quite as Able to Beat Jeffries as Black Man, JEFF THREE DAYS IN DAZE THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN. v PORTLAND, , JULY 10, 1910. RATHER HOLLOW FIGHT IS CALLED "BUNK" Sporting Writer Says Reason Back of Pugilistic Tragedy Lies In "Money Madness" of Promo ters White Did His Best. BY W. J. PETRAIX. Last Monday it was effectually demon strated at Reno. Xev., that a man cannot come back Into perfect physical condition after lapsing: from the ethical rules of training- for a period of years. It was the most emphatic demonstration that has occurred In athletics of any kind. James J. Jeffries was simply a. shell, good to look upon from the exterior, but abso lutely hollow. ' And from this demonstra tion It can be said that Jack Johnson, the conqueror of Jeffries, has not been put to the test. Johnson's victory over Jeffries was but a. hollow one, for he needed no exertion. was given nothing of a fight, did not have to call upon reserve strength, and at no time in the fight was it not plainly apparent that he was the master. Tommy Burns, Bill Lang, Bob Fitzslmmons. and even Jim Corbett, of the has-beens who assembled at the ringside, could have beaten the Jeffries. who faced Jack John son as easily as Johnson- accomplished the task. Fight Big "Bonk." ' It was a large bunk" that the pro moters of this "world's greatest pugilistic battle" perpetrated on the public, and the poor old easy mark general public is stung once more. And stung harder in the pocketbook than in any other place, though there are a number of close friends and admirers of Jeffries who have been hurt at heart, for Jeffries was an idol. . However, he made his fight and lost. A loser always comes In for censure, and in Jeffries' case he will have to feel more of it than any heavyweight champion of the past for the reason that he suc cumbed to a black universally unpopular. It was Johnson's color that made Jeffries the big favorite in the fight fought last Monday. Many sportsmen, knowing well in their hearts that Jeff had but little chance, bet their money on that small chance and were willing to gtve odds simply because he was a. white man. Jeff Not Strong. Jeffries efforts against Johnson showed that he was not even a strong man. He could hardly hold his hands up, and as for that famous left-hand punch of his. he was helpless with it. He could not land it, and when he did It was as though a fly had lit upon the colored man. The great trouble with the fight gams of recent years is the fact that the pro moters, fighters and managers are money mad, and no matter how old or decrepit the fighter may be, providing he has enjoyed public approval at some time or other, they will place him in the ring against a younger, cleverer nd more aggressive opponent, and what care they if he be beaten to a pulp? They have enticed him into the arena by the offer of a large reward in the way of a purse, which, by the way, the afore-mentioned general pub lic contributes, and if he Is unable to defend himself against his opponent, the promoters don't worry. They have secured ttfe money, and that is the main object. If the old-time fighter dies as the result of the beating he gets, it doesn't matter a particle to the promoters, for they set up the -wail that he did not have to fight if he did not want to. Vnklnd Things Said. Such it was in the case of James J. Jeffries, recently the pugilistic idol of the American people. Since his de feat there are some who say unkind things about him, but in nine instances out of ten these same men have bet on his chances against - their better judgment, and because they lost they prove themselves quitters by blaming it upon Jeffries. Jeffries did the best he could. He fought with all the sapped energy that remained in his constitution, but the long years of idleness, and some dissipation, wrecked that wonderful physique which had dominated the prizering for ' so many years, and he was as putty in the hands of the giant black man. Instead of blaming Jim Jeffries for the poor showing he made, all of the reproaches should be reserved for the promoters of this giant fiasco, for it was their greed for money that created the idea of returning to the ring in the mind of Jeffries. These same pro moters caressed Jeffries, cajoled him into believing that he could regain his lost form, and by offering him large sums of money they finally persuaded him to leave his' alfalfa farm and at tempt to fight again. Tex Rickard boasts of having given Jeffries a bonus of 10,000 to sign the articles for the fight with Johnson. In view of this circumstance, don't blame the fiasco upon Jeffries entirely, for this sum of money looked good to him, and those who fall before temptation are not half as bad as those who hold out the bait. GAYXOIV PASSES OX PICTURES 'ew York's Mayor Tells Minister He "Wouldn't Suppress Them. NEW YORK. July 9. Mayor Gaynor flatly stated that he would not use arbitrary means to supress the exhib ition of the Jeffries-Johnson fight pic tures. He made the announcement In a letter today to Rev. O. V. Miller, of the International Reform Bureau. Mayor Gaynor wrote: "If it lay in my power to say whether the pictures should be exhibited it would not take me long to decide. I do not see how it can do anyone good to look at them. But will you be so good as to remember that ours is a Government of laws and not of men? Will you please get that well into your head? I am not able to do as I like as Mayor. I must take the law just as it is, and you may be absolutely cer tain that I shall not take the law into my own hands. "You say that you are glad to 'see tht the mayors of many cities have ordered' that these pictures shall not be exhibited. Indeed! Who set them up as autocrats? If there be some valid law giving any Mayor such power then he can exercise it; otherwise not. "The growing exercise of arbitrary power In this couiUry by . those put in office would be far more dangerous and is far more to be dreaded than certain other vices which we all wish to mini mize or be rid of." ' ,-K Iqr-w lit- 9 .$,4 i HP NEGRO IS WILLING Champion Would Give Jeff An other Chance. LABOR DAY WOULD SUIT Generous Jack Johnson Confidently Believes Jeffries Was Xot Fit for Fight at' Reno July 4 Ex plains "Fixed" Charges. CHICAGO, July 9. Jack Johnson, the pugilist, responded today to a report that his defeated rival was seeking a new bout. Johnson said:. 'I will give Jeffries another chance to win the championship if he wants it. I will meet him at Reno on Labor Day if that suits him. 'I don't believe Jeff was "In as good condition on July 4 as he was two weeks before that, and for that reason I am willing to give him a chance," said the champion. "I don't want any dispute about rWy superiority. If they want to fix a fight for Labor Day at Reno I am willing to do my part, and there won't be any quarrel about the division 'of the purse, either" Johnson, in the course of his interview, took occasion to reiterate his charge that an ex-manager of his attempted to "fix" the fight for Jeffries to win. "He offered me $300,000, providing I would bet half of it that Jeffries would win in the eighth round. He knew he could not get that sum back by betting on the outcome, and so wanted it fixed for a certain round. And there were a lot of people led to believe that I had been 'fixed.' One Chicago theater man ager. I have been told, lost thousands of dollars. He should have known bet ter. I don't want to be President of the United States, because I couldn't hold the Job. I did wish to be champion. There is not money enough to compen sate me for the loss of that." Xegro Grateful to Friends. v GALVESTON, Tex., July 9. Eight mn here were made happy by Jack Johnson winning the championship, 1 WK, si a:' ' l:r i.-yt,. feA StVt.w.7! y visas s Kit K rup. - K without having to wager any money on the fight. They are former asso ciates of the Galveston negro, who at different tmes in his career in this, his native city, befriended him. The remembrances from the cham pion were in the form of remittances ranging from $250 to $750. The big gest remittance was for $750 for Ed. Harrison, an old-timer here who taught Johnson how to fight when a young boy and gave him his first les sons in the rings along the docks. Jack appeared anxious to become a fighter and years ago promised his volunteer instructor that when he got to tie champion and wealthy he would fit him out in fancy clothes and a red necktie. Sure enough he kept his promise and one of the first messages he sent after the fight was to Harri son, telling him to order two suits of clothes and not to be stingy on the price. While swimming in the bay from the docks years ago when Johnson was a small boy, he was sucked under ,a vessel and would have drowned had it not been for Cafferty Williams, an as sociate, who sa,ved him. Williams is remembered for $500. JOHX ARTHUR IS OX SQUARE Black Says He Turned Down $3 50, 00 0 to Throw Fight. CHICAGO, July 9. "I could have dragged down $350,000 for my end in the battle with Jeffries "at Reno last Monday had I agreed to throw the fight, but no amount of coin is ever going to induce me to figure in a chady deal as long as I am in th? ring. I intend to retire, and nobody will ever . " r 1: . . -Bo. accuse me of pulling off a crooked fight." In a speech at a local theater last night Jack Johnson made the above statement. "Yes," continued Johnson, "I might have cleaned up more than $350,000 had I agreed to figure in a crooked act. I felt, however, that I was the better man and wanted to win. for I know I had thousands of friends in various parts of the country all banking on me to beat Jeffries. Be sides, I had given my promise to my old mammy in Chicago." Al Kaufman is the white man's hope, according to Champion Jack Johnson. "Al Kaufman is the best man in the world at 45 rounds." Johnson de clared, "and I would have to do him up in the first few sessions in order to be able to handle him myself. You can talk about all those other fighters all you-want to. but I have been box ing with Kaufman for some time and I know .that he's got the punch and the stamina back of it to give anybody a hard battle. Naturally I think I can beat him, but I'd rather go against Jeffries any day in the week." Johnson took a spin down town yes terday in his automobile and incident ally deposited $100,000 in a bank. Ban Put on Celebration. LITTLB ROCK. Ark., July 9. A negro ball scheduled to take place here "in celebration of Jack Johnson's vie-' tory over James J. Jeffries" will not occur. Chief of Police McMahon yes terday refused the negroes permission1 to hold the event. The town of "Van Buren, Ark., has prohibited the 'exhi bition of the fight pictures. Beer, $1 doz. quarts, delivered to your home. Spring Valley, Wine Co. si : 1 riU Xerrous Worry and Failure to Box More Given as Causes of White Man's Poor Showing Corbett Seeks Xew Fighter. BY JAMES J. CORBETT. Well, my predictions were a thou sand miles out of the -way, and I am sorijr that I have to apologize for Jeffries' performance on July 4. Before I make any excuses and give the reasons why Jeff was go thoroughly defeated I want to state right now that Jack Johnson is the best heavyweight we have at the present time. He only threw off my predictions in one way, and you will notice in my last Sunday letter that the only thing that I went wrong on in Johnson's performance was that he can hit harder with his left hand than I anticipated. Jeff did not get licked because he was not physically all right. There are a great many reasons that led up to his downfall. In the first place he wouldn't listen to me nor to any one else among his trainers. He never boxed enough to keep himself warm, and every time we would ask him to box he would take his fishing pole and go fisning. And if we would ask him to go out on the road he would sit down and play cards all day. , Feared Hitting In Clinches. I thought several times of throwing up the whole thing and going home, but if I had done that the public would have looked upon me as a traitor. About a year ago, when he signed the final articles for this fight in Hoboken, I was in Glasgow, Scot land, and I sent him a cable saying: "Don't agree to hit lir clinches until you see me." Jeff never answered my cablegram. All the time I was with him in the last six weeks I have been begging him not to agree to hit In clinches. I pointed out to him that in his two fights with me he could not do a thing with me in the clinches, and I was much lighter than he. With all that there still was a chance for him to win this fight, because he did a lot of road work and physically was all right. But, as I said in my previous letter, Johnson certainly made a fool out of him in the boxing. I looked for him to have a punch that would at least break an egg. Jeff in Daze. But the last three days before1 thle fight the man was in a sort of daze, and the only way that I can possibly figure out his miserable showing was the fact that he had been worrying for the last three days, not so much about get ting a licking, because, in my opinion, a gamer fellow never lived, but because his whole nervous system went back on him. Jeffries had been thinking to himself of the importance of this great contest and that the public looked upon him as the only man who could bring the championship back to the white race. He thought to himself, "What an awful thing it will be if I am licked by a nigger." . . All these things preyed on this man's mind, so that while he was physically right three days before the fight, his long absence from the ring and the excitement that 'comes a day, or two before a fight made him a "nervous wreck when he entered the ring. Big Fellow Appears Deaf. You can't imagine my surprise when the first round was over. Jeff had that peculiar look in his face that is impossible to describe, and when I talked to him he acted like a man who didn't hear what I was saying. Before Johnson put on his gloves I went over and examined Johnson's bandages on his hands. I wanted to talk to Johnson to see if he had any confidence. I could tell at once that he was awfully nerv ous. I put Johnson's gloves on his hands. Then I went over to Jeff be fore the gong sounded and I said: "Jeff, this fellow is scared to death, and I think you can get him in the first round If you go right at him while he is nervous." Instead of Jeff saying all right or showing me some signs of aggressive ness and life, he had that dazed look and didn't answer me. I tried to make myself think that he was just nervous for the first round and that he would get over it. But in the first round he showed not a spark of the Jeff of old. He didn't even have a punch hard enough to hurt ababy six months old. Tries to Pull Wits Together. I was still trying to make myself think that he would get over it. and -at the beginning of the second round, as he stepped out at the sound of the gong. I said: "'Jeff, now. just pull your self together and see if you can't hit this fellow Just one good left-hand punch as he is coming to you." , Jeffries tried to do it, but it was the saddest attempt that I ever saw made in my life. I began to think it was all over. So I started calling John son everything and doing everything I could to disconcert him. But he knew just as well as I did he could not help but know it that Jeff was all In and as helpless as a child. Johnson did most of his effective work in the clinches. Although I don't think Johnson is a great man because he whipped Jeff, as any ordinary heavy weight could have whipped Jeff that day, Johnson convinced me. however, as well as everybody else. Of all the things I said against him, and I was prejudiced. I will admit be convinced me that there is no other heavyweight that I can see anyway near his equal. Jeff Shows Stubbornness. The public forced Jeffries into this match. The poor fellow did everything he thought was right. The fact that he would not listen to anybody only shows his stubborn nature. He didn't take into consideration that he had not had a boxing glove on in six years. But I am going to do my utmost to find some white man that can be developed and I won't rest until I dig up someone to win back that championship. Serai-Professional Gossip Nearly all. of the local nines jour neyed out of town last Sunday and Monday, and many of them came back with double victories to their strings. J Young Phelps, the diminutive catcher for the Hillsboro Cardinals, is one of the best receivers in this territory. He has a good whip to second. , - The' Portland Giants (colored) boast of some excellent balltossers in their number. Collie Edwards, the catcher; Elliston, pitcher, and Lew Hubbard at second are all firet-class performers Nc :c--.. :. .: - YOUR VACATION may be made more enjoyable by saving money in the purchase of your suit. $25.00 Suits . . . $18.75 $30 to $40 Suits $23.75 Unequaled in Portland or quality and value, fcvery garment guaranteed one year. Hewett, Bradley & Co. 344 Washington St. both on the baseball field and in the ring. Hubbard and .Elliston are well known local fighters, while Edwards is the funniest coach ever seen in these parts. ' Gresham unmercifully demonstrated its superiority over the Pleasant Home aggregation last week by beating them and scoring 2D runs. Frank Kallio, the Calef Brothers' pitcher, Is a baseball prodigy in the pitching line. He allowed but one hit in two games and struck out 36 men. He is slated for faster company at that lick. . "Whitey" McBride is doing the re ceiving for Cliehalis and is a teammate of Fielder Jones, the greatest baseball general in the country. Parker is pitching steady ball for the new Peninsula team. He is credited with two victories so far. . Harry Gardner still continues to win for Vancouver in the Northwest League. He goes to the big league next year. Chet Hughes is' again picking up in his batting after a slump. Chet plays the left garden for the Derbies. Dykes, first baseman for Fort Stev ens, is a hard hitter and a terror to opposing pitchers. Thompson, the former Lincoln High School captain and pitcher, who is now pitching for Estacada, was beaten last Monday by Stephens, of Portland. Joe Haggin, the alleged phenomenal pitcher discovered by the Rainier fans Ugggl LOYAL rl ORDER ( MOOSE now organizing, will start with the largest charter member ship of any lodge ever ' organized in Portland. LEFFERT BROS, are the OFFICIAL MOOSE JEWELERS and carry a complete line of Moose Buttons, Charms, Pins, etc. Step in and select your button for the opening night. We are also headquarters for Emblems of all other lodges and fraternal societies. Applications can be filled out at The Moat Magnificent House of Appointed Private WALTER H. M'CREDIE, Proprietor. MXREDIE'S BILLIARD PARLORS 128 SIXTH STREET, OPPOSITE OREGON IAN BUILDING. Phones Main 7726, A 4437. Thirty-two Brunswick -Balke-Collender Pfister Tables. Ten Thousand Feet of Floor Space Covered With Wilton Velvet Carpet. HEADQUARTERS PORTLAND AMD VISITING BASEBALL CLLBS. J. .v.v "-.wx.: -x v . . . ls: . . .. - .... - ....:: "'.w Near Grand Theater and given a tryout by Portland, is pitching for Rainier again and not get ting along very smoothly. Young Davis for Beaverton. is pitching good ball r'sh Houston is still covering third the Hillsboro Cardinals and batting at a good lick. Bill Gleason is catching for the Greenfield Blues and has the base-runners hugging the bags, so fine is his arm. Columbia Hardware and St. Paul played before the largest crowd ever assembled at a baseball game in the upper Willamette Valley on the Fourth. The game was played at Newberg and. St. Paul won. Manager Heales' aggre gation was shy four of their regular men. Dudley Clarke, of the Vnlversity of Oregon, who was wanted by Manager MeCredle, refuses to play professional ball. The Vancouver Soldiers will play their last game in league for several weeks today. They leave this week for the military tournament at American Lake near Tacoma. Olamba Wins Brighton Handicap. EMPIRE CITY. N. Y., July 9. R. T. Wilson's Olamba today added another stake to this already long list, when he easily won the $6000 Brighton handi cap of one and one-fourth miles here today, defeating a fairly moderate field. The track was a trifle slow and the time. 2:06 3-5. was considered good. Its Clans In America. Parlor for Ladles.. Elegantly HUGH L. M'CREDIE, Manager.