Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02
PALAVER OF THE PUGILISTS
Local Interest in JeHries Increased
by the Recent visit of the
Champion to Omaha.

The champion has come and gone. While
most of the crowd that was at Boyd's ad-
mired the powerful athlete, still they were
a little sore at the balance OF the show
that he put up. Jeffries' exhibition consisted
of one OF those tame affairs in which you
lead -andI counter and -lead-and-you
duck" until the fourth round, when Ross
O'Neill, an eX-actor, who is along as man
ager, announced that in the next round
the champion would give an initiation OF the
eleventh round of the famous battle at Coney
Island, in which Mr.. Jeffries became cham
pion of the world"
The fourth round came on, but instead OF
the tired Fitz with his legs falling him,
was sprightly youth, who jumped around
like playful kitten until time for the bout
to close, when brother Jim hit brother Jack
a resounding crack on the Jaw with his left
Then Jack turned partly around, as Fitz
did, and Jim hit him across the jaw with
his right and the show was over The whole
evening was saved from utter fiatness by
Paul Murray, who in his oout with Rhodes,
tried TO do some real scientific work.
But the champion himself is all right
and while he may not for a time win his way
into the hearts of the American people as
John L. Sullivan did, he will eventually do
So as he Is pleasant parsonage to meet.
He is not OF boastfu disposition at all
as some would imagine a country boy would
be when suddenly thrust to the topmost pin
nacle of pugilistic fame.
He is modest and unassuming and, con-
trary to reports, is very interesting con-
versatonafist, but has as yet not sufficient
training to uphold his end of the flying wit
with the merry crowds that gather around
the festive board. He said in conversation
with the writer. after the Boyd exhibition
Tuesday night, that people ask him all the
while what he is going to do TO Sharkey. He
says that he doesn't know but there is GER
talnly no one whom he would sooner whip
than Sharkey for several reasons. He will
surely do the best that he can. 81 don't think
mat have cinch to whip any of these big
fellows" said he "because boxing is such
an uncertain game, and there is always such
an element of chance, and, on the other
hand, l don't consider that any of them
have a cinch to whip me-
Jeffries said that everyone was giving
Tommy Ryan credit for mis- victory over
Fitzsmmons but. while he did not want 10
behttle Ryan at ALL as he was a staunch
packer OF his, he thought that Ryan was
getting little too much the best OF it, The
cTouching position which was such a puzzle
TO Fltz he had already picked up before Ryan
came to the training camp. Jeffries says
that he realizes that he Is young in the
business and has lots to learn and that he
never misses an opportunity TO pick up and
store away any pointers that may be cast
in his way.
The new champion added that his good
eye was one of his strongest allies and that
ne had as yet never met man who could
1901 him with feint. He can always dis
tinguish feint from real blow and has
such eonfdence in his eye that he never
starts to duck until the blow is nearly
landed and then he moves only enough to
let the glove pass or to stop it with the
top OF his head.
Jehries was on the way to the coast, pick
ing up little easy coin here and there.
HIS parents live at Los Angeles and after
couple of weeks visit with them, during
which time he will get all the rest he can
TO recuperate from the hard training which
he has been through, he will start for the
east preparatory TO his sail for England in
about two months. While on the other side
he expects to give sparrlng exhibitions and
also to take on a limited-round match with
Charlie Mitchell.
It appears that Mitchell still holds the