The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-06
JEFFRIES A KING
IN RENO, NEVADA
The Champion is Looked Upon
With Awe
TRIES HIS HAND GAMBLING
His Friends Say Big Fellows Wealth
VIII Not Last Long and He
viii Soon Be Back
in the Ring.
TRIES HIS HAND GAMBLING

San Francisco.-since the finish fight at
Reno, New, between Jack Root and
Marvin Hart there has been much gos-
sip about Ex4Champion Jeffries and the
possibility of his return to the ring in
the near future. JEFF himself says that
this day will be very remote. In fact he
gives the impression that with his mine
and his ranch near Los Angeles he has
enough enterprises to keep him active;
but many of his friends believe he will
not be content with this humdrum bust
ness life. after tasting of the pleasures
of the semi-theatrical existence of his
last year as public character.
Besides, they say that though jeff has
none of the ordinary vices of the prize
| fighter. yet he has a passion for gamb-
| ling, which. If INDUCED as he has in
dulged It recently, will cut hole In
very much larger fortune that he has
laid aside. These persons point to his
buclSing the skin crap games In Reno and
to his losses. in stud poker in Los Angeles.
Jeff went up to Reno after he had re-
ceived check for $1,000 for his services
in the best hotel and he practically kept
open house for his friends for three days.
Any big sport who failed to get good
room was invited by Jeff to make his
headquarters with him, and he soon had
his suit as full as it would hold. He must
have blown in half the amount of his
referees fee at this hotel and in setting
up drinks for his admirers.
Regarded Him With Awe.
1t was amusing to see the awe with
which the cowboys and miners of the
| sagebrush districts regarded jeff They
crowded around the big windows in the
hotel through which they could get a
| glimpse of the exchampion. until the pro-
! pretor came in and begged Jeffries to go
| upstairs to another room or to go out on
| the veranda and let the crowd see him,
as he feared the mob would break in his
windows. Whenever Jeff appeared on the
streets he was fairly mobbed. One old
| fellow, with 40 beard, insisted on shak-
| ing hands with Jeff, and when the cham
pion good naturally squf ezed his paw UNI
til the aged citizen WINGED with pain the
veteran cackled out:
'.Wen I'm in $40 My pard bet me I
| wouldn't have the nerve to ask you for
| shaker'
Jeff had given notice that he would
| compel Hart and Root to break at the
! get in and break the men, and he did
| longshoreman work from that time on
| and certainly earned part of his fee.
jeff didn't return to the city with the
| gang, but said he wanted to see some-
thing of Reno. Well, he saw it, if Bat
ting Nelson and others who remained be-
hind are to be believed.
Reno is about the toughest of the wide
open towns In the far west. Everything
goes In the way of games and dives and
saloons six days in the week. On the
seventh the town is shut tight as drum
as far as gambling is concerned, all
tables being piled in the corner. Even
the sheriff frowns on any levity on the
seventh day. The newspaper men who
went up to Reno from this city to see
the fight had taste of the Sabbatarian
regulations of this wild and woody town.
Two of them with a photographer went
down on Sunday morning to get some
pictures and material for description at
Marvin Harris headquarters. The pho
tographer had Marvin come out in front
| of his gym and pose for a picture in fight
| ing rig. AS the artist finished taking
| good series of photos. up came the sheriff
with a big gun slung to his belt on each
side. He was greatly excited and asked:
What are you fellows doing here?
Don't you know it's Sunday?' Hart had
gone into his quarters, but the sheriff
| continued: "You ought to know better
than to let a nearly naked man pose in
the street. Suppose some ladies had
passed on the way to church,"
PIacated Sheriff's Wrath.
The reporters placated his wrath with
a big cigar and calmly advised him to go
in and make his kick to the big Ken
tuckian. He didn't go, but had business
| up the street.
It's a singular contradiction that any
L.. IL. pAr1a On, O.
| day, but he must not play card or twirl
| roulette wheel or throw craps. 1t Is a
Nevada state law, and 1t is enforced with
a rigor that is unknown in less primi-
tiv districts.
Reno has a very finely fitted up gamb-
ling joint on the main street, which keeps
open day and night. 1t was in this place
that JEFF is said to have become enamor-
| ed of the game of craps, and to have
| STAYED with the southern diversion until
he had given off markers for $500 jeff
denies that he blew in SO much money,
but Battling Nelson says that 1t Is fact
that his friends tried to get him to break
:, away when they found that the game
was crook q but that Jeff refused
When the bg fellow returned to this
city his friends advised him to let the
markers lie in Reno, as he was not
| obliged to pay money to men who run
! a crooked game; but the chances are
that jeff will pay up, as he fears that he
will be accused of pleading the baby act.
Since the story of this escapade came
out 1t is said by persons who have fol-
lowed Jeffrs course lately that he has lost
very heavily in gambling, blowing in
5000 at stud poker in Los Angeles. jeff
is not clever card player. but he is
very mulish and ugly when he starts in
to play and loses. and he always sure
to stay with a game In the vain hope of
recouping his losses.
| AS JEFF spends money very literally on
himself and his wife. his savings will not
last long should he carry on gambling as
a diversion Unless his mine proves to be
uncommonly rich JEFF may be expected to
drift back into the ring in few months,
| about the time when Marvin Hart or
| Jim Mccormick gets ready to meet
fchamp.
WHEN IN NEW YORK STOP AT
Gregorian hotel Thirty-f fifth street, near
Fifth avenue. Refined patronage solicited.
| Send for booklet. 2-19-S0t-su-tu-th