Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-06
KNOCKS OUT WHITE IN A
DESPERATE RALLY
ENeLIsHMANS GAME FIGHT
Is cIevere. Than California Boy, but
Endurance Brings Vietory-Put
10 Mat for Count In the
Last Round

n
of California became lightweight cham
pion Of the world tonight when he
knocked out Jabez White of England
at the close of a magnificent twenty
round battle. With just twenty sec
onds to go Britt hooked the English
man with a left on the jaw, and the
foreigner went to the mat, where he
Law fiat on his back for eight seconds
He staggered to his feet, but was
powerless to defend himself, and Britt
swung right and left on his jaw. The
referee, to save the plucky Englishman
from needless punishment, stopped the
contest, although White was still on
his feet, leaning up against the ropes
in a helpless condition. White was
carried to his corner and in a few
minutes revived sufficiently to make
a little speech, in which he said:
''I fought the best L know how. 1
received fair play, but Britt is evil
IDENTIFY the better man."
Britt's victory was, OF course, loudly
acclaimed by the people of his home
town, but White, though defeated
man, was cheered just as vociferously
for the magnificent showing he made.
All through the battle White showed
that he was entitled to compete for
championship honors. He is clever
boxer, an experienced ring general and
has a cool head that carried him out of
difficulty many times. He seemed to
lack, however, one requisite for a
champion, knockout blow. He land
ed on Britt's jaw many a time with
both right and left, but apparently did
not hurt the little San Francisco bull
dog. In the twelfth round it looked as
if White had a chance. He landed
vicious straight right on Britt's jaw,
and as the latter was off his balance
he went to the floor and rolled under
the ropes. He was not hurt, however,
and came back fighting faster than
ever.
Britt Forces Fight
Britt forced matters all through the
fight. He paid particular attention TO
Whites stomach. occasionally swing
ing for the jaw. The Englishmans
cleverness enabled him during most of
the fight to block Britt's wicked
punches for the stomach and to duck
the swings for the head. During the
latter part of the fight Britt's per-
sistent care of his right led the specta-
tors to fear that he had damaged it.
But his right was in good order and he
turned it loose in the nineteenth round.
Britt paid tribute to White by say
ing he is the cleverest boxer in the
world. He stalled and blocked and
kept me away in a manner that was
never done BEFORE" said the champion.
Had he come at me and led I could
have finished him sooner, as he would
have left more opening"
The fight tonight was by long odds
the cleverest exhibition that has been
given in recent years in San Fran
cisco. Britt demonstrated what his
admirers have always claimed that al
though he is not a snowy boxer, he is
a hard man to hit. When the men
jumped at his man and kept right on
top of him. 1t was hit and clinch and
break; then hit and clinch again. The
Californian had cut loose with his
hands. He took Whites punches
eagerly and landed harder ones in re-
turn. The fury of his attack was ir-
resistible. Whites magnificent guard
was beaten down and then came that
dreadful swing to the jaw that ended
the fight and kept the championship Of
the world in America.
Whites Skill Marvellous
George HartinG, the veteran time
keeper and expert on matters pertain
ing to the ring, stated that it was the
most clever and scientific fight he had
ever seen. white is a marvel Of skill
and ring generalship," he said. but all
his science was of no avail against
persistent attacks of Britt"
Britt, after the fight, declared his
willingness TO meet Battling Nelson,
and it is probable that the next i'm
portant contest to be given here will
be between these two men.
Referee Eddie Smith said:
THE fight was the cleanest and fair
est | have seen. Britt, who has been
known to make mistakes, was very
careful this time. and Whites claim of
foul was not allowed, as 1 saw none
committed and if any blow did happen
TO be low Britt certainly did not de-
liver it purposely. In any event White
was not injured in the slightest and
directed them to proceed"
Immediately at the conclusion of the
preliminaries the ring was cleared and
the principals for the international bat
tie wended their way into the ring.
Britt entered first. closely followed by
White. Announcer Jordan then in
trodueed to the spectators Young
Corbett and Eddie Hanlon. The lat
ter delivered a neat speech in response
to demands from the crowd and was
cheered to the echo.