The Washington times., 1906-12-02
Sure-Thing Cutting Into
Mining Stock Game in
Fight Town.
BURNS NEAREST TO TITLE
Best of Poor Lot Trying to Fill Jeffries'
ShOes-Thomas Welter
Champion.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

invented mas DtcN lthtAi eieiF etlteeNsaO Va
by grafters and sharpers.
The scheme referred to was the hold
ing or the Cans and Nelson bout for
the championship of the world at Gold
field. New. last Labor Day. The scien-
tific. liberal. and elaborate boosting Of
the town of Goldheld and its mining
wealth by Incidental references in the
fight news was real stroke of genius,
Goldheld was raised from an obscure
village to one OF the best known To-
Calites in the entire West.
Grafters Getting Busy.
This preliminary advertising was fol-
lowed by the direct advertising of those
in Goldheld who had something to sell,
mostly mining stock. Ii was inevitable
that swindlers of one sort and another
should seize upon the opportunity TO use
the magic name Of Goldheld and its
surrounding stores Of gold 10 extract
easy money from the pockets Of the gul-
libles by selling stock In mines which
did not exist, or were not worth the
air with which they were fllled. One OF
these hurry-up fnanciers is now being
sought by the Postoffice Department.
and the number of his victims is said to
be large.
Some of the other men connected
with GOldheld financial institutions and
mines would also bear watching. One
Of them, who was frequently mentioned
In the Gans-Nelson dispatches, was
openly accused by New York paper
OF being a welsher and man who had
10 quit another city in the West be-
cause OF his share IN a crooked prize
fight, which was so bad that a mob
Of hGnngs Fgf
cussed the matter with him and point
out the errors OF his ways with their
fists and guns This man. who was
charged with throwing the public in
a sporting event, is now figuring in ad-
Vertisements as one OF group invit-
ing the public to intrust its coin to
them for investment in GoldheId secur-
tiles
ThaC there is much wealth 10 bs had
in GOlddeld has been demonstrated.
but before you go after it you had bet
ter have an intimate knowledge of the
antecedents and standing Of those with
whom you are dealing.
Little Sympathy for OBnen.
Jack O'Brien, according to the re-
ports. received the surprise OF his life.
and also a licking, from Tommy Burns,
in los Angeles on Thanksgiving eve,
but you can never tell how badly
O'Brien IS beaten until you know all
the facts in the case. II II is true that
he was seriously punished by Burns
and really was outfought, although 1t
was declared a draw, there VIII be few
tears shed over the fate OF the Phila-
delphian. He has done as much as
any man in the country to give the box
ing game a black eye by his underhand
tactics and refusal TO do his best when
he thought there was the slightest
chance for a return match.
The number OF times he has been ac-
cused of framing up a fight far ex-
ceeds the number on which Joe Cans
was accused OF the same thing yet the
fans seem 10 forget all that and stand
Tor O'Brien without question. while they
are ever ready to accuse the Iightweight
champion of all possible crookedness
whenever he is mentioned for a match.
O'Briens bouts in PHILADELPHIA with
Tommy Ryan, Kid Mccoy. Marvin Hart.
Sam Berger, and other heavies have
been the subjects Of violent outbursts of
accusations against him there and else
where. but they still accept him and
discuss him as a championship possibr-
ity, without making allowances for his
actions in the past
Burns Best Of Poor Lot.
Tommy Burns was christened Noab
Brusso. and the dope books say he was
born in Hamilton, Ontario, on June II.
1881. He got a draw with Jack O'Brlen
last Wednesday, but really outfougbt
him. so that Tommy now has the best
claim 10 the heavyweight title as long
as JefTies chooses to remain passive in
the matter Burns won from Marvin
Hart, who knocked ont Jack Root. and
got a decision over Jack Johnson, al
though it Is generally believed that
Johnson received raw deal. Hart,
when Burns beat him. was considered
the most likely. successor to Jenries.
Since then O'Brien has gained the right
10 put in a claim by knocking out Bob
FitZsimmOns, Al kaufman, and other
opponents whom he wished to whip. In
figuring on Burns il should not be for
gotten That he has fought ten and a
JWenJy-rOund draw with Hugo Kelly
who got the decision over O'Brien In ten
rounds in indianapolis.
on the whole. Burns - probably the
nearest ruuutr-up 10 oenries for the
tile, but at that none of the critics will
credit him with being a really classy
man or a worthy Wearer of the heavy
weight crown. Aside from his supposed
lack or class Burns VIII probably have
hard road 20 travel because of his re-
ported swelled head. Those who came
into contact with him after he won
from Hart say he was about the chest
.est young person that ever hit the pipe
10 dream out stories Of his own prowess
He was the limit say tie Westerners,
and thr effects OF mis- chIdishlv feuor-
ant actions VIII be felt a long time
Joe Walcott Is pretty aear all IN and
hardly figures any longer IN discussing
the WelteTWcight ChampionshiU He
Quit ir the twelfth round of his 90 with
Billy Melody on Thursday last. claim
ing he had hurt is arm. but the re-
ports are that he was beaten anvhow
no matter what happened 10 his wing
Melody has been hailed as weller champ
because he put lt on WalcOtt, but Joe
Thomas of San Francisco, has the real
edge. because he beat Melody. Thomas
is a yomEstcT who is improving ali Z q
time. even K he did fail 10 knock out
Al Neil ir ten rounds on Friday He
and Melody should get together now
and fight IL out. As z sure enough scrap
II would probably be coTker.