The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-15
SPORTING TALK OF INTEREST.
BURNS AND O'BRIEN AGREE TO
FIGHT TO A FINISH IN NEVADA.
VIII Meet az RhyOlIte for a SIS. 900 Purse
-JOhn L. sullivan Depiores Lack OF
HeaVywrlghIs- Radtke's Case Thought
TO B~ More Serious ina at First.

HeaVywrIghIs -Radtkes Case Thought
TO B~ More SERIOUS Than at First.
According 10 a report from Los Angeles
Tommy Burns and Philadelphia Jack O'Brien
have agreed to fight to a finish at Rhyolite.
New, on or before April /. for "A purse Of
e25, 900. r. Clark Skinner is the promoter OF
the mill. He met the two pugilists In "A Los
Angeles newspaper ofice Friday night and
posted n certified check for $40. 900. which will
be forfeited to the men If the Rhyolite 4. 4.
cannot pull of the battle, and also IL the rest
Of the purse is not posted before the men 0-Fr
the ring. Articles of agreement will prob
ably be signed to-day or on Monday, providing
no higher bids Tor the fight are received A.
far as the division OF the purse il concerned,
the men will doubtless agree 10 20 per cent,
TO the winner and 30 per cent, to the loser.
The promoter of the hght wants James j.
JpffrieS 10 referee. but he will leave the selec-
ron OF that oflcial 10 the principals. The
fight must go TO a finish, which means that If
II l. on the level the sO-cailed heavyweight
championship" will be decided beyond aueS-
ton. In their recent mill. which was a linn
tied round AFFAIR. Jenries. the referee, gave
the decision of a draw. which was considered
em'uenty ia!r by competent Judges, But
IN the opinion of others Burns had just a shade
the better of It, because of his aggressivcnes>.
OBrien came out Of that mill with a broken
nose and an injured arm, vet he maintained
stoutly that The battle was an even break. In
a finish fight. for which O'Brien has been
elamorinG ever since, the Quaker believes
that he will be able to make a far better show
ing and that in the long run he will wear
Burns down with science, gsneralship and
physical endurance.
Burns, however, is positive that he can
win by the knockout route. chiefly because
OF the fact that he can easily outpunch
0'Brien and is also heavier and more power
fully built than the Philadelphia man, While
neither nlan IL In the same class with Jefries.
the fight viii produce a man who will be
compelled to meet Jack johnson. the colored
pugilist, who has been hankering for a chance
to meet either Burns or O'Brien for some
time past Should johnson win such a con-
test he would have the right to challenge
JET ries a proceeding that would compel
the big boilermaker 10 either come out of his
present retirement OF avoid n battle by draw
ing the ,olor line. johnson because Of his
height and weight would he more Of a match
for Jeffries than either of the pugilists who
will come together At Rhyolte.
Joe Cans is out with a statement that after
his battle with Herman at Tonopah on New
Years Day he will retire permanently from
the ring. But as Cans is not much Of a hand
at saving his money IL is probable that he
will reconsider such a move when he finds
his pockets empty. As long as there il money
in the land To he won with boxing gloves
in a twenty-four foot ring, so long will i'm
pecunious pugilists struggle for II. There
are many back numbers in the ring to-day
be, ause of their inability to pick up a few
dollars outside of It.
John L. Sullivan, who follows the hShtinR
game closely. says that he would like nothing
better than to discover a new heavyweight
champion. The time is certainly Overripe
for such a man, says the bulky Bostonisn.
Not since first came out has the heavy
weight field been SO barren. with a couple
OF middleN Fights fghtinE a draw for the
title and a skinny negro challenging both
OF them, what are We coming 10? A good
young lighter could rise up now and 90 through
the whole bunch without straining a muscle.
l have been trying to get a promising boy
At to fight for the title with a little coaching.
but I find il a hard matter 10 dig mp such
a pugilist. First | discovered a tall Texan
named Jim Mccormick. but Rubin put him
away. Now I've picked up two youngsters.
Jim Barry Of Spring Valley and Kid Cutler
OF Montana. both giants, and one Of them
NAV turn out a winner. But they lack eX-
perience and II will take a long time before
] can get them ready for real business. II
Jeffries should come back to the ring you'd
see these alleged heavyweights run for their
lives.
Although boxing ia not permitted In this
city because Of the State Law. there seems
20 he no trouble about holding bouts in
Rochester, where Hugo Kelly. the new middle
weight champion. knocked out Dave Barry
the other night in six rounds, The fight.
which was scheduled TO go twelve rounds.
took place in the State Armory and was wit
messed by a large crowd. Barry was foored
by a left hand upperCut to the Jaw and Referee
Mcbride counted him out, helly's showing
was first class and convinced good Judges
that he will be a hard man to beat at the
weight.
The failure of the Jockey Club stewards
to make a final decision in the case Of Jockey
Herman Radtke created the impression yes
ter1ay that the turf authorities have some
material evidence which has caused them TO
make a more thorough Investigation of the
matter. Radtke's friends were confident
that the stewards at their meeting on Thurs
day would reinstate him so that he could
begin riding Al Los Angeles. where he has been
waiting for n verdict for a month, But under
the circumstances he vii. ha We TO remain idle
for another month at least. The annual
meeting Of the Jockey club will be held on
January 10 and Radtke may then learn his
fate. But il is believed in some quarters that
the boy will be kept IN suspense all winter and
that he will not ride again until the season
opens in the Fast next March.
The statement that Radtke. in addition TO
riding regularly for Roy Rainey next year,
would also wear the Ksene colors is not gen
orally accepted, in view of the fact that II was
Mr. Keene who first found serious fault with
RAdtke last season because Of several glaring
performances in the saddle which ultimately
resulted in his suspension at Jamaica. The
fact that Radtke was set down for a bad ride
on Tommy Waddeil and the additional fact
that he Is still under the ban ha We created the
impression that the boys relations with cT-
tain spectators have been looked into with
uufavorable results. Whatever may be the
punishment haGjod to Radtke. il is safe to say
that other 10 keys who were inclined TO ride
"a eiessly--a mid tern-wiI see to 1t In
TT.Ire tAat the turf governors have no good
chance to haul them over the Goals.
The Jockey Club is always deliberate in its
procee lingS, but when the evidence is con-
elusive there il no repeal. But in times past
Il IS true that Jockeys banished for excellent
reasons have been able to get back TO the
races by one method or another.
Although Pullam was reelected president
OF the National League. his power TO arrange
a playing schedule in conjunction with Prcsi-
dent Johnson Of the American League was
resCindPd by the magnhtes. Instead Of q
one man ARRANGEMENTS therefore the National