Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-25
If BURNS BEATS MOIR, AN AMERICAN
WILL BE AGAIN CHAMPION OF THE WORLD

whom the title had reverted upon the re-
tirement of Jeffries.
Burns chased O'Brien around the ring
for twenty rounds. broke his nose, black-
ened his eyes, battered his face until I'll
of it's pristine beauty departed, never to
return, and got draw, Jeffries, the ree-
cree, saying afterward that both fighters
mad asked for draw If the contest went
the limit. During the next few months
there was world of talk and challenging
Burns said his only fear was that he d
never be able to get O'Brien into the ring
again, and said that he might have 20
trick him into it.
DoubIe-Crossed the Faker
That's what Burns did. O'Brien came
to him and proposed fake. Foxy Jack s
proposition was that Burns should lie
down and take big piece of the purse,
while O'Brien would make his end of the
money by skinning the betting public.
y Briens commissioners put down a pile
of money on the fight" Burns HAD
tricked CpBrien and had drawn him into
the ring When the bell was about to
sound the beginning of the battle 1t was
suddenly announced that all bets were
called off. O'Brien wanted to jump out
o. the ring, but 1t was too late. The bell
changed, and he found himself caught.
Burns was bearing down upon him. To
jump out then would be eternal disgrace.
O'Brien compromised by running for his
life, with Burns after him, for twenty
lounds. Burns took the decision.
Perhaps the bets were called off to save
O'Brien's money. There may have been
some inside twist to the affair that never
came out At any rate it left an un-
savory flavor in the public mouth, and
Eurns found himself almost as unpopular
as the arch-faker, O'Brien. Philadelphia
Jack squealed and began confessing
When he had no more of his own fakes
to confess he invented things to confess
about other fighters. He might have been
believed If he hadn't tried to smirch the
reputation of honest Jim Jeffries, the
squarest fighter that ever trod in shoe
leather.
Burns, partially in disgrace, was
matched with Bill Squires of Australia
If ever stranger came here well recon-
mendcd and showing all the earmarks of
champion, that was Bill Squires. In
terest In the mill caused Burns tangle
with OBrien to be forgotten, and when
Tommy laid out the redoubtable champion
of Australia with three whaling wallops
in the first round he rose on the crest of
a wave of popularity.
Champion of America by virtue Of his
victories over Hart and O'Brien, Burns
was now also champion of Australia. He
could not be champion of the world yet.
Jeffries resigned that title, but to become
champion of the world 1t was necessary
for the next holder to wade through the
champions of America, Australia and the
British isles-all of the fist-fighting coun-
tries. Burns did the best thing he could
do to establish his right to that hono~.
new and popular champion had arisen
in England, far outshining the other Eng
lish- heavyweights. Burns matched him
self against Gunner Moir and crossed the
ocean to fight. He is now training and
will be fit. If Moir can beat him there
isn't a man in the world, barring Jeffries,
10 take Moir's measure.
Burns was born in Canada, and there
fore is an AMERICAN. The proud title
American" isn't reserved for the people
who live in a portion of the American
continent cut off from the rest by an in
visible boundary line. If Burns beats
Moir an American will again hold the
title Champion of all Champions Of the