The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-19
O. BR|EN'S Taxing
With TOM BURNS
Philadclphiai1's Crooked Work
Will Probably Dcbar Him from
Future Engagements.
HOW STORY LEAKED OUT
Had Fight Been On the Level
Burns Would Probably Have
Beaten Him Anyway,

The fight on Wednesday, night at Los
Angeles between philadelphia Jack
O'Brien and Tom Burns served to I'M
cover one OF tho most startling frauds
ever attempted on the nght-loving pub
lie, and will probably result In the total
exclusion OF O'Brien from the ring IN
the future. There have been many fake
fights held In this country, and tho ul- /
Innate result was to put boxing IN such
disfavor NIL over the country that many
Of the States have legislated against 1t.
BY participating in this most recent /
followers OF the ring to assume that
many OF his previous fights were not
| on the level. 1t was entirely due to |
the fact that O'Brien had a great facul-
| ty for making enemies that his attempt |.
at a fake was disclosed. Before |
O'Brien had met Burns in the ring, he I
took pains to characterize the Canadian /
by every vile .appelation he could sum-
mon to mind. in the meantime posing |
before the public gaze as an exponent
of Individual supremacy" whatever |
that Is
The result was that Burns became
his dearest enemy. Burns got his first
chance for revenge when the two men
met in the ring Of the Pacific a. O.. OF |
Los Angeles, on November IS, 1906
That fight was declared draw BY the |
referee. James J. Jeffries. Burns had
the better OF 1t during the early part,
and 1t was only q strong finish on
| O'Briens part that saved him from be-
ing declared the loser
O'Bricn Wanted the Money.
The fight, however, was 80 good an
exhibition OF skill that Manager Nc
| Carey. of the Pacific A. c., ,offared q
purse of 100000 for the two men to
battle again. That is a lot of money,
4 even when divided on a basis OF GO
per cent to the winner and 40 per cent
4 to the loser. O'Brien had great liking
1 for money. But, as he had apparently
passed the day when he considered
himself good enough to beat Burns, he
1 decided that he would cook up a fake
IN order to get some money out OF the
ipurse.
i Accordingly oBrien called upon
4 Burn8 and made the following propos-
itton; Burns was to lay down, allowing
4 O'Brien to win the fight. II Burns re-
4 fused to do this, O'Brien said he would
not meet him In the ring at ALL But
there was more to it than O'Brien
II thought. Burns was anxious to get
him into the ring merely to give him a
Soou uruDplnB, ana, seeing no other
way Of inducing O'Brien to get into
the ring, he agreed, to the fake. Later
Burns exposed the fake to Manager
McCarey, but In such way that he
was sure he would get O'Brien into the
ring.
The plan was carried out with sue
cess O'Brien and Burns entered the
ring in fighting clothes and went
through all the motions of having a
fair fight. o'Brien was calmly think
Ing to himself that Burns would drop
to the floor at an suspicious moment
and that he would be declared the win
ner by q knockout. Referee Eyton
!, knew absolutely nothing about the fake
agreement.
McCarcy Calls on bets.
. Just before the action started, Nc
J Carey called Eyton to the ropes and
, told him that all bets We're off, for rea-
], sons which were to be announced later.
, Eyton was not told the reason until
after the fight. in order that he could
render decision FREQ from the pre-
/ judice Of knowing that one OF the men
intended to fake 1t. O'Brien had no
linking that his secret had been dlvulg-
eds until he heard that bets Were cali
! ed off.
Even then he was uncertain about It.
: He began in the first round to put up
!.
jack" tactics, which have made him
famous as gutter. Burns, in the
meantime. was out to make 1t q
! straight fight and was waiting for O
3 chance to land his knockout punch II g
/ sailed into the Philadelphian with an
i asgressiveness that took the latter of
o his feet and kept him running so fast
I that he looked like a blur to the per-
, sons sitting nearest the ring,
H. Evidently OBrien thought that p,,rn q
was going to lay down until three or
a four rounds were finished. BY that
time he must have become convinced
: that he was being double-crossed. for
: Burns was sending in jabs that hurt
Then the Philadelphian put up show
:. Of fight. probably In the hope that lie
/, could land an accidental wallop and
! settle matters. But whenever 1t came
:, to close work Burns was SO much bet
! ter that O'Brien had to take to his
> heels to avoid the punishment.
The fight became screaming farce
s from the tenth round on There was
= only one fighter In the ring, and tina,
O was Burns. The other man In lighting
Q toys proved TO be runner, apparently
Q anxious to beat the cross country re,
cords. O'Brien kept on running nil the
a time, and Burns finally had to give VT
J, chasing him. In the last two rounds
O there was hardly an attempt at {
Q punch. Burns stood In the middle Of
@ the ring. with his arms at his sides
= pleading with the Philadelphia to stor
}, running long enough for him to lane
d a wallop. Eyton could not have rem
2 dered any other decision than a Vic.
tory for Burns.
@ IANIIsRICAN REGATTA RACES
9 ARE VERY WELL FILLED