Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-09
CANS SAYS BRITT
OFFERED A BRIBE
NEGRO BOXER is CORNERED AND TELLS OF HIS RE
FUSAL TO ACCEPT $4,000 RENDERED HIM
Story from Camp Has Screwy Look Although Jimmy Burns
Is Apparently Innocent-McCarey and Tommy Burns
Also Cear-Fight Has Been Called Off for Good

chine and walked up and down on the
| sidewalk.
Britt started out by asking me if there
wasn't some way l could fix 1t so as not
to fight He said that the promoters UP
north wanted me to get out of 1t so the
fight with Jimmy Britt would draw bet
ter. .
"I told him there was nothing doing,
and he came through with the thou
sand dollar offer. When insisted that
he couldn't make me change my nina
he boosted the sum to half my forfelt
money over the check. Then when L
still refused to consider 1t he coaXed
little while and went away. l don I
know where he went, but 1 do know
that he was unable to do anything
with me-"
Cans would admit nothing more. and
stated that as he had told all he knew
there was nothing more for him to say.
'I have been mixed up in enough OF
these things" he said, "and this time
know there isn't a chance to blame
me-" Still connecting Selig's visit with
that of Britt's and the fact that the
Britt-G Cans fight was finally agreed
upon last night, may give many room
for doubt as to Joe's innocence.
The Cans side of the disgraceful mix
is comparatively pure when that which
issues from the Burns camp is told. OF
course Jimmy Burns is in no way to
blame-from all outward appearances,
at least-yet there must have been
something doing.
Burns Camp Dope
And here is the dope On Saturday
Jimmy wrote to Tommy Burns that he
was in tip top condition. He climbed
on the scales and tipped the beam at
the 127-pound mark.
That is all right, but the very next day
Frank Lewis told Jimmy that he was
sick and had better knock off training
for the time being. This Jimmy did, and
the following day he was worse, having
been given plenty Of powders in the
meantime
On Tuesday morning he was examined
at the East Side club by the physicians
of the Pacific Athletic club. Drs. Lanter-
man and Russell. They pronounced him
physically unfit, and advised McCarey to
call the fight off.
McCarey sent three other physicians out
there the same evening and their con-
clusion was that Burns was all right.
His weight was $50 ponuds a pickup of
thirteen pounds inside of fifty-six hours.
All THIS has a screwy look to it, yet
Jimmy Burns declares that he knew
nothing of Willie Britts visit, nor of his
attempt to keep the fight with Cans from
being staged until Wednesday.
''I'll swear to it on a stack of Bibles,
he said this morning. IT didn't know
anything about Britt or his visit here
until told so yesterday. When 1 first
heard that I was supposed to have taken
money from him for stopping training
and saying 1 was sick 1 thought it was a
joke of some kind. But guess it amt,
for it all looks serious enough now"
Lewis is firm in his. declaration that
Burns was sick and run down. 1.-The rea-
son he gained weight so fast was be-
cause 1 made him drink lots of water"
said Lewis. HE didn't have anything
to eat for two days. and the doctors who
examined him Tuesday morning realized
at once that he had better postpone the
fight with Cans"
And that's all there is to it at present
Cans has stated that he was offered a
bribe by Willis Britt, but which was not
accepted. Jimmy Burns was feeling fine
on one day and weighed 1877 pounds; two
days later he was thirteen pounds heav-
Ter and his stomach was shot to pieces.
Two doctors say that he is sick, and three
more declare there is nothing the matter
with him. And the guilty party is yet to
be found.
Manager McCarey of the Pacific
Athletic club will meet all hands today
and the questions of the forfeits, which
are held by Jim Jeffries will be settled
Then the big wrangle will occur, and the
question of who's who in the bribe game
may come to the surface