The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-25
BURNS'S CABLED
OFFER DOES NOT
SUIT JOHNSON
Some Clauses Appear Ridiculous
to Manager of Negro
Fighter.
BETTER INDUCEMENTS ON
THIS SIDE OF POND
jimmy COffrOth, OF San Franz
cisco, Has Standing Offer Of
$4,000 for Battle.

Sam Fitzpatrick. manager OF Jack
the negro heavyweight. thinks
hat some parts of the cable offer of
Tommy Burns is ridiculous.
The cablegrams were directed to Rob
ert Edgren, and were as follows:
London, Feb. "a.
Edgren, Evening World, New York:
Have received $500 Burns and club
~forfeits for johnson match. See Kelly
cable. cox.
The Kelly cablegrain referred to is
as follows:
London, Feb. "a.
Edgren, Evening World, New York:
Win give Johnson $4,000, win or lose
to fight Burns in England before june
10. Johnson must deposit $1,000 with
the Evening World before forty-eight
hours to bind the match. Jeffries AN
referee. This is positively best terms.
Burns has deposited f400 forfeit with
A. G. Sspalding Brothers, London.
spaldings also have clubs forfeit. f4oo.
to pull match off.
WILLIAM C. j. KELLY, London.
A.. G. Spalding & Bros. have no
standing in the world of sport outside
of tho A. A. II. rule books. The Spald-
itlSo dI0 aNaiIip IA ER0tt tA6 SVRoRs $500
have never been identified with the
lighting game. Mr.. Kelly Is Interested
In boxing n is James e. S~ullivan's
London representative. Mr.. Sullivan is
president of the American Amateur
Athletic Union. It is customary IN
England for Sporting Life and other
sporting papers to hold f~orfeits and
side bets in fights.
ssToo I~ndeRnitc,, Says Fitx.
Fitzpatrick arrived in New York last
night from st. Louis. where he had
been on a theatrical tour with Jack
Johnson. When shown the cablesram
he said:
"Of course, johnson is anxious 10
fight Burns, but we'd rather nave
something u little more efin than
these ~cablegrams. They are probably
all right, but they don't tell anything.
For instance, they do not specify the
club that will hold the fight. | never
heard of Cox or Kelly. Burns knows
very well that it would be a piece OF
folly, of which I would not be guilty,
to accept anything so indefinite as this
challenge.
eve want to know what we are
doing. In the first place. Burns knows
very well that Jimmy Coffroth has .
standing offer Of a purse Of $4,000 for
a fight between Burns and johnson,
and Tex Richard is anxious to bid for
the fight in case a match is made,
johnson would be foolish to chase over
to England for a $1,000 purse when ne
might make q whole lot more right
here at home. And he wouldn't be sure
of getting even So, 900 out Of the ven-
- c.. A.. i. ,tI.nrn ~ axnrpGCiV saws
that the $4,000 offer is positively the
best terms That may mean that john
son would have to pay his " ex-
~penses. in which case he would clear
only abou $500.
.If Burns isn't b%lutting, why doesn't
he accept the Frisco proposition? We'd
surely draw at least $4,000 out there.
and the picture privileges wotla
amount to O whole lot. The fight would
attract much more interest in this
country thai it would in England.
.RidieuIous Propositions
"That orty-elght-hour proposition Is
ridiculous. We can't bind ourselves o
a mythical match. 1t would be foolish
Besides, it would be difficult to get JEFF
fries to 20 to England to referee the
fight. Even if Jeff should go over, he
would want at least 5000 for his work,
He wouldn't think of going over Tor
less.
I'VE Just said these things 10 point
out the ridiculous part Of these cables
But / want to add that if the folks tnat
are getting up this match are reilaple,
1 would like to hear more from thenl.
ar they viii let me know a little by
more about the affair I'll be glad 10 90
business. If Burns insists OH 1sneihs
IN England Johnson viii be glad 10 acr
oept his proposition. But it's got 70 pe
a more definite one. And Johnson lsn :
particular about the division Oh me
purse.