The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-12-26
JACK JOHNSON WINS
FROM TOMMY BURNS
Big CoIored ''Scrapper" Put 1t All Over
the Man Who Has Been Whip
ping "Dubs."
JOHNSON WAS BURNS SUPERIOR
ALL THROUGH THE BIG FIGHT
Johnson "kjdded" Burns and mixed
IT. trcm the Beginning of the
i. Fight. L.

Sydney, New South Wales, Dec.
26.--Jack Johnson,tbe big negro from
Galveston, Texas, is the worlds
champion heavyweight pugilist. He
won the title last night in the big
arena at Rushcutters' Bay from
Tommy Burns, the French Canadian
who had held it since James J.
Jeffries relinquished it, and after a
chase of Burns that had led half way
around the world.
The end came in the fourteenth
round, when the police, seeing Burns
totter, aud unable to defend hims self
from the savage blows of his oppon-
ent, mercifully stopped the fight.
Previously it had been arranged that
if the police interfered decision
should be rendered on points and
Referee Mcintosh, without hesitat-
ion, declared the big black man the
winner, for all through the fight he
had shown himself Burns master in
every style of fighting.
From the start of the fight until the
police called stop, Johnson was
Burns master, and the big negro
put it all over" Burns, in every
kind of fighting.
The men had scarcely put up their
hands when johnson put Burns down
for the count of ten.
All through the fight, Johnson
punished Burns terribly, and was
not afraid of the white man, at any
time. Johnson proved himself a
great fighter, and he "joshed" Burns
all the time, knowing that he was
the white mans superior at the fight
ing game.
! Burns, in an interview, after he
had gone to his dressing room, said:
I did the best could and fought
hard. Johnson was too big and his
reach was too great
Johnson appeared fresh after the
fight, while Burns eyes we're badly
pulled and his mouth swollen to
twice its normal size. The Canadian
fought game battle and showed
indomitable pluck, but he was no
match for the big Texas black.
Jack Johnson is the first negro
whoever won the worlds heavy
weight paglistic championship. In
fact, he is the only negro who ever
was permitted to battle for the honor.
He was born in Galveston Texas, in
1878, and began his ring career in
1901. He is 6 feet IA inches in
height, and weighed at ringside close
to 100 pounds.
Burns was born in Hanover, On
tario, in 1886, and started fighting
when he was 10 years old. He is
S feet IN inches lin height and
weighs when trained for battle about
us pounds. Burns always was a
rough and ready fighter who delight
ed to sail in and mix things with his
adversary. Favored with great
length of arm, his reach measuring
74h inches, Burns has proved him.
self bad man at close range. Des-
pite the fact that Johnson overtip-
ped him in height by 6H inches,
Burns had the better of the argument
in reach by IA inches.
A purse of $4,000 was put up for
the battle, which was scheduled to
60 20 rounds. Of this amount,
Burns demanded and received $780,
900, this sum to be paid him despite
the outcome of the fight. Johnson
had to be satisfied withS5, 900 and re-
turn tickets to London for himself and
his manager, Sam Fitzpatrick. Ac-
cording to reports both Johnson and
Burns bet heavily on themselves at
the prevailing odds which slightly
favored Burns at the ringside. The
fighters were trained to the hour
and fought before what probably
/ was the largest crowd that ever wit
messed pugilistic contest.