Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1908-12-17
BURNS SURE
OF vvANNlNe
NOT A BET PLACED ON THE CON-
ING CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT IN
THIS COUNTRY-HANY RE
GARD IT AS A FAKE,

Over In Aus. ralia they are making
Tommy Burns the betting favorite
against Jack Johnson in their hight
billed for December rs despite the
remarks Of some Of the Sidney pap
ers to the effect that It is impossible
for 30 small man az Burns to whip
50 big a man as the Senegambian.
In this country there is no betting
Not bet. IT is doub full IL in all
the wide stretch between Boston and
Seattle there exist two men who have
put up genuine dollar on the
,Burns-Johnson battle For one
thing. interest is strangely lacking,
and for ano her, nobody really wants
to trust either of the principals.
Hence as far as the finances of the
populace is concerned, It matters not
who wins-nobody will get sung
Despite the record made by Burns
in the past two years. nobody is en-
amored of his prowess to such an ex-
tent that bet will be slipped upon
him Somebody might offer a bet
on Tommy taking it for granted that
he cannot lose the coming mill-iust
on general principles-but not a
man would respond by showing any
confidence in Johnson
!. Nine fight fans out Of 10 believe
that Burns is going to win, one way
or another. and that the possibility
of his losing is of the most remote
variety He either has the fight all
set, SO the public argues, or he can
| beat johnson anyhow, owing to the
gamboge stripe of the bigger mans
constitution.
Burns is the grea test financial
genius that ever got into the box
ing game In an age when boxing
is struggling against overwhelming
difficulties, this man has managed to
make barrel Of money. He has not
s,ayed in any one spot long enough
to have his fun spoiled and his pock-
ct stung by the cruel law He has
simply fitted from place to place.
getting the best of the cash a every
| station and he has handled his mon
ey with consummate care.
The Johnson match is probably
the best of his financial deals He
simply nursed the bout along for two
years, steadfastly refusing all fair
and equitable propositions, until at
last, way off on the far edge Of the
world, he has found promoter gull
ible enough to put up the enormous
sum Burns demanded and to divide
| it the Shylock way that Tommy
wanted it to go Probably the pro-
moter has found a public more gull
ible han himself and will make mon
ely out of the affair
Anyhow Burns and Jahnson are
going to get $35 900 and expense
money. and If the game We're open
| in Chicago today all that the pair
would be worth would be so per cent
Of the gate at Tattersals They
would draw perhaps, a $4,000
| house, ana $500 would represent
every dollar to which they were en-
titled.
One thing that makes Johnson
look like false alarm and casts
suspicion on his part in the fight. Is
! the way his manager has misrepre-
| scented things concerning this battle
I Sam Fitzvatrick has told how he
I chased Burns out of England to
| Australia and forced him into a
match He didn't Burns got the
match, got the money he demanded
! and then told Johnson to come along
! and take what he chose to give him
/ and Johnson came
! Then again. Sam has avered that
F.. the fight would be to a finish, and
that The purse would be divided 60
per cent winner, 40 per cent loser.
Both these statements were absolute
talsehoods, as shown by the Anstral-
ian newspapers. The fight is lin
tied round affair. and Mr.. Johnson
1 win. lose or draw gets inst 1000
and expenses. If a manager will de-
liberatelv misstate things in such
manner. what confidence can be put
in fight between his protege and
any other man?
L L.