Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-25

which he went to Dublin and took on Jem
Roche. another joke who couldn't fight at
all. Burns all this time was coming money
in the music halls and was also telling
people that he could beat any man IN the
world.
In the midst Of Il all Jack johnson and
Fitzpatrick arrived in England and issued
a challenge 10 fight Burns for the cham
plonship of the world. The National Sport
ing club and other boxing organizations
Immediately agreed TO hang up purses for
the mill. but Burns said that he would not
think OF fighting unless he got $4,000 IN
cash before he entered the ring. Johnson
had him cornered, and with public opinion
behind him the negro actually drove Burns
out OF England. 1t did not take long for
the leading British sporting authorities 10
hail Johnson as the real champion and
Burns as a counterfeit. Johnson remained
in England, beating several minor pugilists.
while Burns went to Paris. where he
tackled Squires again. knocking him out
once more. Then he started for Australia
where he recently had another desperate
encounter with the same squires. who took
another nap.
Determined. to follow Burns all over the
WITH u ltNtsedAg bbuiiduH dlu ENabee
rick sailed for Australia not long ago and
proceeded to put it UP to Burns in such
a forceful manner that the latter thought
it best to make a match. As a $4,000 purse
was offered, Burns. scored by the fight
critics as a. coward. concluded to meet john
son at Sydney rather than put him off until
he reached California, where James Coff-
roth stands ready to hang up a similar
purse for this much talked of mill. But
with the match TO be decided in Australia
there is no chance Of seeing the great
battle on American soil. ,
Which will carry the day? Burns is
fast, aggressive and a hard hitter. He
possesses science and is q ring general
of conceded skill. His best fighting weight
is about 40 pounds and he will shape up
at least six inrhes shorter than Johnson.
The negro is said by expert judges OF pugi-
lism to be the cleverest big man in the
world today. He can punch, but whether
he is dead game or not under gruellins
punishment remains to be seen. Few Negro
fighters as a rule relish a beating and fot
that reason some wise men think that
Burns. with his rushing tactics and heavy
hitting, will take the heart out OF Johnson
There are other good judges, however
who insist that Burns is overrsted and
that he never defeated a really first-clast
man. He could not put Philadelphia Jacl
O'Brien out in twenty rounds, while It tool
him an age to best the numbering Marvin
Hart, In stopping such men as saulres
Moir, Smith and Roche Burns was entitled
to no particular credit. 8
There are few handlers of fighters VIII
know more about the game than Billy De
laney, the man who trained Corbett anC
J~effries when they won the heavyweight
title. Delaney now has AL Kaufman unde
his wing and hopes to make a champion
out of him one of these days, but under NJ
circumstances will Delaney permit Ksuf
man to fight Johnson. Delaney says h
does not care to give a reason for barring
the negro except that he is a first-clas
fighter. But he declares that Kaufman
will fight Burns at the drop OF the hat
Tom O'Rourke, another good judge, VIII
saw Burns fight NOR in England, believe
that Johnson will beat Burns to a Ger
tafnty, while Fitzpatrick declared a yea
ago that, If Johnson ever got Burns int
the ring with him he'd beat the whit
man to death"
In agreeing to cut up tina 5000 purse
$1,000 to the winner and $4,000 to the loser
Burns has evidently tried TO protect hi
pocketbook in the event of a defeat, Will
Johnson has been willing all along 10 agre
TO a good losers end. In agreeing to NEE
Johnson at all Burns has proved the as
easy money" in sight before he tackle,
the big black in a mill that would prov
the hardest in Burns pugilistic career