The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-12-20
= BY Knox Blockoff =

but these little things are likely t0'
happen to any one.
Probably, Tommy was fooiing o.,
didn't know the difference, as Fitx-
simmons said about the fake with
Jim Hail. We don't know the inner~
most thoughts of the pure Burns. We
can surmise few things. though.
Jack Palmer, In England, declares
that Burns put zip his (Paimer's) for~i
felt for the great go they had. ana
also said other things about promises
to Tommy.
Looks Queer in East.
Eastern sports. Of course, reElenas
Der these, and then. when they hea<
OF Burns actually agreeing 10 fight |
johnson after running AWAY from him
all over the worid, they can't think of !
any thing else but frame-up.
BURNS said the day he left for i
England that If $4,000 purse was
hung UP he would fight johnson. Jins
Cofnroth offered that money. bues
Burns refused To fight. When he was
cornered in England and roasted by
the British press, he declared that het
would never light Johnson unless HIS .
end, win, lose or draw. was $4,000. |
Stiu he claimed that ne was the great !.
est fighter ON top OF the earth
johnson went 20 England and {
Tommy beat it TO Australia When
he got that far away from the resu
of the world. somehow or. other ne
thought it was a good time TO fix Ip
q go with Johnson
Burns has made some money On
his tours, while Johnson has jusu
made wee bit more than he needed.
Now Burns is the dictator. VIII ha
do as an ex-champion ight-weight
thinks-make the Johnson people bee
their end ON Burns to win. SO that IN
Burns is double-crossed the JohnsoH
people will be broke?
sWfN he bet wad on Johnson him
self and take to the mat rather than
stand UP and take the licking? VIII
he pay Johnson $4,000 to take the
count. so that ne can go around the
world without being disputed as the
greatest. champion We ever saw :.
$50 There are those who think tnat-
the affair is ON the level and THAI
Burns will beat Johnson's head or.
There are others who believe it's hon.
est, and that Johnson viii win. The
majority are afraid TO bet a nickel
II we could see the fight over here,
where both men are. known, we could
tell In minute. Many believe thae
Burns is afraid of the big tar ibabys
and that he wouldn't sign mp unles4
the thing was fixed.
It's a queer match. Queer because
of the locality, queer because of the
secrecy OF the thing. and queer be-
cause Angelic Tommy has figured in
SO many queer things"
Also on the Coast
Out on the Pacific coast, too. they
have their doubts about the go be-
tween Johnson and Burns. Many OF
the leading sporting writers of THAI
section think ther is Niger in the
woodpiie in the arrangements for tho
bout H. NJ. Walker. OF Los Angeles.
voices his suspicion in these words:
cit would be folly to overlook the
fact that here in Los Angeles the Aus
traIian match Is looked upon with
serious suspicion. 1t. is known that
neither Burns nor johnson is above
'jobbing, and II is the sincere belier'
OF eight out OF every ten of the local.
followes Of the boxing game that
Burns and Johnson are preparing To.
pull off a triclin the far off Anti.
podes.
"The arguments advanced in sub
sanitation of this suspicion are all
most endless. The writer has yet tn
talk TO a well-posted man who 10
WfiliAS 10 20 On dS UcAfcFiu4
that Burns and Johnson are going q,
fight strictly on the square. =
Tommy Burns vas made right
here in Los Angeles, so far as hla'
ring career is concerned. The meQ
who know the pudgy Canucl1 best ard
the quickest TO voice their belief THAI.
Burns world never take a chance with
the Galveston negro unless the Iatte1l
had been seen
"All OF which may be rank In
justice to both OF the principals in the
Australian battle. Only the develops
ments OF the next few days can provs
or ,1isprove this suspicion of crooked>
ness. For the good of the boxing
game 1t is to be sincerely hoped that
the Burns-Johnson match win be de-
cided strictly upon its merits and ths@
the victor viii come away without 4
faint Of suspicion being attached td
his achievement"