The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-02
$11O,OOO IS BID
FOR THE BIC FIGHT
Richard, Gleason and Cofroth
VIII Handle 1t Together
ANNOUNCEMENT DEFERRED
Police Commissioner of New York
Would Not Permit the Bid to Be
Announced So Decision Is
Postponed One Day.
ANNOUNCEMENT DEFERRED

New York, December 1.-Sporting men
gathered here were keenly disappointed
in what many considered q puritanical in
depreciation of the anti-prize fight laws
in this state but Police Commissioner
Baker had served notice that no such
announcement could be made in New
York city with propriety. Accordingly
it was decided to press into service again
for the final award tomorrow Jersey City,
where the bids were opened this morn
ing.
Gossip In sporting circles tonight
picked as the winning bidders James
Coffroth of San Francisco Frank Glea-
son, the California baseball magnate, and
TEX" Richard, the Nevada boomer. who
have apparently formed triple alliance
for the purpose of getting the fight.
Cofrroth is commonly credited with a
close alliance with the parties controll-
ing the two basic patents of the moving
picture machine. Gleason is known as a
close personal friend of Sam Berger,
manager for Jeffries. Thus the talk
among sporting men is that Gleason and
Coffroth pooled their interests, but at
the last moment Richard, who pulled off
the Gans-Nelson fight. came in with a
threat to bid such an enormous sum that
1t could not be denied.
The result was, according to general
belief that Gleason, already united with
Coffroth in one bid for "Colma, Ocean
View or San Francisco" also united with
Richard In the offer for Utah, Nevada
or California
Tom Mrfarv nj E-ddia hot1,
big bidders, seemed to realize that they
were not to be considered seriously. Nc
Cary said before the bids were opened:
The cards have been stacked against
my Los Angeles club. But II the high
est and best bid which has no private
strings attached to ii is to be accepted
Los Angeles will get the fight"
After the bids were opened he said:
IT have bid the most money, a gusA-
antee of $4,000 and 80 per cent of the
picture poceeds. IF they turn that down
it shows that somebody Is getting more
than appears on the bids submitted"
The opening of the bids today. besides
revealing the apparent Coffroth- Gleason
Rickard combination, yielded another sur
prise, the fact that a promoter could
offer and back 1t with cash. a purse of
$1,000 to be divided as the contestants
saw fit
While the sporting public has commonly
agreed that this is to be the greatest
prize fight without doubt in the history
of the prize ring, it was not believed
that any promoter would bid more than
$4,000 and that he would then claim one
third OF the moving picture revenue. In
cidentally, 1t is conservatively estimated
that II the fight runs 90 or 25 rounds on a
clear day, the moving pictures, IL dis
played throughout the world, would be
worth at least 100000
Both Jeffries and Johnson appeared in
q ring at Madison Square Garden to-
night in what will probably be their last
similar display before the public prior TO
the fght. But, contrary to expectations.
the garden was not even well filed
johnson came on first and spared with
a white opponent in a mild manner. JEFF
fries came on an hour and half later
and went five snappy rounds with Sam
Berger, the fastest work he has done in
public, at least since he started training
for the fight. The crowd sized Jeffries
up as being in good condition and show
ing good form, but his old nose trouble
bothered him considerably.