The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-11-16

A Hard Thing For
Jeff to Come Back

- - -
| Sullivan missed and missed and
| rushed and rushed. He was setting his
Old pace without having the old sneed
to carry him through. I was tanning
| him IN the corner at the end of the
third round and the towel happened to
| flap against his legs. 1t drew has at
! tentlon to them. Jack, they're gone
he whispered. l rubbed them, but it
didn't do any good. He could hardly
drag them after him, and between that
and the misses it was only a question
of time before he would collapse
I'm the fifteenth 1 said, John, don't
walk across the ring after him. You're
the champion; let him come to YOU He
did, and would have lasted much long
, er but the temptation to lunge and
rush at Corbett was too great, and
! he beat himself trying That's just
what will happen to Jeff unless he
properly prepares himself by fighting
a lot Of outsiders. His has been the
longest retirement of them all. Why,
if he's licked they will say, why the
big dub never was any good That's
what they will say. They won't fol-
low him down the streets then shout
ing good Will
Recalls SuIivan's Case.
will I ever forget how they treat
ed John L. after Corbett beat him? The
day before the fight they had to call out
the reserves to clear a way for John
and myself We were staying at an
athletic club and the streets were
black with a solid mob of people all
anxious to see the mighty John L. The
next day when we walked into the
same street with our heads down you
could have shot 12-inch gun down
the thoroughfare and not hit a single
person. Oh, you have to be right to
fight!
"A llIdH WOold NC COll0lucICu CIdLy
who would take a blooded horse out of
| racing for long period and then enter
| him with horses of equal class few
years later without first putting race
under his belt. That's what Jeff will
| have to have. He'll have to have a
race under his belt. Look at Charlie
! Mitchell. He was one of the cleverest
| boxers in the world in his day, and
he could shoot over a punch with the
| back after a long vacation and tried
to match skill with Jim Corbett. Why
he simply missed Corbett mile every
time he tried to punch. He had lost
distance and pace.
Its a horrible feeling to go in
/ champion and lead a good punch at the
other fellow and find him not there
when the blow is spent. Jeff will be
| so anxious to get Johnson that he will
make an awful mess of things unless
he is primed and he can't be unless
! he does as / have suggested. Jeff has
J youth. He's young man. Jem Mace,
the best boxer the world ever produced,
wasn't a champion until he was 49,
| at would be awful for Jeff to lose.
! No one can realize he/agony John L.
and Jack Dempsey suffered after de-
! feat. Sullivan's was the most pitiful OF
! all. He didn't cry, but just sat and
| stared at the floor of his room for
hours. The humiliation was awful.
! Sullivan seemed to think the whole
world was pointing it's finger at him.
| T did not dare read him telegram
some railroad section boss sent him
and which arrived the next morning.
tt read: Wanted, a big Irishman to
walk the ties at a dollar day. John
Lawrence Sullivan please write
81 didn't dare show it to him, ana
he'll never know it came until he reads
it in your paper. That's the way
though They can't feel for the loser
and that's why Jeff shouldn't take
chance without he's recovered ms dls-
lance and pace. He can't get them
back unless he goes out. and fights
lot Of fellows"