The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-11-02
IS JEFF AFRAID
OF MR.. JOHNSON
Colored Man Has Been Told That
the Big Boilermaker
Fears Him.
fRr William i slntteul

for the heavyweight championship. Ii
took many months of wrangling and
mud singing and beating about the
bush TO bring them together for the
signing OF articles. but now that this
formality has been disposed Of 1t Is
generally conceded that the one big
obstacle In the path of the greatest
of all ring battles has been swept
away. They are lined UP now and
neither can gracefully crawl out Of
his obligation without showing him
self up as a coward and a four lush
er In fact. nobody looks for this. The
only possible bar to the battle Will be
tho Injury or death of one of the
principals.
johnson Thinks Jeff Fears Him.
II he adheres to his plans of form
er days. JEFF probably will HE him
self 10 the mountains and do his
training like the Indians He's the
only fighter in the world who ever
adopted this system. and it certainly
fitted him for all his ring contests
when he was in the heyday of his ca
reer Therefore. it does not seem
likely that the big follow will seek a
new OF more up to date system or
training this time.
One thing must be said to Johnson's 8
credit he has displayed the true
sportsmanlilie spirit right along. The
black champion made good In every
instance and he never uttered word
that he went back on. He was right
on the job at every move. and he GER
tainly gave Jeffries no rest when the
time for signing up rolled around. II
johnson fears JefIries In tho least,
his actions do not betoken such a
fear If anything, he has been the
man to make the concessions and to
display the willing spirit all the time.
Whatever delays have been eDcoun'
tered must be laid at the door OF JEFF
fries.
There is something behind all this,
too, something that Johnson has
been keeping quiet all the time, but
which his friends know TO be correct.
He has gathered plenty of informa-
tlon which gives him the positive as
surance that the retired champion is
afraid of him, Johnson got his infor-
nation right here and In Oakland, too.
He got il from men who were with
JeffrieS In the past-men who are
high up In the game and. apparently,
men who know whereof they speak.
Johnson will work on the theory
that Jeffries fears his every move
ment In other words, he will seek
10 buffalo the bear like boiler maker.
He will taunt him and rile him, and
In this way seek TO break down his
fighting spirit How far this will go
with Jeff remains TO be decided later.
In the past the big fellow generally
won his battles by his fierce look at
his opponent as he climbed through
the ropes Of the ring
There are many who believe that
Jeffries will frighten Johnson. just as
he frightened the others when he was
in his prime Certainly Jeff was the
most fcrociouS looking and imposing
looking creature who ever crawled
through the ropes In the old days.
With that hairy chest OF his and that
careless. animal like grin on his face,
he struck awe into the hearts Of the
spectators at the ringside as we'll as
the fighter who was TO oppose him. II
he Is the Jelfries of old, he will not
be buffaloed or kidded by Johnson.
The old students of the fine art OF
boxing feel confident that Jeffries will
have great advantage over Johnson
in footwork. For big man Jeff was
the fastest fighter in the world on his
feet His speed In this respect was
nothing short of marvellous, When he
fought Jim Corbett the last time, in
1903, .Icffries made the cleverest big
man OF them all look like novice
in the footwork end of the game He
danced around that ring like a ballet
performer and bewildercd Corbett at
every turn,
Johnson is a flat footed fighter This
Is apparently his only weakness in
the boxing line. He can not step in
10 an opponent with the speed which
Corbett and F'itzslmmons showed in
their prime. Instead, he generally
waits for his man TO come 10 him and
then picks him off Nobody was ever
able Ia stop Joffries I'm this way, but
they all admit that Johnson has Tar
better chance on account of his
quickness and his natural strength.
Big Fighters Well Matched.
Johnson has never fought q man OF
JoffrleS' size. and the same can he
said of Jeffries. Sizing them up as
they appear today. each is going up
against the toughest proposition he
| ever tackled Johnson is a better
man now than he ever was In his life
before Is Jeffrles as good as he uscG
10 be? This Will not be known till
after the fight.
The fans of San Francisco have
seen Johnson's steady rise during the
last six years. They saw him as q
great streak of yellow when he wen
| 20 slow rounds With the cumbersome
Sandy Ferguson, and they saw the
clumsy Marvin Hart get a decision
over him. Then, again. they have seer
him as the heavyweight champion o
the world, handling Ketchel like I
toy
There is no question but that the
national prejudice against the blact
race Will install JeffrieS 10 to oil
10 to favorite over Johnson This
seems to be conceded on all sides
And as betting proposition the fight
gives promise of being the greatest
one in the history of the Queensberry
ring. Hundreds of thousands of dol
laro will CHANG, hand. nn poeuIt