The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-21
IF 1T HAPPENS
IT'S HERE
Jeff GIVES OUT
SOME GOOD NEWS
Champion of the World Is
Ready to Meet All Corners
For His Title.

,--u- York. April s0.-'I viii fight Mr..
-.., Johnson. will defend my title as
..-5sreated heavyweight champion Of the
r,so-s an audience that packed the
--.-s7 music hall. in which there were
MANY women as men, James j. JET
el-= tonight made this formal announce
was the signal for great JOY. Ex-
..-r mon leaped from their seats, shout
y .-F -reered. and the women applaud
Tr-ir shrill and excited cries of aD-
...ral rs they stood up and waved their
-s-rEercuiefs. and even their peach-bas-
leo. hats. to the pOnderOus bowling and
.f.-sfgr .-uudefeated champion added
....rr-r-uueness TO the scene
rr tie streets were hundreds or per
sons who could not set into the theatre.
rtra-rr high premiums We're offered for
sssfs Early in the day Jeffries and the
rri.er had 20 clear way FOR him TO his
sr.au,ouiIe. or he might have been cap
-.-lG and borne OFF by his admirers.
after his susvrinE exhibition with Sam
rs-ra~ the audience shouted for Jeffres
d. come out and make the statement he
had promised The big fellow soon ap-
scared his dressing gown only reveal
frr mis- shaggy head and great red fists
Tire house went wild literally and JEFF
.-s-e stood near the footights bowling and
r.f-fuE his hands for order. After sew
saI minutes the audience became rea-
Ladies and centlcmen-
.rr That out and come to the point,
cried q voice iD the gallery
~ thank you from the bottom Of my
Never mind that. Are YOU going TO
Hchtr' came another voice.
p suppose YOU want to hear something
T-e- continued Jcffries. only smiling at
rr- Interruption
You bet we do" yelled dozens of men.
well, 7 am satisfied after about seven
weeks work
quit your kidding" came another in
corruption.
That I can get in Just as GOOD con-
Jack Johnson
Crowd Breaks Loose.
n Jeffies had had anything more 70
say. ne could not have been heard. He
ran off the stage while the auditorium
became a bedlam of noise and cheers.
There are several conditions attached
20 Jeffries' Te-entry into the prize ring.
First. johnson must defeat ketchel
Then Jeffries cannot sign articles posi-
big for ten months, and he insists that
the fiEht shall take place in this country
and that it shall be unlimited ss TO
rounds
Tie made these conditions known orally
-u the New York pa0ers when he handed
e1t the following written statement,
IT Will say that / never felt better, I
ave 1el0 OF making the announcement
until 7 became sure that I was absolutely
he same Jeffries as when ] retired four
Years ago. ] did so then after defeating
every possible contender for the title.
There was u1 one left for me 10 meet.
The present heavyweight situation is
The only thing that could have brought
me from retirement. have all the money
7 viii need. and there is no monetary
consideration that could tempt me into
the ring If ] was not sure that I could
easily defeat any challenger for the cham
pIouship.
AS for Mr.. johnson. the tactics which
he has employed. presumably TO attempt
70 force a match. have been such that
felt that I would only lower myself by
replying until I felt I was prepared TO
say that 7 would fight.
At the expiration of my contract with
William Morris which positively fOrbids
my signing any contracts. pugilistic or
otherwise. I will be ready to discuss terms
for an unlimited-rOund contest
All I will ask after that is sufficient
time 20 thoroughly condition myself and
should Mr.. Johnson care to challenge me
for the U{ie J viii DO what 7 think 7 owe
Foo the pubiiC-thst is. 20 defend my title
of uudefeated champion OF the world"
Jeffries' theatrical contract has five
months yet to run, with an option of five
more