The sun., 1909-02-06
CURRENT SPORTING GOSSIP
JOHNSON StID TO NAVE CHiL-
LENGED JEFFRIES.
Ring Followers, IIowcy Are Inclined
TO believe That nero Is q Mistake, as
the BIS Negro Already Has Agreed
10 box sam LanSfOrd In London.


According to a report from California
Jack johnson, the champion heavyweight.
has cabled TO q man Ia san Francisco to
issue formal challenge TO JefTries TO fight
for tho title and johnson will sail from
Australia on February II for Frisco TO clinch
! the match: also the big negro pugilist Is
willing to cancel his engagement TO meet
Sam Langford at the National Sporting
Club OF London on Maya II Jeffrlos, accepts
his challenge. u is slid that the challenge
was sent Immediately to Jetiries who Is at
Los Angeles, but that the latter declared
he would not talk business until johnson
arrived in this country.
Local sporting men who heard the report
Yesterday we're inclined to receive II with
Il srain Of salt They slid that il was hard
to believe that johnson had decided to
Violate his pledge to meet Langford in Lon
don IN return for the National sporting
Clubs favor in financing his trio 20 Aus
trafh to corner Tommy Burns. Further
more they declared that they could not
understand why Sam fitzpatrick should
be in a hurry to make a match with Jeflries
when there was a golden opportunity TO
pick up fortune in theatrical exhibitions
In England and France before making a
tour OF the leading cities in this country.
several days ago the National Sporting
club received cable assurances frOH both
johnson and Lsngford that they would
meet there In May in IA twenty round bout
aud that johnson would arrive on British
soil about February Is Altogether the re-
port from the oust would seem TO indicate
that there is some mistake unless johnson
and Fitzpatrick haze suddeLly decided 10
change their plans.
IL is a cinch that Jefrrics. in spite OF a
Il. a 4.
way or another until some time next SUM
mer. while 1t is also noteworthy tact that
champion a q rule never Issues a Chal-
lenge to an eX-champion. It is irsi the
other way, and II JeTries intends TO try for
his old title il will be up TO nim to say so
wnen lie gets ready.
Abp.Attell knocked out Eddie Kelly of
Buffalo, a second rat er. in the sevenl h round
Of what was scheduled TO be twenty
iirc round bout ia New Orleans last Thurs,
day night. kcily. slu2xer pure and
simple. tried rushing tactics from the start,
and In the third round /. looked as II he
mad Attell going. but after the iinI round !
10 was all Attell, for Kelly weakened under
the last pace. In the seventh round ke,lS,
Weakened by body punches, was Knocked ,
down iOur times IN RAPID succession, tie
took the count each time except the last,
wsen his seconds. seeing that he was al |
IN. threw up he sponge.
Attell from ali accounts was in tirtop !
advantage, There appears to be no good 4.
reason why Attei, should not cancel his 4
other matches with easy marks and cone
TO this city to settle the question oI supfem-
acy with Jem Driscol'.
Leach Cross did another hard day's work
Al Johnson.'s road house in, Jerome avenue
Yesterday for hi ten round bout with Iem
DrScUll At the fairmont \. {. next NtdheS-
day hight. cross says he will be at hi.
best when he gets INTO the ring and viii
la l.r1. 10 nFig nG ka al
when he knocicd young otto OUT recently. |,
rs Cross viii weigh probably ten pounds
more than Driscol he thinks he can wear
The EEgllsh featherweight champion down
before the limit Is reached.
DrisCoi is not oVereAeTtInc himself IN
preparing for the mill lecan'e. I've say,
lap been doing lot Of hard fighting IN the
nst few weeks and j. in excellent condition,
he says he made the match with Cross be-
'ause he regarded the latter as an easy
nan 10 outpolnt. and when asked yes-
erday IL he vas still confident Of success
he Briton said:
lave good margin to spare AZ the cGd OF
The bout.
Driscoll also stated tha, he was ready 10
~ to the day OF hi, departure for England.
february -, tie declared that he did not
know when he would return TO this roun-
~. and also s said that he probably would
~ the National sporting Club OF London.
he bout to take place some time in March
" April.
The passage Of the Walker-Otis anti
,ettine bill by the California Senate will
,ut the Oakland and Santa Anita tracks
M Of business permanently after May !.
incidentally the new law will make mil ,
ions Of dollars worth Of property vauelsss.
I will destroy the breeding Industry on the !
oast and will drive hundreds OF horse ,
'wners from the turf. The sentiment
gainst racet rncS speculation was so great
lurine the recent crusade headed by Ru-
iolph Sprsckes that the rHCot rack men
,ut up n weak Eight. Z. Ill. Williams. who ,
'wns the Oakland track and IL the le2d-
ng factor in turf Affairs on the coast, says I
he business men OF San FrdnCisco nd Ios
ANGELES will soon fcel the effect OF this Z
eRisation and that II will not he long be-
ore there will be Il general demnLd for "a .
lew l,N.
Meanwhile WilliFus is going into racing r
cnture in Mexico on large scale. u nd saws I
II will have plenty Of company. II ia re- I
'ot ed thPt u raCrtrack viii be built in 4
,evads lust over the STAT" line while there !
lill be another one on Mexican soil close
o the boundary lire Of southern california
he fact that racing on the 'oHst will not
70 terminated until May viii afford an .
Ncrllent chance 10 horSemen TO get out !
n the winter season. but Il il a fact that I
ipajority OF them are in straitened
ircumstanCes and that they consider heir
q sCs hopeless.