The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-09
Jeffries Tells Why
lie Will Not Fight
(By James ]. JeGrie5.)


rection with the demands ;hat &C.
turn TO the ring and attempt to re-
take the title that Tommy Burns
yielded up to Jack Johnson, the negro
heavyweight
To begin with. ] do not intend to
fight again-mark this as final.
baye burned up many dollars in tele-
graph tolls during the past week or so.
telling different people in oil parts of
the country that l did not intend to
rc.enter the ring again.
also have printed many state
nents in the newspapers to that effect.
but the public seems inclined to doubt
my sincerity. 1t was as IL every man
was saying, "Quit your joking, JEFF
when are you going to whip thls negro
and win back the title?"
They seem TO take II for granted
that all l have to do is to get my hair
cut, jump the rope about two weeks,
put on pair of boxing gloves aad so
in and maui the life out of Jolp6on.
They never stop to think that | haze
been out OF the game for over four
years. during which time a gyGinas'
iTm has had the least of my attention.
/ repeat that / am sincere when
say that | never will fight again.
will now tell the public why | AM lie
termined to stay out OF the ing and u
few facts in connection eberof.
have enjoyed my ring career and
it has been finished. | am nov en-
joying a title that no boxer ever held
before and probably never will hold
after me | have my home, my wife,
my business. my health and my
friends l am not rich, but | have
al the money / need, and Will never
want for anything. II disaster was
to hit me and was TO be swept of
my feet without penny In the world,
then / might try TO retrieve myself
end my position by fighting again. as
ii is, l will go on as ! am. enjoying
my home. my friends and my every
day life Why, If it were more money
! was after [ would not have to fight
for It | have rejected fortune IN
theatrical offers during the past year.
To sum the situation up. am con
tented man and why should / reopen
E'y ring career, upset my business
and home-llfe for the sake OF few
dollars that I do not need Another
thing. | do not believe that the great
American public wants to see ma come
out of retirement | believe that they
would rather point TO me rs l am
the retired and undefeated champion
The hundreds of kilograms that
have been receiving are mostly from
newspaper men, who are looking for
good STORY" and from others who
would be benefited by my consentlng
To fight again.
Right here | want to correct a wrong
impression. l did not give tae cite TO
Jack Root Marvin Hart or any body
else. When / retired took the title
with me, and the fact that these fel-
lows claimed that l gave them the
title TO fight for was press agent WORK
rure and simple.
Now a word to the well-meaning
people who believe that I could go
hack In the ring next week and whip
Jack Johnson. | am not the jim JEFF
fries of four years ago. have spcnt
tho best four years of my life in pro-
noting my business affairs. Since
| have been In the cafe business |
have played the part of "good fcl.
lew" | have drank in moderation:
have smoked every day, and have
Kept late hours. My place OF busi-
less closes at ! o'clock in the morn
lug, and many times | am the last
person to leave the establishment.
Would Train Hard.
At the very least | would require
81: months, probably year. to get
into any kind of condition, and il is
4 question whether or not [ would be
In anything like the condition thac ] .
was when | quit the ring, Suppose
that after a year of training l sh rid
re-enter the ring and that johnson
should beat me. Then the public
ana myself would be in even a worse
The very people who
arc urging me now to go In and light
would be the very first to turn their
backs on me and condemn me tor ever
having considered a proposition 10
fight again
On the other hand. should / whip
Johnson. which /. in all probability,
would. | would be In no better posi-
ton than | am now with the eScep-
tion OF having few thousand Irore
dollars added to my bank account.
whipped every heavyweight in my
day and the majority OF them beat
twice, for good measure. | have re-
tired In every sense OF the word. and
| want TO enjoy that retirement
have gone further In this article
tAon ever before. because ] want TO
snow the public just exactly whore |
stand, | have everything that | want
| repeat that | am a contented mau.
and / want TO be left alone TO enjoy
my retirement. suppose tEet in
ten years from now they will sui
talk of dragging me out to tight the
whoever he happens tc be.