The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-12-11
WON'T SPLIT PURSE
Jeffres Denies Anything Queer About
BIG FIGHT Articles

Jeffries appears to be much dis
turbed by the hot shot poured into
the arrangements for what is now
termed THE Great Picture Fight
and denies with vigor the charge that
he and Johnson have secretly agreed
to split the 100000 purse on a -
and so" basis. Jeffries declares that
there will be no "stalling' on his
part when the fight begins and that
he will try to knock Johnson out IN
punch if such a feat is possible.
The boilermaker's clean ring record
is an anchor to windward in this af-
fair, for nobody believes that he will
not do his level best TO win but the
picture privileges are cutting such
an important figure that the sceptics
are naturally extremely busy.
The final articles Of agreement
signed by the fighters and the promo
ters last Friday are incomplete as to
several important points and differ
with the first set of articles signed
month ago, Just why nobody seems TO
know Jeffries and Johnson first
agreed to fight "fortyfve rounds or
more for a side bet of $4,000 each,
and they also stipulated that the sell
ection of a final stakeholder would be
made on the day the best bid for the
mill was accepted. According to the
new agreement however, Jeff and
Jack will box forty.fve rounds and
no more, there being no reference to
. h. rfI l.. or "a datn for the
selection of a final stakeholder. Nat
urally sporting men as a result are
anxious to know whether the fight
ers have decided to do away with the
side bet or not and if they have there
must be a reason.
The fight will be absolutely on the
square" said Promoter Jack Gleason
yesterday. The men viii not be I'M
der a pull to guarantee certain
of spectacular rounds for the
picture machine but they will go iii
and fight from the first sound of the
gong. Jeffries is too bitter toward
Johnson to agree to any stall and I'll
miss my guess if he doesn't try to
knock the negros block off as quick
" as possible No. We do not know
who will take the pictures OF the
fight and we haven't received any Of
fers from the socalled syndicate or
other independent concerns. That
can all be arranged later Richard
and | have nothing to do with that
end of it, for Jeffries and Johnson
own the picture privilege between
them and must make their own ar
rangements. There is no truth III
the story chat the moving picture
syndicate is putting up a purse and
that stock in the Jeff Johnson com
pany will be issued to the public TO
make up the amount of the purse il
case the pictures should be spoiled
by rainy weather. There is no fake
about this affair and ! want to make
that plain because ! have record
for square dealing which must be
maintained.
why did we sign the articles of
behind closed doors
Simply to avoid trouble and delay
Do you think we would have reached
a secret understanding of some kind
in such a spectacular manner If we
had anything to conceal from the
public? Why we could have fixed NJ
such a thing in private right here in
New York City. without sending tol
the reporters to wait outside Rick
ard and can put up the entire purse
of SOL. 200 now if the fighters are
uneasy, for we've got the coin ana.
we don't need any outside assistance
The fight will be on the square and
the gate receipts will exceed Sl5O,-
0O0,"