The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-03-18

JOHNSON EXPRESSES HIMSELF
A@E. sON OTHER FIGHTERS. =.
Us wiling TO Take Jim JeffrieS on at
8 Any Time and Says He Will Never
Give Burns = Chance TO, Get Even.
Explains Cause OF Break With
=, Manager. Fitzpatrick. "a; 49, }."~}

/ 'WiHueagoHs, Mlnn., March H.
Heavyweight Champion Jack John
lson arrived here at 6 O'Clock this;
evening and left at 8 for Chicago. :,
ohnson was accompanied by Mrs.
johnson, who despite the thfeat of
tine; Texas authorities, Will accom-
-Pany. her dusky husband to his birth
place, Galveston. Texas. EJohnson
came Ynherafded, and not, even His
friends knew, Of his stay In the city.
He was modest to a., surprising de-
gree and almost tried. to avoid the
publicity men. He retired; to Nat. pri-
yatef dining room in. near-the-sta,
ton hotel, Toasted on roast chicken
and conee, and with the writer was
the. sole occupant in the. room. :.y.-.. !
: Naturally the talk turned Ito fight
ana IN brief here is what ~ ohnson
'sallfu: Ever since the Burns fiEht J
nave been. continuously INSTRUCTED -
Know you understand the game ana
I know YOU Will send itout correct,
fhhen, without a, bit OF 3bluster&or
Sorasga doeto, Johnson said :f3Te.I beat;
Burns easily, but he was game to thei
core, That's all the good one dan:
say Tor him. He was too small ia:
begin with; he could not reach me
and in cieverness hadti on him )
4 really don't feel like ]: deserve any ~
cred1t for my victory over Burns, but
the world will never know the great
satisfaction it afforded me to slash
Gown the man who FOR two YEA rs
continuously $villihed me- <belittled
me and finally proved his unsports-
manship' by forcing me- TO accent un-
heard Of terms in order to get this,
match. 49,. ...' a., (. ~. ~ n
however. when he dictated the
impossible terms he did so ~ avoid
me-, and fooled him and cornered
him to fight me- =. - ~ -. !. -.
Now that ! have beaten. him +
want TO, go on, record as saying that
l. never will give him a chance to
fearn asdqflar of me z -,
e.. Jim Jeffries? The sooner, he :aanAs
nounces his Willingness to hght5 me
+ the better like 1t. l viii cancel%all
engagements to take MIN on at any
time. ... .. -. M. = =
Says Ketchell is Bluffing.e - !.
T. Stanley Ketchel and Sam lang
FORD? They are good middie5Weigllts
but neither<in my opinion, wants to
nsht me Or any other gooa heavy
weight. +.t. = r. .,.,-t '.
| Marvin Hart? He can have nv
game but it must be winner take
/ all: Next to Burns, Hart / found
the most personally abusive fighter
and i want to punish him for his
many bad talks. %%.l III,
Mike Shreck? His manager as
sures me that Mike was mtsouoted
when report had it that he said he
forced me to quit in Chicago. Sandy
Ferguson, Al Kaufman, Jack O'Brie1,
or any other fighter can have a. match
with me. I prefer fights to ,theatri-
cal engagements.' 4, E'.*>'>'
So saying johnson showed the,
| writer telegram from Pat Casey,
toffering him. 10 weeks at $500 per
week, to open at Hammerstetn's New
YORK. March 20. Johnson wired his
acceptance, with the clause of privi-
lege to cancel in case q fight Is in
sight. johnson also explained why
he severed his connection, with his
former manager, Sam Fitzpatrick
HE did not stick by me against a
man who made things very unpleas-
ant for me. ! could no longer be
loyal to him and we agreed to dis
agree. / have no ill-feeling against
MIN, but must say that the Burns
match from my end was badly mis-
managed. / will remain in America
for some time to give all ,chalaengers
a chance. If no match develops in
q reasonable time I will go to Europe
an dlook for matches there OF else
accept one of the many lucrative en-
gagements offered me there. Sam
| McVey is In Paris to fight. But I
know he won't fight me, because a
French syndicate offered US $4,000
and I offered to split the purse and
still he refused
Johnson looks the picture Of
health unlike Jim Jeffries, whom the
writer saw last week.
Johnsons eyes spark1es like rub
les, his step is elastic and in every
way he looks like strong, healthy
young giant.
NEGRO ELKs CLUB INJOINED.