Evening star., 1909-05-21
o'Brien Was Dropped Twice.

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blows that apparently were well directed
His left eye was bunged SO bad that 1t
had a cornice Of deep black. His smile
vanished In the fifth round and he could
no longer wink at his able manager, be-
cause when he closed his right eye both
optics were out of business. and Abe At
tell got confused with his signals. It
takes good deal to confuse Abe.
One could find dozens of men in Phila-
delphia yesterday who smiled when asked
who won the bout. They seemed to have
something up their sleeves. The fact. as
related in my ringside dispatch, was that
O'Brien's clever financiering won them
out. They reasoned that O'Brien In draw
ing down the lions share of the house as
against the miserable 5000 taken out by
Johnson early in the afternoon had done
most of his work in advance.
Bad Odor All About.
The whole thing has q bad odor. 1t
seems incredible that a club like the Ma
tional Athletic Of Philadelphia. which has
had some rummy-dum experiences. should
enter into deal with Jack O'Brien to
take 75 per cent Of the house and pay
Johnson's amount out of his share. But
that was what was done, sure's you are
all alive.
Worst Of all. am reliably informed
that 1t was not the club, but Mr.. Jack
O'Brien, who engineered the bout. 1t is
alleged as a mitigating circumstance that
who really paid him his 5000 guarantee.
But 1t was.
Now. gentlemen. have heard of the
famous Philadelphia lawyer who could
one that l think should tax even the
ingenuity of a member Of that erudite
profession in the Quaker city:
II OBrien guaranteed to pay johnson
5000 for a six-round contest. should
Johnson knock out O'Brien?
What's the answer?
Chorus-'NO-o-o-o."
Do 1 hear some doubling Thomas there
In the back row asking:
"Could johnson knock O'Brien out?"
To which I must give the observant
and thoughtful reply:
"Yes-s-s-s! With one right or left
punch"
johnson Slammed When He Pleased.
But. on the face OF 1t, while the old
and musty Marquis. Of Queensbury rules
declare that a hit and get away counts
as moro effective than the punch and get
one that doesn't hurt in return. I beg
respectfully to differ. Ruling on the idea
of foot racing and shadow boxing,
OBrien had it on johnson, but when 1t
came to sending In a smash-tee hee-
why that there Jack Johnsing he just
banged O'Brien to the floor when he felt
he had to do 1t to keep up appearances.
IT am satisfied with the result of the
bout" said OBrien yesterday. johnson
had fifty pounds the better of the weights.
his reach and height were against me.
and still had to force all the fighting.
was better against johnson, because Of
my vondition, than I was against Ketchell.
will be even better In my next bout. l
have a dozen theatrical offers, but don't
think / will accept any Of the engage
ments.
Each Pleased With Other.
johnson is a big, powerful fellow. with
terrific punch In either hand. He was
In good shape. and he waited for me to
lead, so that he could cross me and win
with a knockout. No one can realize
what a proposition l had on my hands.
It was the cheers which helped me. and
when saw many of my old friends in
the crowd pulling hard for me how could
lose?"
Il won" said johnson. Everybody
knows I did; but / must admit I never
and any one who tells you he cannot hit
Is crazy. He punches as hard as any
man in the ring. l tried to catch him
coming, but he is q little too cute to be
cOpped in six rounds. Ten rounds would
enable me to do the trick. I am going
to England: then will return to America
and whip Ketchell. and then take that
flyer at James ]. Jeffries."
1 told ketchell Of Johnson's remark. He
smiled in a Helena, Mont, sort of way
that meant worlds. Il knocked the life
out Of O'Brien." said he. Il wonder what
could do to that nigger?"
So do l.