The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-28
TOMMY BURNS WANTS NO PART
 OF LANGFORD

BACKS OUT OF A MILL WITH THE BOSTON SLUGGER IN ENGLAND | BY DRAWING THE COLOR LINE
 -PAPKE TO MEET LEWIS OR | BURKE-UP TO JEFFRIES TO- DAY.
 Tommy Burns. the overrated person
 who enabled Jack Johnson to win the
 heavyweight championship in behalf l of the negro race, for the first time in pugilistic history has decided to draw | the color line in future. Burns has | just s1destepped a match with Sam Langford. It appears that Hugh D. Mcintosh, who pulled off the Johnson Burns mill, conceived the idea that twenty round fight between Burns and Langford in London would prove a strong attraction. Langford, the con-
 queror of Ian Hague, and Burns, who Mcintosh, would be evenly matched in size and weight, and as each has a
 following in England there would be
 much interest in their meeting. Nc Intosh therefore secured the consent of Burns first and then proceeded to clinch the Langford end. After that he hunted up the, managers of the Olympia in London and was about to close a one nights engagement of the
 big arena for a rental of $3,5OO when
 he received cablegram from Burns, who is in Sydney, backing out of the
 mill, with the explanation that he did not want to fight another negro. and furthermore he has signed a long term
 theatrical contract to tour the leading
 cities and towns in New Zealand.
 Burns refusal to tackle Langford is
 in line with practically every pugilist
 of note in the ring to-day. Jack John son deliberately broke his signed agree ment to box twenty rounds with Lang ford at the National Sporting Club of London last May and has been dodg-
 ing the Boston slugger'S challenges
 ever since. Al Kaufman early in May
 refused point blank to meet Langford
 in any kind of a bout and so did Ketchel. Recently Ketehel signed articles to fight Langford to a finish terms that Langford. in justice to him
 self, could not accept But Langford promptly accepted a liberal offer from
 the Fairmont A. c. to box ten rounds with Ketchal in August, and is stiIl waiting to hear from the middleweight champion. Meanwhile Ketchel, ignor- ing the Fairmont A. C., is said to have accepted a proposition from a Phila- dclphia club to box six rounds with Langford for a S12.O00 guarantee, uy 40 per cent. of the gross receipts, which looks like another case of side stepping unless Langford can get at least $10,O00 for his end, which seems hardly probable.
 Bill Papke refused point blank to meet IIangford under any considera- tion and has drawn the convenient color line. Willie Lewis, who said month ago that Langford was afraid of him, is now as quiet as a lamb | while Sailor Burke is said to turn pale every time he hears the Boston negro's | name mentioned. As Langford de- | bends upon the proceeds of his ring battles to pay his living expenses he is compelled, therefore, to take on | second raters for comparatively small i money, but he says the time will ar rive when he will force Johnson. Kauf- | man, Ketchel and the others to settle | their differences with him inside the | ropes. I4angford is taking care of his | health and in so doing shows plenty l of good sense. He is not b'owhard | but he has a world of confidence in | himself. He has made good in practi- | cally all of his fights and is regarded | to-day as a formidable contender for l championship honors. Because of his | patience many sporting men say that | he is entitled to recognition and that | he will get it sooner or later.
 Papke has notified the Fairmont A | c. that he willf make 15S pounds six | hours before ring time for a ten round | bout with either Willie Lewis or Sailor | Burke and that he will sign articles | the middle of next month. the date for |