Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-07-07
HIS OLD POWER TO TAKE A
TERRIBLE BEATING GONE
Youth and Science of johnson Made the White
Fighter Look Like Green Man---Knocked
Down Three Times in 18th Round
When the Match Ended

Reno. Neva, July 4--John Arthur John
son. a Texas negro the son Of an Amer
lean slave, 'o-night Is the undisputed
heavyweight champion Of the world
James ]. Jefrries OF California, winner OF
q championship fights. the man who never
had been brought to his knees by blow.
tonight passed into history as a broken
IDOL. He met utter defeat at the hands
of the black champion.
While Jeffrtes was not actually counted
out he was saved only from this crowning
,hame by his friends pleading with John
son not TO hit the fallen man again and
the towel was brought into the ring from
his corner At the end of the 18th round
Referee Tex Rickard raised the black
arm Of Johnson and the great crowd filed
tut gium and silent
JefYres was dragged to his corner bleed
ing from, nose and mouth and n dozen cuts
on the face He had n black. closed eye
and swollen features, and he held his head
in his hands dazed and incoherent.
Johnson walked out OF the ring without
a mark on his body except n slight cut
on his lip, which was the re- opening Of a
wound received In training.
HAD EARLY CHANCE TO WIN.
Ring experts agree that It was not even
y championship fight. Jeffries had n
chance in the second round, perhaps, but
after the sixth It was plain that he was
weakening and outoiassed In every
point. After the 18th round 1t was hope
less.
1t was the greatest demonstration the
ring has ever seen of the failure OF n
fighter TO come back" after years of
retirement. The youth and science Of tho
black man made Jeffries look like a
green man. The great Jeffries was like
a log.
The reviled johnson was like a black
panther, beautiful in his alertnees and
defensive tactics.
Jeffries fought by instinct, It seemed,
showing his gameness and his great
fighting heart in every round. but he was
only shell of his old self The old pow
er to take a terrible beating and bear It
until he landed the knock-ou blow was
gone.
After the third round Johnson treated
his opponent almost as joke. He smiled
and blocked playfully, warding off the
bear like rushes Of Jeffries with a marvel
Gus science, now tuckinG blow under his
arm. again plucking ii out of the air rs
man stops base ball.
CERTAIN FACT STANDS CLEAR.
out of the sea of opinions and arguments
that bolstered up this fight and made It
the talk Of tho world. these pinnacles Of
fact have been cast up:
The fight was on the square. OF that
there was no doubt after the first round
There was no evidence of the alleged
yellow streak" In johnson.
johnson proved himself so absolutely
Jeffries's master that experts such as w
Corbett. the Australian sporting writer
and ring expert, declared that Tommy
Burns had put up a bettsr fight against
johnson and that the black man was only
playing with the other man.
The end was swift and terrible II
looked as though johnson had been hold
Ing himself under cover all the rest OF the
time and now that he had measured JEFF
fries In all his weakness he had deter
mined to stop 1t quick.
Jeffries had lost the power Of defense.
A series OF right and left upper cuts de-
livered at will sent him staggering TO the
ropes. He turned and fought back by In
stinot and because he was dying hard.
ONLY A FEW FAST ROUNDS.
With tho exception of a few fast rounds
the night was tame. Jeffr1es did not have
the power In his punch to hurt Johnson
after he had received blow after blow on
the Jaw and his vital power was ebbing
But even before this stage camo Jefrries
could not reach the black. His blows
nearly always landed with most OF tho
speed taken out OF them. IT was like hit
ting a punching hes.
The Jeffries crouch was in evidence at
timer, but during most OF the fight he
fought standing straight and working
with something Of his OLD agSressiveness.
The 18th round started with r. clnch
after Jeffrtes had failed to land on the
body. Johnson !hen tore loose and be-
fore the spectators wero prepared for the
finish ne had sent Jeffries down with
lightning like :eft and right blows to the
jaw. Jetfries slipped and fell half way
through the ropes. Those under him
nav that 10 had lost his sense OF sur
pCNdings. lis time had come He was
ceiling what he had caused others to feol
n the days OF his youth and power.
Johnson came over to the spot and stood
2,ised over HIS adversary, his body ready
for Taft hook II Je:fr.es ressined his
rect.
COxnETT sEC1s FOR MERCY.
JiIa correct, who had stood In Jeffries's
corner all during the fight telling John
son what q fool he was ard hsw no was
In Cor the heating OF mis- life, now ran
.U,"ard with outstretched arms, crying:
"Oh don't iacH, don't hit him"
Iefflies painfully raised himself to his
feet. Ills Jaw had dropped. His eyes were
a,arly shut and his face was covered with
blood. VITA trembling legs and shielding
INNS he tried to put up a dofse,ss, but he
could net stop a terrific right smash On
tha Jaw followed by two left hooks. He
went down again. Jeffries's physician
ana otnSr friends Jumped into the ring,
stop IT," they cried, don't put the
old fellow ov,."
Sam Berger, !1ffriess manager, ran
along she ring ohlling to Bob Armstrong:
FIRING that towol-you know what I
mean don't let him got HIT"
From JohnsOas corner his ssoends were
calling 10 him to a''it Then the referee
stopped the tiinskeep~r and It WAS all
over.