The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-07-13
GORBETT EXPLAINS
FALL OF JEFFRIES
Confidential Adviser De
clareS Boilermaker Trem-
bled on Day of Fight.

NEW YORK July 13.-From his roof
garden seat Of wisdom James J. Corbett
= telling his auditors the following
I Just arrived IN the city few min
utes ago. and am going to tell you. as
near as 1 know how, how Jetfries lost
the fight. When I was in Europe, AM
when I learned that ne was thinllin-
seriously of fighting Jack Johnson /
cabled him. DO not hit in the clinches-
You couldn't hit me IN the cIinches. and
IAN twenty pounds lighter than John
son But JEFF couldn't see Mt TO Follow
NY advice. and Il was IN the ClinChes
that he got all his hard punches
II went out 10 California 20 box
with hin. and I put on the gloves
the first DAY. but he wouldn't hit
me with q handful OF rice Jeffries
didn't want TO box He said he had his
own system and that he intended 10 do
very little boxing. and I told him then
and there he would lose the fight If ne
didn't The b7c fellow didn't seem TO
IKE ne TO talk 10 him. because I told
him the tr7ath. I didn't agree with him
in everything: but knew that he neez-
ed some enc to tell him the truth.
finally spoke to JeffTs wife and told her
that she should Try and get her husband
10 do some-boxinC- JeT came-to me the
next day and said I think you're right
J'5l. and am going to box with YOU
every day now The next Gav came,
but Jeffries had left early in the mora
ing 10 20 fishing be returned about
o'clock that night too late for any
boxing Well I thought The rest VIII
do him good. and there Is no use in
sisting. 50 I cut OFT the idea Of boxing
But I hadn't seen him box for years and
I felt thar his Judgment Of distance and
his eve were wrong Je- came TO me
one dav and said jim I did some great
read work tOdav-Tan i've miles without
stopping and ne thought II was just
that kind OF training thai would fl him
for the fight
Expected Victory
when I first saw Jeffries, I knew
that his physical condition was nearly
perfect; but JEFF weighed something
like 800 pounds, and he was going 70
fight Johnson, but he had TO get OF
nearly eighty pounds before he could
do II, and I was going 10 help him 1
knew that If johnson did box with him (
Jenries' wonderful punch. stamina, and
endurance would win the fight for the
white man
IF I had only known before the fight
what JenT1es' wife told me the next
daT the result might have been diner
ent Mrs Jeffries said that the nlEnL
before the battle she had heard nm
sCufhing and walking about tne room. !
and that ne had SAT up al lll5itL JUS
worrying I had warned Je1ITleS 70 I
fight off any nervousness; but ne Sald' I
I'm not worrying, Jim lold NM 4
JEFF Il YOU get nervous before the
fight, come to me- and we VIII nS1t 4
II of together He tried to deceive me 7
but he was only cecelFlng hiIlselI-
Il am going 70 tel YOU ne l"o ~ III .
cfpaI reasons why Jef lost the usuI- .
The first blow he had was when Gov
e-nor .GiIlert made his decision mat lIle I.
could held f.1.LLCTflHsf- .
He had To pack up his things aug ieaEe .
q beautiful country where ne IetL per
feCtly at home and so 70 Keno WIZ
practically no training apparatus Dll
his punching bag The second was me 7.
fact that Billy Delaney was IN John-
sons corner instead OF ms own
tried my best 10 kid JefTieS about II,
but he would only muJ-e-, To think OF
Delaney being with Johnson instead %
me- Then everyone was expecting so +
rnucF Of him JEFF would say suppose .
I didn't win. after all these fellows nave
bet their money on me IndL We
another thing that defeated Jeh-nlS
confidence was not there
Teffrles In Trance.
ssweT- the day OF the fight came, and
Jefries changed entirely He would
not speak to any one His legs were
trembling. and he seemed to be in
trance When 7 was walking with
him TO the arena I accidentally turned
70 the left. away from the rims but
JEFF followed me without questioning
just like a dog When they entered +
the ring Jef was in stupOr- He
didn't notice Johnson, or any one in .
our. corner JEFF and I had figured out
that If I could get Jack Johnson rat
tied by kidding him. JEFF could get
one Of mis- famous left punches, so / +
-oshed johnson between each round 3
and during he fight You have heard 4
q lot about Jeffries' nervousness but .
# there was ever any one who was .
scared stiff, IL was Johnson before the 4
fight started Johnson gained little {
more confidence in the first round. and Z
Jack hit JEFF in the eye in the second 4
round ThC-I. Of course, Johnson wore ;
that beautiful golden smile Pretty I
soon Johnson started kidding back at 4
me He said a lot Of bright things. /
but /. remember one in particular. I /
saw that Johnson wanted to mix II /
I'D and shouted 10 Jen 10 hold on ]
to him They clinChed, and I saw
there was no use fighting I yelled !
&C on JEFF fight a little You viii /
Se- him In that yellow streak John (
son looked over at me and said, 4
That's what they AL say
am not sore on JeffrieS- but I I
don't think he trained right He lost /
on account OF a nervous and physical /
collapse don't say JefTies wasn't 4
game, Tor / don't think there is 4
gamer man living than Jeffries- JEFF
fries lost the fight, but he did the best !
he could and would rather be with I
JefrleS now than with the winner Z
WANTS JEANNFTTF