The Washington times., 1910-07-04
Galveston Negro Broke Into
the PugiliStic Game Ten
Years Ago.

Jack johnson was born in Calves
ton. Tex. March 81, 1875. and began
his fighting career in his native town
about ten years ago At that time
the Galveston Athletic Club. of
which Leo Posner was the moving
spirit. gave boxing shows in which
Charles Brooks, a masseur and
teacher of boxing in a boxing acad-
euy in Galveston, was the principal
feature He took on any conner and
usually knocked out his opponents
in the third round One day John
son presented himself and expressed
his willingness to fight Brooks fer
a consideration Posuer accepted him
and when the night Of the fight came,
Johnson surprised everybody by
knocking out Brooks in the second
round
After that first Of his ring battles
Johnson did not want FOR nights He
cleaned up the best of the darkies
in the black belt. among his early
Victories being . knockout. Of Horace
Niles in three rounds. Then George
LawIor. an Irish giant. who fought
/ under the ring name OF Jim McCor-
mick accepted q challenge Johnson
/ defeated him in ten rounds. and
I twice again beat him, both times in
/ seven rounds In between his fights
with Mccormick Johnson defeated
/ Jack Lee
/ His next victory Of some conse-
/ Quence was over a burIy negro known
/ as 'kIOndyke." who came 10 Calves
I ton from Philadelphia and was de-
ffeated by Johus0n after a grueIing
( battle OF twenty rounds Johnson
was still a raw novice when he
fought his first really big battle.
T with Joe Choyuski. The latter was
L at the height OF his skill and John
I son was no match for him in science
/ IN the t1lTd round Johnson was
{ Knocked out and lost the fight II
{ was the first and only time that he
J was thus disposed Of by one OF his
/ Ereat Denent y Johnson, however.
{ He and ChOynski were arrested after
! the night and put in Jail, where they
{ Wll4eQ away the time boxing. In
Z those days Johnson learned a great
deal from his skiIIfUI teacher
J The second fighting year Of his career,
-5i-- was q Dig one TOT Johnson he
/ vas the principal in sixteen contests,
not losing one and having four draws.
In that year he met Jack JeErfes. g
brother OF Jim, and knocked him out
one or JOnDSOu.S hardest fights was
with George Gardner the middle
weight champion OF New England BE
CeIedIed Gardner easily. and thereby
ADDED Ereaty TO his reputation as a
fighter After that battle Johnson de
Ieated Fred Russell and Denver Ed
Martin and finally the negro sam Nc
/ Ney- whom he defeated on points in
twenty rounds
! The following day johnson issued a
Cnd-lenge 10 jim Jc1frIeS- asserting he
was the champions logical opponent
Jerr-eS evaued him. however, saying
II that he had drawn the color line after
meeting Hank Griffin IN 1901
Johnson won all OF his battles in 1909.
beating The rugged 3IcFey twice on
points On april =. 1904 he met MCNey
again ana knocked him out in the TWEEN
ueth round He also won from Frank
Chllds, Of Chicago. IN SIX rounds In
March, 1885, he fought Marvin Hart at
san Francisco. and although he made a
punching bag OF Hart for twenty
rounds the decision was given TO Hart
In the same year johnson fought a
number Of other battles never defeated
and losing but one fight, the one against
I. Joe Jeanette. on a foul The list Of his
opponents in that year included Jim JEFF
Monroe. Sandy Ferguson. Joe Jsannett-.
and Young Peter Jackson
The only man who made any showing
against johnson In the following year
was Joe Jeanette, with whom he
fought several battles, without scoring
q knockout Those who saw these
; nights. however, clearly felt that john
son was master or the situation at al
times and could have easily finished
with a. knockout had he wished 20 do
so In April, 1905 Johnson defeated Sam
La1Eford at Chelsea, Mass. which
showed his class. as LangfOrd was and
SIN IS considered one Of the most dan
gerOus opponents in the ring
In the following year. 1917, Johnson
b went TO Australia, and there met 7
Lang, whom he knocked out IN the
ninth round IN July Of the same year
he fought Bob Fitzsimmons at Philadel-
Dhia and knocked him out in The sec
= oud round In November. 1917, he fought
{ eleven rounds with Jim Flynn al san
+. Francisco and knocked out his ODDO-
=
Burns in December 1908, al sydney \.
r : W. and Stanley EetChel. at Gonna,
Cal, October Is. 1919 are still fresh IN
2 the minds Of the ring followers. He de-
D feated Burns on points in fourteen
Z rounds and put kerChel 70 sleep IN the
l I twelfth round His fight with ketche
, was The last OF JOhnsOl's ring be titles
p before the championship contest with
, EJeffrieS was agreed upon
. =