The Washington herald., 1910-07-04
RECORDS OF THE MEN
Jim Jeffries Born in Ohio
Thirty-Six Years Ago.
BECAME BOXER BY ACCIDENT
Hank Griffen, Negro heavyweight,
said He Could Beat ANY Man in
Town, But Found His COnquerOr.
JohnsOn's Career Began When He
Knocked Ont joe ChOynski.

James J. Jeffries was born in Carroll,
Ohio, on April Is. 1915. and is now in his
thirty-sixth year He is a full-blood
American. His fathers ancestors were
born in England. while his mothers an
tecedents were Holland Dutch.
Naturally gifted with great strength
and vitality, Jenries, when his parents
had settled near Los Angeles. engaged in
the occupation OF boilermaker. Outdoor
ranch life agreed with him. and when still
under age he developed a wonderful
physique. Prior 10 becoming an iron
worker Jeffries attended a business col
weighed 200 pounds when he was seven
teen years old and did not know his own
strength.
Chance Started Career.
Jeffries began his fighting career by &C
eident. He was eighteen years old when
Billy Gallagher. a welter-weight. who was
in the big fellows employ, induced him
to try his skill One night in a Los An
geles saloon. Hank Griffen. a colored
heavyweight, threw a handful Of gold
pieces on the bar and said he could whip
any man in town. Gallagher, who was
present ar the time, hunted UP Jeffries
and the latter came back with him post
haste. tearing or his coat and spelling
for a scrap then and there, But Griffen
explained that he did not care TO battle
under rough and tumble rules. but wanted
a glove contest in a regulation ring with
competent referee. That suited Jeffries
down to the ground and a match was
quickly arranged. the men to meet the
next night in local hall.
Bets were made on the result OF the
encounter, and Jeffries, who had never
worn the gloves before, was punching
bag for several rounds. In fact, he took
a terrible iacing Heavy wallops on the
jaw and in the stomach did not make
him waver. however, and Griffin soon be-
gan to tire from his own efforts. Jeffries
suddenly assumed a famous crouch by
instinct, as it were. He used his right
hand as a guard and waded in with the
left. Jeffries then tented and Griffin
shot over the right Ducking under II.
the bOilermaker drove the left squarely
into the pit OF the negro's stomach and
knocked him out cold in the middle or
the fourteenth round.
Fought 10 a Draw.
That was Jeffries' first ring victory,
and Gallagher urged him 10 become q
professional pugilist. But inns father. a
clergyman. opposed the plan and it was
not until three years had elapsed that
The big fellow engaged in another scrap.
Gallagher was matched to fight Danny
Needham in San Francisco Just then and
he took Jef along with him to act as his
second. The fight was draw, and when
Gallagher got his end OF the purse he ran
away and left Jeffries without a dollar.
So il was up TO Jenries 10 fight for a
living. and he got a match with Dan
Long He was a big. awkward slow
moving fellow then. but he could hit like
q blacksmith and Long was slowed away
in two rounds, a left on the jaw doing
the trick
This success made a name for Jeffries
on the Coast. and he was matched with
Van Buskirk, former amateur heavy
weight champion OF California. who had
won several battles with good profess
SIGNALS. But before the fight took place
Jeffries was stricken with pneumonia and
had TO 90 10 the mountains 10 recuperate.
When Jeffries came back 10 Frisco he
met Harry Corbett, a brother of Jim Cor
L II
simmons at Carson City for the cham
pionship Of the world.
COrbett's sparring Partner.
Jeffries was introduced TO Jim Corbetts
trainer. Billy Delaney, who promptly en-
gagged the boilermalzer as a sparring part
ner for the pompadour pugilist. Jeffries
went 10 Carson City at once and proved
an able assistant. He was so big and
strong that it has often been said that
Corbett asked him TO let up in their trial
bouts. When FitzsimmOns put an end to
Corbett Delaney took hold Of Jeffries.
whose journey to the top of the heap
then began.
Delaney selected Van Buskirk as Jeffs
first opponent and the former amateur
champion had no chance at all. for Jim
knocked him out in two rounds Then
Delaney dug up a Chicago fighter named
Slaughter House Baker and the battle
came Off a month later at WoodWard's
Pavilion in Frisco. the same night Joe
Cans met Mike Leonard Baker vas
rough and ready slugger who tore mo
Jeffries Ike a wildcat. jim fioored him
several times. but Baker kept on boring
IN until Jeffries knocked him head over
heels in the seventh round. In the ninth
Jeffries landed a left in the stomach that
lifted Baker off his feet and then with
another quick left hook TO the Jaw he
put the Chicago man TO sleep.
After this affair Jeffries fought two
twenty-round battles with Gus Rubin.
the Akron Giant, and Joe Choynski
each being a draw. Rubin was knock
ed down twice, but the referee saved
him from defeat because of his su-
perior work. In the Choynsl<i fight
Jeffries received a heavy smash IN the
mouth that drove several teeth into
his upper lip.
Finished Peter jackson.
Jeffries then stopped Joe Goddard.
the arrier champion, in four rounds
After that he took on old Peter Jack
son. the Australian negro. who was
an easy mark and lasted three rounds.
He also put the kibosh on Mexican
Pete Everett in three rounds, after
which he tackled Tom Sharkey, who
proved to be his sturdiest antagonist.
They came together in Mechanics Pa
viHon and went tweney rounds to a
draw. Delaney now decided to bring
Jeffries East. and he made arrange
ments for the boilermaker TO meet Bob
Armstrong and Steve O'Donnen at the
Lenox a. c, Of this city, in ten-round
bouts on the same night.
When Jeffries arrived here he
weighed 245 pounds, "a human noun
tain the fight fans called him. De-
laney said he was a coming champion
and wanted to fight Fitzsimmons, then
the titleholder. But when Jeffries fail
ed 10 stop Armstrong, a second rater,
IN ten rounds and refused TO go on
injured his thumb, he was generally
ridiculed and went back to California
A year later Jeffries returned under
the management of ". A. Brady and
still trained by Delaney. After some
pickering articles were signed by Jea