The daily sentinel., 1910-06-17
, permit for the holding of the bat

permit for the holding of the bat
tie.
Then came the death of young Nc |
Carthy in a fight with Owen Moran. |
This aroused the church element TO |
renewed activity and hundreds of |
thousands of people all over the Uni |
ted States petitioned Governor Gill |
lett to stop the fight. The governor !
declined on the ground that the law |
was not being violated. Then came |
a statement from Gillett to the effect |
that the fight was going to be fake, !
and the next day he denied chat he
had made any such statement.
The next surprise, and one which |
came as a decided shock, was the an
nouncement that Tex Rickard would |
referee the fight. Nobody doubted
the honesty of Tex. but the fact that
he never served as the third man in
the ring, even in a preliminary con-
test, caused all kinds of comment.
And so things rocked along until
Tuesday evening. Then it was an
nounced that Jeffries, Johnson and
Rickard and Gleason had disposed of
their rights in the moving pictures
of the fight for Sl50.0OO. s This look
ed good to the fight fans for the rea-
son that there was no danger of the
fighters stalling when they were not
interested in the length of the battle.
Now, like a bolt out of a clear SLY,
Governor Gillett gigs back on his
former statements that he would not
interfere with the battle. His eN-
planation for his present action prob
ably is sufficient, but to those who
1nnf n E1
looks as though the church people
had frightened the political side of
the governors nature and that he is
considering political eNpediency.
That the governor can stop the
fight there is no question Regard
less of what the law says, in case
like this the governors police powers
are supreme. and he can call out the
militia If necessary. The police pow
ers of a governor are something indie
finable, but all-powerful. Under
them he is vested with the authority
to stop anything which he may be-
lieve will tend to a breach of the
peace of the commonwealth. He need
not consult anybody. and there is no
comeback if it should develop later
that he was in the wrong.
Whether or not the battle takes
place will be determined, | believe, by
.Jeffries himself | do not think that
Jim is overly anxious to fight, and,
as he already has plenty of money,
made on the strength of the proposed
battle with Johnson, he may decide
to quit training and hike for hlm.
Jeff is a peculiar man. and not llv-
ing soul can tell what he will do. lie
is very easily disgusted and it may
be that he will not bother further
/ with the affair.
On the other hand. if Jeff backs
out at this stage of the game or, be-
fore Gleason and Rickard are COM
PEELED to admit that they cannot
handle the fight, he certainly will be
showing the white feather. The big
boilermaker has never faxed flght
and has never shown the slightest
| indication of being gutter so II Is
| hardly likely that he will dare face
the enraged fans should he back out
now.
The shifting of the battle may not
( have great effect on the financial
end. The coast fight fans are so
! worked up over the affair that most
of them would journey halfway
across the continent to see the fight
If the mill could be brought to salt
Lake it would draw more than 1t
would on the coast. But even If 1t
is taken to Nevada, | look for Rick
ard and Gleason to at least break
even, financially.
The promoters are putting up a
purse of S101,000. They will re-
ceive $4,000 for their end of the
pictures. Cans and Nelson drew S69,-
600 at Goldfield, and it's a sure thing
that Jeffries and Johnson, will not
draw less than S150.000. no matter
where they fight So it looks as
though Rickard and Gleason will get
something for their troubles.
The question now arises as to
whether or not Rickard can build an
arena in Nevada between now and
| July 4. 1t would take him a couple
of weeks to get his lumber into Reno
or Ely, and then it would take some
time to construct the mammoth af-
| fair needed to take care of the crowd
which is bound to attend.
Taken all in all, it looks as though
postponement may be necessary
funless Salt Lake is chosen, and. if so,
new articles will have to be signed
and much of the work already done
will have to be done all over again.
| No. it is hardly likely that all these
developments have been for the pur-
pose of advertising the fight. The
big battle did not need this kind of
advertising, and Richard and Gleason
have not made this trouble for them
selves.-Chas. II. Porter in Denver
News.