Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-07-30
e somewhat hesitantlr


Il sprang it on him" exclaimed
MIR. Johnson, lin the first cIinch
when he started in TO roughing il
some. Come on, doc"
I'm little doubtful as to the
value of literal demonstration.
said the professor. hanging back.
Did you-ah-hug him very hard ?"
NO, | didn't hug him none" said
Mr. johnson. Il only took him like
this-it won't hurt. doc
And, placing his fingers under the
professors elbows. he lifted him
into the air as lightly as II he-the
professor, not Mr.. Johnson-had
been made of bamboo.
Bless my soul" calculated the
professor. gazing into Mr.. Johnson's
black face.
Not that you're anything like Mr..
Jenries's weight-about two-thirds
of il, I should say" continued Mr..
Johnson. depositing the professor on
his feet
The sensation is remarkable"
said the professor to me. 4 never
experienced a feeling OF such utter
helplessness, with the disquieting
consciousness of being at the mercy
Of an overwhelming force. No won
der Jeffries's face went funny as
our interesting friend expresses it"
I'm curious to know. Mr.. John
son, said /. as Mr.. johnson went
back 20 his chicken, how you think
you would have compared with John
l.. Sullivan, in that gentleman's
prime"
Nah dear lady" said Mr.. Johnson
pityingly, IF you knew anything
about the game as it's played to-day,
YOU wouldn't need TO ask any such
questions as that Mr.. Sullivan was
a great man in his time. and he
surely is now a very cultured and
kindly old gentleman; but his style
of fighting wouldn't go for a minute
in these days"
Do you mean" ] inquired. that
YOU could beat Mr.. Sullivan as he
was at his very best?''
Nas'm." said Mr.. Johnson.
As easily as you beat Mr.. JEFF
fHes?"
I'm afraid it might be some
easier said Mr.. Johnson, with due
deliberation.
But the business Of pummeIling
people, % said l. is so old and sim
pie that
"Simple," exclaimed the patron of
manly sports.
"Simple," echoed Mr.. Johnson and
Mr. Sig. Hart.
And they proceeded 20 explain TO
me what a very complex art modern
pummelling is, and how assiduously
the pummeler has to use HIS brain.
and IL they hadn't all talked togeth-
or the professor and might have
learned a great deal about IL. but
as il was we looked at each other I'm
helpless bewilderment
There seemed 20 be something
about 'lOng-arm work" and Short
arm work. and I did gather in
hay fashion that the latter had
been developed I'm recent years and
was speedier and more bahling than
the older methods
Jim Corbett invented a new STYLE
OF boxing" said the patron Of manly
sports. but Jack Johnson has gone
him one better He has framed up|
entirely new ways of stopping blows.
Instead of waiting 90 block them with
his arms, he reaches out and catches
them on the fly, as If they were base
balls"
Is that very clever?" 7 inquired.
Clever2 Why. 10 takes a speed of
eve and brain and hand that is sim
ply marvellous, And another trick he
has developed is 20 stop q blow while
us on the way by lightly prodding
the front muscle Of his opponents
shoulder with the tips Of his fngers-
isn't that right, JACKIE"
Yup,' grinned Mr.. Johnson.
through mouthful of chicken
"Thatn take all the steam out of
the biggest wallop."-
You must have worked very hard
at your profession" said 7 20 Mr..
Johnson.
Yas'm." said Mr.. Johnson. mod
estly, I've worked hard at il ever
since I was a child"
You've been hungry and cold at
it, too, haven't you. JACKIE" said the
patron of manly sports.
Lord, yes" said Mr.. Johnson. 81
don't believe / ever got really enough
10 eat as a regular institootion until
after my fight with Burns. 1t GER
tainly is wonderful the way my
strength has been building up since
them"
And he heaved a sigh of happy
repletion as he surveyed the de
vastated skeleton Of the third
chicken.
I looked at Mr. Johnson. hero and
, idol of his race. and wondered i'm
what way civilization could have used
, his peculiar talents if there had been
no such profession as prize-fighting.
Cool, crafty, patient. ambitious and
immensely strong. courageous and
quick, he seems TO have been espec-
tally moulded for lighting in some
individual form. His singularly fiat
head-it slopes almost without an
angle from the eyebrows back to the
cone-shaped crown-might have been
built by design for the glancing of
Of blows. In action saw his spar
ring exhibition at Hammerstein's that
afternoon-he has q weirdly reptil-
ian way of drawing down that fiat
head between his prodigious shoul-
ders and anon protruding il and
playing it swiftly from side to side
like a huge turtle