Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-03
Black Man Asks that 0verhang Be
Made Two Feet
IUCH TALK, BUT FEW wAGERs
Reno Crowd Discusses Merits of the
Fighters, but Does Not Bet.
PROMOTERS ON EASY STREET
Seat Sale IL Large and Richard Estr
mates Profits at Hundred Thou
sand-LOwest Priced seats
Are Ten Dollars.

hhNO, July 2-The NlOl,cN purse Tor the
Jeffries-Johnson battle, the greatest sum
ever placed a similar event is complete.
Just at noon, hour and half before
the time set in the articles expired, Pro-
moter Tex Rickard formally transferred to
Stakeholder Tim Sullivan S5loCO which
was placed to Sullivan's credit In a local
bank. There were no ceremonies in con-
nection with tho act.
The entire amount Of the purse Is now
under the personal care OF the stakeholder.
and the matchmakers' agreement with the
fighters has been fulfilled. sullivan received
200 when the articles were signed. An
additional S3oJ0S was placed in san Fran
cisco bank and is now being brought here
by a bank official. -
The confusion and general squabbe over
the details OF the ring and the arena took
new angle this morning when Jack John
son mutored into the city In search OF Tex
Rickard. johnson declared he was not
satisfied with the overharg of the plat
form outside the ropes The roped square
is twenty-five feet and the platform Itself
"A little over twenty-three feet Johnson
wanted more space beyond the ropes and
was after Rickard to see that additional
foot all around is added giving the usual
two feet of platform beyond the ropes.
The big negros appearance In town
created much interest Johnson came in
as the guest Of Dick Shevlin, the Ya.e
athlete. in the latters car. no sooner had
It stopped IN front Of Richards hotel than
curious thrOng jammed about It, staring
at the big black fighter, who sat in the
tonneau laughing and joking apparently
with no thought of the great battle hut
two days off.
johnson Looks Like Giant.
ho 70 ha
in a loose fitting square cut black suit,
with soft shirt open at the throat, and a
Panama hat This garb accentuates his
size and he looms among the crowd, SEEM
ingly big as any other two men IN sight
While he sat in the car today his golden
smile" flashed continually on the pictur-
esque throng pressing around him.
Rickard came down from his room about
10 o'clock He looked as though he had
spent restful night in spite of the worries
and ever recurring obstacles that have con-
fronted him at almost every step.
Suppose you will be glad when It's all
over, Tex" was suggested.
you bet / will" said Rickard. but I
feel fine today. Slept all night"
| swarm of war correspondents had
already gathered in the hotel lobby. They
began q flank movement on the promoter
but he evaded the rush and slipped across
the street to cafe for breakfast
FitEsimmOns and sharlxey.
! Every train going east and west today
| left many additions to the crowd OF pros
pective fight spectators already gathered
here. A number OF ring celebrities were
due to arrive during the day including Bob
FitEsimmons and Tom sharkey. Besides
these. many sporting men from all paris
OF the country and large additions to tie
!
already mobihzed were expected.
| With early hours Of the morning the city
began to show something OF the excited
expectancy that will not pass away untl
the fourth is over. Heretofore there havs
been few of the fight followers abroad be-
| fore 10 o'clock in the forenoon, most OF
! the gossping and before-the-fight argu-
ments being confined to the afternoon and
evening and lasting until the wee sma'
| hours of the morning.
| Today, %owever the hotel Hobbies were
crowded before 8 clock. Crowds rushed
to the depot to / = every train and the
clnmor, welcome resounded along the
platform as the cars disgorged their dusty
| travellers,
! Crowd Growing Rapidly.
| well, how does 1t look, now2' was the
first greeting from every new arrival. be-
l
in the fight situation the last week. any
one who has been out of touch with Reno
for two days or more feared that some
thing else might happen to bring about q
change.
Everything fine and lovely" was the re-
assuring response 10 3. 'uch queries
Fighters ready, arena r. and crowds
coming in every minute.
While her husband pit at The
Springs cottage and talked OF tne fishing
trip, Mrs. James ]. Jeffries. in the inter
ests of the family, spent most Of the morn
ing in Reno. saving money In attorney 8
fees. For more than hour she was I'm
the office of the lawyer who drafted tho
contract between Jeffrtes and the moving
picture concern to which the former cham
pion recently sold his share In the bio-
graph films. effecting a material reduction
in the size OF the original 5000 fee claimed
by the man OF law for his services
Not until he was seen by the Associated
Press representative at 1880 o'clock and
told OF Johnson's visit TO the arena did
Promoter Rickard learn OF the champions
complaint regarding the lack OF space DC
tween the ring ropes and the edge Of the
platform
"The overhang," said Rickard should
be foot and half but II that is not
enough I'll see that It is extended"
Much Talk, Few waEers.
While the gambling places are well filled
! at all hours, the scarcity OF betters at the
commissioner. headquarters is somewhat
surprising TO the wagering fraternity. Bet
ting improved bit last night. however. At
Tom Corbetts It was announced today that
about $1,000 was placed on Jeffrles yester-
day at 10 70 Ga. With two exceptions the
amounts were under 5000. Jim Corbett has
s. 600 at his brothers place 10 bet on JET
fries. New York man has left sl00a
Both wagers are 10 be placed at prevailing
| odds
But betting commissioners expect largo
: