El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-28
RICHARD PROMISES
4 SQUARE FIGHT
Says Both Fighters Know
the Game and Must
Fight Fairly.
CBy W. W. Naughton.)

(By W. ". Naughton.)
San Francisco. Cal. May 2s.-When
Tex Richard accepted the position Of
referee Of the Jefries-Johnson fight
the suspicion formed that the nervy
promoter simply wanted to break the
deadlock. and that before many days
went by he would bend his energies
toward getting Johnson and Jerries 70
agree upon another man.
Rickard said as much, in fact, at the
time, but later explained that he was
merely temporizing until he found out
whether his selection as ringmaster
was as acceptable to Jenries as It
was to Johnson,
From the way Tex is talking at pres
ent it looks as though he purposed
hanging on to the Job. He has given
out for publication that there will be
no switch and what makes IT seem as
though he is sincere is that he is edu-
eating himself in respect to the duties
of an uptodate referee.
Tex Likes the job
The writer had talk with Tex a
day or two ago. I asked him if he
still remained firm IN his intention
OF being the third man in the ring. ana
he said: You can gamble with safety
that 1 will act. I was asked yester
day If I intended to split the men apart
by main force II they persisted in
cinching and I told my questioner that
L did not look forward to bursting anv
blood vessels while trying to pry John
son loose from Jeffries, or vice versa
1 don't think I will be called uDon
to make a three cornered fight of the
affair, and so as to establish a COM
mon understanding on all the points
mat may arise, I intend to have nor
only one talk but a series of talks
with each Of the big fellows. he
lieve. TO begin with. each of them has
the utmost confidence IN me and "a
satisfied that I will Judge betwee,
them as fairly and squareIy as a man
can do.
Now. about the first thing fighter
has TO say when it comes to choosing
a referee. or in fact after referee
is chosen, is, All 1 want Is a SQUARE
deal
VIII Put 1t Up To Fighters.
AS referee Of this championship
event. am going to say to Jefries
and johnson, all I want is a square
deal You two fellows are veterans a,
the fighting game and You know What
Is fair in ring work and what is NOT
As you expect me to deal rightly with
you. deal rightly with me- You have
no more right to fight foulIy than
have 10 give foul decision
l don't exepect the least trouble"
continued Tex "Au the world I<,o,,s
that each of these heavyweigbts has
earned reputation for clean fighting,
and 1 don't see why either of them
should change methods now As to
cifnch work viii use my voice n
md occasion fer it. and If one of the
men persists in holding 1 win Sian
him on the shoulder I believe that
viii be sufficient"
An Honest Fight.
R1ckard says he will stake his az
lstence that the coming fight will ne
an honest one It IS learned from an
inside source that the many rumors
which arose in this connection warne5
Rickard to safeguard his interest as
much as possible and that he made
special call upon Jack johnson who.
It was limited. would be the man 70
lose II any chicanery were conten-
plated.
Tex, it is said. extradited FROM,
Johnson promise that he would COM
municate with Richard immediatelv -
any one approached him with a promo
sltlon bearing upon crooked fight
Johnson, the story goes, said: Never
rear Il come to you directly. I'll only
oelay long enough to give the fellow
a punch in the nose"
Johnson Fears Violence.
There IS another little story around
ana II gives color TO the belief thar
Johnson is going to try for all that Is
In him when he faces Jerries. The
story is that the black champion has
asked the promoters to- see to il thar
he *
If he succeeds in downing Jefrries
Incidentally. if the way the visitor,
at Johnson's camp behave toward the
negro Is any criterion. he has nothing
to fear from the large crowd which
Will surround the ring when he boxes
Je1ries- Jack is popular as he
can be with the thrcngs that go our
10 the beach The fact was plainly
noticeable when he began his Sunday
sparring exhibitions. The big pavilion
held probably 1900 persons. the ma
jority of whom paid 80 cents apiece
10 see johnson engage in glove play
with his partners. There was a large
sprinkling OF the gentler, and the ap-
plause which went up at intervals
could not have been more enthusiastic
II 1t had been a grand opera singer
entertaining critical audience
Jack Joker.
When Johnson and Sam Berger dis
cussed the referee question on two
separate occasions at the beach. there
was further proof of JOhnson's soliditv
with the camp followers. Every doubt
ful joke sprung by both was good for
a hearty laugh and he did not neg
lect his opportunity by any means.
The crowd certainly took sides with
Johnson, and Berger became riled. He
said that all Jack needed was haring
colors and a tambOurine to make him
appear like the end man in a Geor-
gla minstrel show and it can scarcely
be said that the rebuke was unmerited
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