Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-08-13
JACK JoHNsoN's RING RECORD
Texas Negro Has Had Plenty of EN-
perience.

When he won the heavyweight title
from Burns he weighed 1875 pounds.
fifteen pounds less than he scaled
yesterday. He began aghting as a
professional I'm 1901 and in March
of that year he was knocked out
in three rounds by Joe Choynski. the
only decisive defeat ever recorded
against him He lost on a foul to
Joe Jeanette. but later he beat
Jeanette in clean cut fashion in a
fifteen round bout i'm Baltimore. Mar
vin Hart got a decision over him i'm
twenty round bout in Frisco but
the verdict was pronounced manifest
ly unfair.
When Choynski put Johnson away
the negro was a novice. He had
taken boxing lessons from Choynski
who knew him like a book. The fight
caused so much of stir in the Lone
star State that Gov Sayres ordered
the arrest of the pugilists. who We're
thrown into Jail to await the action
Of the Grand Jury. They were soon
allowed TO go free, as the Grand
Jury failed TO indict them. Leo
Posner. promoter of the Galveston
a. c.. was the man who gave John
son his first boost up the pugilistic
ladder Charley Brooks, a colored
masseur and boxing instructor, in
troduced Johnson TO Posner. with
the information that Jack was
conner. Posner agreed to match
Brooks and Johnson at his club and
they met in 1907. Johnson was tall,
rawboued and powerfully built and
in two rounds ne had Brooks Uncon-
scious on the floor of the ring.
You'll do said Posner, who pro
ceeded 20 arrange a strenuous pro
gramme for the big negro. Johnson
then stopped Horace Miles i'm three
rounds 60 beat George Lawler of
Chicago. who called himself Jack Me
Cormick in ten rounds. Mccormick
wanted more action. so Johnson
trimmed him twice In succession.
each night ending in the seventh
round. Johnson also beat a fighter
named Jack Lee in fifteen rounds on
points and by that time there was
not a negro in Texas who was willing
20 take a chance WITH him. Posner
then induced a gigantic black called
Klondyke 10 visit Galveston, and
Johnson beat him in "a gruelling en-
counter that lasted twenty rounds.
Joe Choynski came next and
Johnson jumped at the chance TO
meet him. Choynski. a finished boxer
and experienced ring general, made
"a monkey of Johnson and put him
away so quickly that the negro's repu-
tation was temporarily blasted. In
1902 Johnson took part in sixteen
battles. winning twelve aud drawing
i'm four. Among his victims was Jack
Jenries. Jim's husky brother, who
was knocked out in five fierce rounds
NJ Los Angeles. He knocked out Joe
Kennedy twice in four rounds, stop
usd Klondyke in thirteen, fought
draws with Billy Stiff and Hank
Griffin and outpointed Pete Everett,
Frank Childs. George Gardner and
Fred Russell. the Everett and Gard
ner contests each lasting twenty
rounds.
In 1908 Johnson figured in seven
battles. He got a verdict over Den
yer Ed Martin in twenty rounds and
had a clean cut advantage over Sam
McVey in a similar out, after which
he issued a challenge to Jim JEFF
fries, who ignored him by drawing
the color line After that Johnson
outpointed Sandy Ferguson in ten
round bout in Boston and knocked
out Joe Butler In three rounds in
PHILADELPHIA He Dested Ferguson
again in six and twenty round bouts
and also outpointed McVey again in
a twenty round affair. In 1904 John
son took part in only four fights,
knocking out McVey in the twentieth
round at San Francisco and putting
a stop 70 Denver Ed Martin in two
rounds.
On March IS. 1905, Johnson met
Marvin Hart. then the titleholder, in
a twenty round battle on the coast.
Johnson, according TO unparalleled
witnesses, made Hart look like a
fourth rater ali the way, outpointing
him with consummate ease and look
ing like the easiest kind of a winner
at the end of the twentieth round.
but the native sons had their coin
on Hart and the referee enabled
them 10 win it by one of the most
unfair decisions ever recorded in Cal
ifornia. Johnson was furious because
OF this raw deal, but all he got Was
the laugh. so he left Frisco in
rage, declaring that he would never
fight there again.
Coming direct to Philadelphia he
knocked out Jim Jeffords, a tough
customer, in four rounds and also
defeated Black Bill in the same
length Of time. He met Jeanette
for the first time-i in that city and
they went three even rounds with
no decision. Walter Johnson was put
TO sleep in jig time and after Jack
Munroe had been outpointed in six
rounds Johnson stopped the heavy
hitting Morris Harris, a negro, with
a couple of well directed punches.
He beat Ferguson on a foul in six
rounds in Chelsea, Mass; hammer
ed Joe Grim for six rounds in Kuaker-
town and then lost on foul to
Jeanette in two rounds. Johnson
fought fifteen round draw with
Young Peter Jackson in Baltimore
and wound up the years campaign
with a six round no decision bout
with Jeanette in Philadelphia.
Johnson's first scrap in 1906 was
a three round affair with Jeanette
in this city, which looked like a
fake. Then he signally defeated
Jeanette IN fifteen rounds at Bal
timore. In April OF that year John
xu.a IN ~ Co