Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-16
California Governor Suddenly
Discovers That the Proposed
Jeffries-Johnson Contest
Would Be Violation Of Law.
ATTORNEY GENERAL. TOLD
TO TAKE STEPS TO STOP IT
Action Result of Protests of
Citizens and Refusal of San
Francisco Authorities to Take
Action 10 Enforce Law,

IEy Morning journal SnecIai Leased wircl
san Francisco, June 15.--Stirrcd Il
action BY insistent protests from al
Parts of the state, Governor James w
CAlttt took aicps today to prevent tho
fight between James }. Jeffries ano
lack johnson, scheduled to be hello
in this city July 4 In a letter OF in
fraction TO Attorney General t.. $
Webb. the governor expresses his dis
approval of prize fighting in unmeas-
ured terms, directs that the aid of the
courts be invoked 10 prevent tn
match and concludes With a positive
order that in case Tie plea for re-
. strainne order Is not granted and tho
fight is held the attorney general
proceed to gather evidence and prose-
cute the principals and those inter
ested in the TIGHT foe violation OF the
penal code ofSine staie
The letter declares that the supreme
court Of California has never defined
prize fight and suggests that an
opportunity be given ii to do so. This
is taken to indicate the governors in
tention to press his opposition to the
end ana while the status of the JEFF
frlcs-Johnson fight is IN an unsettled
condition tonight Ike sporting fra
ternty is much east down and it is
Of prize fighting in California the
mecca of prize fighters according TO
tho governors letter, has been
sounded.
This is borne out by the fact that
the governor telegraphed to Attorney
General Webb later in the day, to take
similar action in the matter Of the
fight between sam Langford and Ai
Kaufman which was to have been
fought here next Saturday
Promoters Rickard and Gleason
We're completely taken by surprise.
They had heard no whisper of the
governors intended action When
the news reached him Rickard rushed
TO the office of Attorney General
Webb and asked what that official
proposed 10 do After n conference
with Webb, Rickard said that he be-
leved the fight would be held i'm san
Francisco and on the advertised date
despite the governors orders. lie
said that he could not say what ne
would do until Webb handed down
an opinion. Yet Rickard has no in
tcntion Of abandoning the effort To
hold the fight here Both he and
Gleason devoted much time today TO
conferences with THEN attorney, Her
bert Choynski. The course of legal
defense decided upon will probably
not he given out until Attorney Cen
eral Webb has made statement.
Rickard said that Webb had prom
ised him. because of the great expense
of erecting the arena and other mat
ters connected with the fight. that MS
opinion would be forthcoming without
delay. Rickard expects 1t within two
days In the meantime, he said, ne
would make ready to take the fight to
Nevada or Utah If compelled to do so.
Just what Will be the nature of the
legal proceedings instituted by the at
torney general is not known The
governors letter is positive in direct
ing that the courts be asked TO IN
teryene and urges a definition Of prize !
fighting by the supreme court For
this reason it is believed Webb VIII
apply for a writ OF mandamus be- !
fore the states highest tribunal, thus !
all parties before that body /
for hearing and securing tempor- |
airy writ of injunction pending decl-
sion. BY this step he would avoid de-