Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-27

| DY MS Itlinu6 u SOSOAAo oha
brought forth a generous outburst OF
| applause, of which the loudest could
easily be detected coming from the
colored quarter.
"But when Jeffries' hulky form was
seen edging its way to the ringslde
| few moments later the cheering was
| thunderous Starting from the point
where the white champion first ap-
! peared, spreading around the immense
arena and gradually increasing in vol
/ ume the huzzaS soon reSembled the
! roaring of q Kansas tornado as they
| rumbled from side to side of .the large
| amphitheater. It was a moment that
Jeffries must have cherished in ms
memory to the grave, and 1t was
scene that left vivid impression upon
mine. Standing there close to his corr
! ner 1 experienced thrills on thrills
| chasing each other up and down my
| spinal column, and with yell on yell
| l sailed my brand new straw hat to
the four winds.
when the hub-bub had ceased and
the two fighters stripped for the pho
! tographers a ripple of admiration
passed over the vast assemblage, for
! there silhouetted against back
| ground of humanity, was two as per-
feet specimens of manhood as had
ever stepped within a roped arena.
| Powerful muscles rippled with their
|
! ing above their retainers, looked every
inch the kings of the ring.
JEFF OVERTRAINED
"As a fighter, although young in the
| profession, 1 knew when man was
| in the pink of condition, and to me,
! Jeffries, although showing a splendid
| muscular development, looked drawn.
That ruddy glow of the skin that
marks a perfectly trained athlete
seemed lacking, and few minutes
conversation with one of his handlers,
whom 1 knew wen, justified my fears
"Jeffries had gone stale from his long
siege of training in preparation for
the contest and only his own iron de-
termination to fight, contrary to the
| advice of his handlers, accounted for
| his appearance in the ring. The eX-
amining physician had advised post
| ponement of the contest, but the
| branwny fighter would have none of
| it. and the mention of deferment to
the promoters-well, imagine their
feelings, with the gate receipts crowd
| ing close to half a million dollars. SO
the greatest battle in ring history was
staged, even though the man upon
whom the white race had pinned its
hope to regain the pugilistic heavy
weight title was overtrained.
HAS NEGRO GOING
"The introductions over, the clang
| of the gong brought the two fighters
to the center of the ring, where JEFF
fries, with the picture of his brother
| being ushered into pugilistic oblivion
| at the hands of the man facing him
! not so many years before still vivid
in his memory, deigned to overlook the
usual formality of the handshake and
tore into his opponent like an aVeng-
! ing demon. a quick knockout hght
had been planned by his advisers and
the big boilermaker did his best to
| carry out that plan of action. AL
though rushing and fighting open he
! had departed from his crouch of for
mer fighting days and had adopted an
erect, free style, with his left well
extended, successfully protecting him
from Johnson's dangerous right upper
cut. Thus, unmindful of the straight
lefts with which the negro attempted
to stop his bull-like rushes, Jeftries
soon had his adversary on the re-
treating defense and ducking into
} clinches whenever opportunity afford
ed. Johnson's clever blocking of the
avalanche of blows rained upon him
during that opening round effectively
won for him the recognition in ring
history of being the cleverest defen-
sive fighter that ever donned a padded
mitt.
Not until we'll along in the second
round was Jeffries able to effectively
penetrate that wonderful defense
Then, when johnson attempted rally
in the center of the ring, in the ex-
changes Jeffries succeeded in landing
terrific left hook to the jaw which
staggered his opponent for the mo-
ment, but that moment offered the
boilermaker the opportunity to drive
into the midsection with the right ano
the colOred champion sank to his knees
with agony and fear imprinted upon
his features. Taking the count of nine
as each speeding second was empha-
sized with the rising and falling of the
referees arm, johnson arose on quiV-
ering limbs with the CLASSY stare of q
groggy man. But the gong sounding
the call to corners saved the negro
that round.
ON DEFENSIVE
I "The opening of the third round saw
Johnson considerably refreshed, but
, fighting entirely on the defensive, with
his seconds leaning far into the ring
, warning him to cover up and be care
full as the white champion, with rights
and lefts, throwing in singing blows
from any angle on the retreating form
of the negro, tried to end matters
Twice during those three minutes OF
fighting did Johnson again listen tc
the tolling of the seconds, and when
the gong sounded the breathing spell
; he had all the ear-marks of a thor
, oughly beaten man. Blood was oozing
from a cut on his forehead, while his
lips were laceratcd and his eyes had
a hunted look.
"Only through the earnest coaching
of his seconds did Johnson survive the
, following two rounds, when time anc
time again the white champion
dropped him with terrific left hooks tC
the jaw.
But with the opening Of the sixth
round there was a noticeable change
, in the heavy onslaughts of the white
giant, although the aggressiveness anG
determination still showed in his at
tempts to finish the black, it became
noticeable that his blows were weak
ening. The strain of the furious pace
, had commenced to tell and the bis
!. fighter showed signs Of laboring. Per
spiration stood out in beads on his
forehead and temples, while his body
was hot and only the water admin
istered by his handlers had stained
his fighting trunks-feVer burned ir
his undaunted eyes.
JOHNSON RECEIVERS
johnson, although a battered and
beaten man, seeing the condition oi
his opponent, took heart, regaining the
courage that comes with the CLEAN OF
hope when matters look the darkest
He had the white champion on the de-
. fensiva in the tenth round