The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-01-21
HOW FORTUNE HAS
FAVORED JOHNSON
KNOCKOUT TELLS HOW CHAM
PION WAS GLAD TO WIN
A SIS PURSE.
HAS A $4,000 AUTO NOW
Buys $1,000 Home for His Mother
and Wears $500 Overcoat-Story
of a Battle Royal That Had a
Funny Finish.
BY KNOCKOUT.

Such is fate, or fortune, which ever
you wish to call it.
On Christmas day, Jack Johnson,
champion pugilist of the world, rolled
up to the $1,000 home he has pur-
chased for his mother in Wabash ave-
nue., Chicago, in $4,000 automobile.
He wore fur overcoat that cost $500.
In his shirt bosom sparkled diamond
worth as much more. A companion
gem glittered on one of his fingers A
$500 watch licked in his vest pocket.
Several cases of champagne were in
the cellar for the guests who were to
have dinner with him that day.
Along in the winter of 1899-1900
there appeared one afternoon at the
place of Johnnie Connors, a great 100
pound fighter, in Springfield, ILL.,,
giant negro who was looking for
chance to make some money. He ar
rived in the capital city in box car.
He wore no fur overcoat, in fact, he
didn't have an overcoat of any kind.
There were no diamond ornaments 1t
is doubtful if he had ever seen an au-
tomobile, and as for champagne, he
did not know it's taste. 1t was the
same Jack Johnson.
Connors at the time was running
the Springfield Athletic club, which
was giving six-round bouts in Music
hall. Eddie Santry of Chicago was to
fight Loudon Campbell of Pittsburg
or Kid Balm that night. Johnson
wanted Connors to put him on in one
of the preliminaries, as he explained,
so he could get something to eat. Con-
nors always started his shows off
with a battle royal in which half
dozen negroes fought, the one remain
ing in the ring last to receive SIS.
Johnson was informed that the
"prelims" were all fixed, but if he
wanted to take chance in the battle
royal for S. he could do so.
The big negro jumped at the chance,
but insisted that he would have to
have something to eat first. Connors,
always a good fellow, staked Johnson
to some chicken and pork chops, and
when the time came for the battle
royal. the Texan was wreathed in
smiles.
Before the fight started Connors
rounded up the Springfield negroes
who were entered in the battle royal
and said: Now, here's big fellow
from Texas who thinks he can fight.
You fellows don't want an outsider to
come into Springfield and win this SIS,
so you must all combine against him.
Put him out first and then you fell
lows can fight among yourselves for
the S." The boys agreed.
The battle started. Following Con-
nors suggestions, the Springfield me-
groes, five of them, all healthy and
strong, rushed the stranger. Then it
was that something happened. john
son stood like statue in the center
of the ring. He had struck position
that showed Immediately that he was
a boxer. Out shot his right and a
Springfield negro landed in one cor
ner of the ring. He sidestepped the
rush of the next one and the uppercut
for which he is still famous came into
from Abraham Lincolns home town.
Whirling like flash, Johnson
smashed his left into the face of an.
other foe and he went down with one
of those dull sickening thuds." Two
negroes were left, but not long. One
took dive for the ropes and went
into the crowd head first. The other
leaped clear over the ropes on to
stage behind the ring. 1t was one OF
the funniest things ever witnessed in
ring. George Siler was the referee
that night and he often told the story