El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-30
Tom Andrews Gets Talk From
Jeff On Why He Lost the Fight
Fight Talk

! be all right in a few rounds and
would then sail in$Shd mix matters
When l received the blow on the left
eye in the second round the fight was
lost, for the optic nerve was no doubt
injured. The eye began swelling and
l could not see well out of 1t, but that
would not have been so bad had 1t not
been for the fact that l saw two men
in front of me all the time, and could
not tell where TO hit nor how to hit. L
simply saw double. 1 told my seconds
about it, and they worked on the eye,
but could not help it any. AS the
fight progressed it became more ap-
parent TO me that 1 could not win. for
my inability 10 judge distance or time
my blows showed me only too plainly
where the trouble was 1 simply fought
in a mocha nical way and only remem
Der landing one stiff blow. That was
in the ninth or eleventh round, when
1 reached the jaw with my left and
Jared him. Aside from this it all
appeared as a dream, and 1 could not
recall the 18th round when 1 went
down 1 was all in and only feel sorry
that 1 put up such a poor contest.
II want to say that Johnson, while
being champion. and a splendid fight
er, is not as good as many imagine.
He is not so hard to hit. / had any
number Of openings to get him, but
simply could not judge the distance
and had no strength TO back it up.
Two weeks before 1 would have bet
my last dollar that 1 would have beat
en- him. He won, however, so give
him credit. 1 am through for all time
with the ring.
JEFF to Tour World.
After a rest win my wife at Cata-
lima island 1 intend to go to my farm
for a while, and later with my wife L
will make a tour of Europe and prob
ably around the world, but only for
pleasure. H. H Frazee, of Chicago,
had made grand offer TO me to tour
the world if 1 won, and 1 felt sure of
the trip. Even in defeat he wanted
to give me theatrical dates, but 1 de-
clined all.
Il want to thank the people for past
honors and feel sorry 1 could not carry
out their wishes but I could not, as I
failed to come back 1 have been
accused of being grouchy around my
training camp, but it was no intention
on my part to offend people in any
way. l had been under the strain for
over a year and was worried almost
to death day after day with the re-
mark: well, Jeff, you have got to
lick that black man. You know you
are the only white man to do it, and
all my money is bet on you That was
my dessert after every meal, and
don't wonder, when I look back, that
1 became nervous"
Previous TO my talk with Jeffries 1
had occasion to discuss the same mat
ter with Mrs. James j., and his charm
ing wife appeared the only one in any
way pleased.
Mrs. Jeffries Glad of Peace.
while I am sorry Jim lost" said
Mrs. Jeffries, II am glad 1T is all over
and We can live in peace and quietness
once more. The long strain told on
Jim and in my opinion he was on the !
verge of nervous breakdown when |
the time came for the contest. Then,
too, he had dysentery very bad the |
week before the bout, and it must have
weakened him. He was not himself. of
that you may rest assured. otherwise !
there would have been a different end
ing. 1t was not the Jim of old. and /
know whereof l speak. The public !
forced my husband into the fight, and |
they should not blame him now that /
he Is defeated He was great before /
and they sang his praises, but many |
forgot other times after July 4. II
tried hard to keep him out of the af- |
fair, for We did not need the money. /
but the demand from all sides that he !
reenter the ring for the white race be- !
came so strong that he finally gave in, |
and consented, provided he could get in /
condition. He worked hard for months :
before he became convinced that he !
could get in shape. and it was the same
long drawn out training that broke 1
him down on the eve of the battle He
will never enter the ring again with
my consent, and your can make that as
strong as you like. l fought against
him going back before. am more
sorry that he did not win seeing that
he did go back. but he did not and
can only repeat, I am sorry Jim