The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-07-21
OVATION FOR VICTOR
PUGILIST JOHNSON MOSTLY VEL
COINED ON ARRIVING IN
HOME CITY.
MANY CITIES TAKE ACTION
Pictures of Battle Between Johr son
and Jeffries Declared to Se De-
moralizing and Likely to Cause
Race Troubles.

Chicago gave Jack Johnson, the new
fistic champion, a welcome when he
arrived in the city, which eclipsed
any demonstration ever given before
to a person of his race.
So tremendous was the crush OF
humanity which poured from all quar-
tiers that the combined efforts of
squad of policemen put there for the
purpose failed to keep back the press
Clubs were drawn and used freely by
the bluecoats, but. undaunted. the
throng pressed on, rending the air
with their cries. Hats were tossed
sykward and when they came down
their owners long since had been
pushed forward and away from them.
For a space of fully five minutes the
champion was so hemmed In by the
mob that he could not move In any
direction
Then a band of policemen formed
flying wedge, and plunged down the
platform with the colored pugilist
among them. but at the end OF the
platform near the station steps an
companions and another enforced de-
lay ensued And all the time the
shouting grew wilder and wilder
Suddenly above the heads of the
throng was seen the head and shout
ders of a big colored man. 1t was
Jack Johnson and he was being car
ried on the shoulders of the men OF
his race. Up the steps they ran with
him and bundled him into an auto
which stood at the curb. The multi
tude fell back and the big fellow
stood up in his car, smiled and waved
his hand There was no doubt of it.
Jack Johnson was "tickled to death"
Pursued by fight fans and admirers
In automobiles, his machine was
driven rapidly to his home in Wabash
avenue. Along the thoroughfare
crowds wildly cheered. In front of his
mothers home about 5000 persons
packed the street, and it took the
champion nearly fifteen minutes to get
from the curb into the house. His
entered
Hardly had the black champion
reached his home city before George
W. Little, his former manager, filed
suit against him for the recovery of a
diamond ring. said to be worth $1,000.
which Johnson Is wearing.
New York-A movement is on foot
which promises to become world
wide in its scope, to prevent the eX-
hibition of the Jeffries -Johnson prize
fight pictures. The United Societies
of the Christian Endeavor, with 4,000,-
600 members and the International AS
sociation of Police Chiefs are the lead
ers of the crusade.
The Christian Endeavor society,"
through its Boston headquarters. tele
graphed to the governor of every
state in the Union Wednesday. asking
that the pictures be barred on the
ground that they reproduce an illegal
act, and that their exhibition would be
just as illegal as the actual fight.
Secretary William Shaw declared that
. he had wired President Taft, Colonel
Roosevelt and Governor Hughes, ask
, ing them to use their influence to pre-
vent the pictures from being exhib-
tied.
The American vitagraph company,
which owns the fight films, is believed
to have spent S250,000 in purchasing
the exclusive rights and in taking
the pictures. Jeffries was paid $685.
666. while Johnson got $4,000
Richard and Gleason each got one
sixth. In addition the moving pic
ture concern spent small fortune
sending a score of expert operators to
Reno and in other incidental ex-
penses. The picture people expected
to take in 100000 during the first
month the pictures were on exhibit
ton.
Among the larger cities that have
already put the stamp of disapproval
on the pictures are: Washington, Vir-
ginia CENTRE state). Fort Worth, Tex;
Baltimore, Boston, Lincoln, Neb.;
Louisville. Lexington, Ky; Cincinnati.
Atlanta, Harrisburg, Pa; Los Angeles.
Savannah. and the whole state of
Iowa.
In many southern cities the agita-
ton against the fight pictures is in
creasing, due to the fact that a negro
was the victor. The crusade has ex-
tended abroad. In johannesburg.
South Africa. the biograph halls them
selves have prohibited the pictures.