Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-16
RICHARD DEFIES
UTAH GOVERNOR
NAMES SALT LAKE AS PLACE
OF BIG FIGHT
NOTIFIES STAKEHOLDER sULLl-
VAN OF HIS ACTION
Declares He Is Ready to Post Entire
Purse and Pay It to Fighters if
He Does Not Pull off
Battle
fAssnciated Pressl

SALT LAKE CITY. Jan. 15.-Tex
Rickard, principal promoter of the
Jeffries-Johnson fight. issued a state
ment declaring the contest would be
held in Salt Lake City on Gully next.
The statement is made in such positive
terms that Salt Lake fight fans are
celebrating tonight, and money is
being freely offered that the fight will
be held here.
Rickard voluntarily has offered to
post the entire purse in the hands of
the stakeholder, Tim Sullivan, and in
the event of his failure to carry out
his part of the contract authorizes
Sullivan to pay the entire sum over
to the fighters. In this connection
Rickard says his only interest in the
affair is the pleasure and excitement
incident to it, and he gives this as his
only reason for seeking the promotion
of the contest.
After a meeting lasting three hours,
which followed all-day conferences,
and after looking over various propo-
sitions and guarantees, the announce
ment was made on the authority Of
Rickard himself that the contest would
take place in Salt Lake. Tonight
Rickard mailed the following letter to
big Tim" Sullivan of New York, who
is acting as stakeholder:
Notifies the Stakeholder
"You are the official stakeholder of
the Jeffries- johnson boxing contest on
next July 4, and l, as partner with
Jack Gleason of San Francisco, as pro-
moters of the forty-five-round boxing
contest. wish to officially notify you
that the battle will take place in Salt
Lake.
Il wish further to notify you that 1
stand ready at any time to post the
entire purse with you, and in the event
of official interference, or through any
cause or fault of the Utah authorities.
the boxing contest being stopped, 1
authorize you to pay over the entire
purse of S1O1, 900 posted with. you to
the proper representatives of j. j..
Jeffries and Jack Johnson.
"TEX RICHARD"
Rickard gave out tonight the follow
ing statement:
From the very first I-was in favor
of Salt Lake as the scene of the con-
test. In naming Salt Lake / am not
overstepping myself My agreement
with my partner, Jack Gleason, is CIV
ing me the privilege of naming the
place of holding the event. BY this
power ] am naming Salt Lake, or
spot in its immediate vicinity.
Business Men Guarantee
"I came over from Ely, New, to be
present at today's conference. The
representative bankers, business men
and professional men at the meeting
assure me of a positive guarantee to
hold the meeting in Utah. Their word
is good enough for me.
Irop do
the libelous and malicious stories sent
out lately saying 1 was holding a big
stick over San Francisco, to offer me
a bonus in order to hold the bout
there, and also stating that Salt Lake
is impossible for the meeting between
Jeffries and Johnson.
Fright here l wish TO state 1 am not
in this game to make any money. Con-
trary to other libelous reports l am
not broke. Still 1 would much prefer
being broke to telling the lies that
have been circulated about the hand
ling of the Jeffries-Johnson battle.
Besides, my partner in many of my
deals, ole Elliott, stands ready to part
with $4,000 of his own money which
he places at my disposal. 1 wish to
announce positively that Salt Lake is
the place"
Concerning available places for hold
ing the contest. Rickard said he had
considered several propositions-the
saucer track, the Lagoon amphitheater,
the Saltair pavilion and several others.
None has been decided on. Rickard
said he had not selected any one
definitely and might decide to build q
brand new one.
Rickard, and a number of business
men were in conference nearly all day,
following which the above statements
We're made. Concerning the matter Of
the authorities interfering, very little
is heard. 1t is announced the event
is to be a boxing contest of forty-fiVe
rounds, and the state laws of Utah do
not prohibit boxing contests. Cover
nor Spry is now in the east and there
was no word available from the exec
utive regarding his stand in the mat
ter.