Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-09
SAYS He KNOCKED.
JEFF OUT TWICE
DR.. WILBUR Fl. CRAFTS or RE.
FORM BUREAU SAYS HE DE-
FEATED BLACKSMITH.
ON HIS TO RENO
Head OF Washington Organization
States He Prevented Victim OF
johnson From Fighting In
ST. Paul and California.


tendent of the international reform
bureau, claims that he has knocked
out jim Jeffries, the indicated
champion in two fights and is pre-
pared for the third.
Dr.. Crafts stopped In Des Moines
on his way to Reno, Nevada, to call
down the law upon the heads of the
fighters.
The first round in which DR.. Crafts
claims that he defeated Jeffries was
the fight which was to have taken
place in st. Paul twelve years ago.
Jeffries had made all of his arrange
ments for the fight; the stakes were
up and the money in the bank. The
fight was scheduled for Wednesday.
On Tuesday, after a strenuous effort,
DR.. Crafts succeeded In having Gov
ernor Merriman of the state Of Mime
sofa declare the fight off. To support
his declaration the governor was
forced to cal lout 1000 troops, says
DR.. Crafts.
Second Round With cleft"
His second and as equally success
full fight with Jeffries was that which
took place recently in California be-
tween Jeffries or rather his promoter,
and the international reform bureau,
DR.. Crafts representing that reform
organization. BY arOusing public
sentiment and by using the Panama
exposition place withdrawal as club,
Governor Gillett was forced to stop
the Jeffries-Johnson fight In that
state, declares Dr.. Crafts.
The third battle in which DR.. Crafts
is preparing to meet Jeffries is in the
fight to be made in congress this fall
for the passage of the Smith bill pro-
hibiting the interstate transportation
of Photographic films Of pugilism. This
bill was presented and fathered in
the last session of congress by Cen
gresham Walter I. Smith Of Iowa,
but owing to the rush of other legis-
lation, 1t failed to pass. Dr. Crafts
declares he feels no fear but that 1T
will go through in the coming session
of congress. In relating the facts
yesterday about his latest victory over
Jef1ries in California, DR.. Crafts told
of the work that was done by the re-
form bureau and the pressure that
was brought to bear upon Governor
NlllGIJ w lOlSC uAlA w SlSp SAAO AAoAAe
in his state.
League Takes Up Work.
"The law-abiding people of Cali
fornia appealed to us to do some
thing to stop this fight" said DIR.
Crafts. 1--WE undertook the work and
succeeded, as the world now knows.
We appealed to Governor Gillett as a
patriotic citizen. We called his at
tention to the fact that we would be
disgraced as a nation in the eyes OF
the world if this fight was allowed to
go on. We got out postal cards and
appealed to the people Of this coun-
try to send Governor Gillett the pos
tai card or wire or write him. This was
done by hundreds and thousands. OF
people. It was question Of the senti-
ment of the nation against one state.
Coming as the fight did on the natal
day of the republic, it was disgrace,
the people said, to a nation OF civil
liberty. That part was we'll and
good, but what really did the
effectual work was the club threaten
ing the Withholding Of the Panama
fair from San Francisco.
''The people who were interested In
the fair were more influential than
those who wanted the fight. New
Orleans wanted the fair and congress
was in session. We threatened that
If the fight was not called off we
would do al lin our power to have New
Orleans secure the fair. 1t was a
question, we said, of s3,OOO,OO0 OF
money for San Francisco and Cali
fornia in the fair or much smaller
sum for the fight Finally we sue,
ceeded in having the fight called OIL
in California.
"Last PugiIistic Battle"
"This will probably be the last
pugilistic battle that will ever be
pulled off in America. After Septem-
Der the fight could not be held in
Nevada
"What we propose to do now is to
stop by legislation the interstate
shipment Of pictures or photographs
Of prize fights. In other words, we
want to protect the good states from
the bad. This bill was prepared by
Congressman Walter |. Smith OF this
state and has been indorsed by the at
torney general as constitutional and
cit was introduced late in the last
session of congress and in the rush OF
business 1t was lost, but it will be In
troduced Immediately after the open
ing of congress and will undoubtedly
pass. This will make it unlawful for
to exhibit films or
photographs Of pugilistic bouts.
eve have three reform bills to be
introduced in the next session Of con-
yress. They are like three horses
driven by the same rein, for they go
% the same committee and are alike.
One is the bill just mentioned, the
second is that to prohibit bucketshop
and pool room gambling on races, and
he third is the prohibitory interstate
shipment liquor law, prohibiting the
shipment of liquor from wet terri
-ories to dry territories. The anti
gambling bill prohibits gambling on
races In outside states by the bucket
shop methods"
Newton Journal Sold.
Newton, July s.-The Newton Jour
N Il