Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-06-22
TO s!OP B BIG FIGHT
CALIFORNIA EXECUTIVE WILL
NOT ALLOW JEFFRIEs-JoHN-
SON CONTEST.
MAY BE HELD IN SALT LAKE CITY
instructs Attorney General to Take
Immediate Steps in the courts:-
Promoters Do Not Know
Where to Turn.

action by insistent protests from all
parts Of the state, Governor James N
Gillett took steps to prevent the
championship fight between James J.
Jeffries and Jack Johnson, scheduled
to be held In this city July 4. In let,
ter to Attorney General U. S. Webb,
the governor expressed his disapprov.
al Of prize fighting in unmeasured
terms and directs that the aid of the
courts be invoked to prevent the
match. He concludes with a positive
order that in case the plea for a re.
straining order is not granted, and the
fight is held, the attorney general pro.
coed to gather evidence and prosecute
the principals and those connected
with the fight.
The letter declares the supreme
court of California has never defined
prize fight and suggests an oppor.
tunity be given it to do so. This is
taken to indicate the governors in.
tention to press his opposition to the
end. It is generally believed the
death knell of prize fighting in Cali
fornia, the mecca of prize fighters"
according to the governors letter, has
been sounded.
This is borne out by the fact that
the governor telegraphed to Attorney
General Webb later in the day to take
similar action in the matter of the
fight between Sam Langford and AL
Kaufman, which was to have been
fought here next Saturday.
Promoters Taken Unawares.
Promoters Richard and Gleason
were surprised. When the news
reached him, Richard rushed to the
Office Of Attorney General Webb and
asked what that official proposed do.
ing. Later Rickard said he believed
the fight could be held in San Fran.
cisco on the advertised date, despite
the governors orders. Both he and
Gleason devoted much time to confer.
ence with their attorney, Herbert
Choynski. The course Of legal de-
Tense decided upon probably will not
be given out until Attorney General
Webb has made statement.
Richard said Webb had promised
him, because of the expense already
incurred and other matters connected
with the fight, that his opinion would
be forthcoming without delay. In the
meantime he would make ready to
take the fight to Nevada or Utah il
compelled to do so.
Just what will be the nature of the
legal proceedings instituted by the at
torney general is not known.
It is believed Webb will apply fol
writ of mandamus before the states
highest tribunal, thus bringing all par
ties before that body for a hearing
and securing a temporary writ of in
junction pending a decision. By this
step he would avoid delay, since the
promoters would have no appeal il
Judgment were given against them
The governor in his letter declared
the federation Of prize fights in Cali
fornia to be disgrace to the state
Richard estimates that he will lose
100000 if he is forced to take the
fight elsewhere. He stated he would
consider Reno, Ely, and Salt Lake
City, and is said to favor the last
named place.
Work on the arena, which has prog
ressed rapidly since it was started
about two weeks ago, was ordered
suspended temporarily when the &C
ton of the governor became known
but the promoters did not say wheth
er they would extend pending a court
decision. The legal proceedings, it il
believed, will make no difference al
at the fighters camps. It is probable
they will go on with their training as
though nothing had happened.