The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1910-07-08
JOHNSON DEFEATS
JEFFR|ES AT reno
One-Sided Battle of IS Rounds
Is Won by Son of Former
Negro Slave.

RENO, Nev.-James ]. Jeffries, Of
California, winner of % championship
fights, the man who never was brought
to his knees before by blow, has
passed into history as broken idol,
meeting his defeat ar the hands of
the black champion, John Arthur John
son, Texas negro, the son of an
American slave, the first of his race
to hold the undisputed heavyweight
championship of the world.
With the exception of a few fast
rounds the fight was tame. Jeffries
did not have the power in his punch
to hurt Johnson after he had received
blow after blow on the jaw and his
vital power was ebbing. But even be-
fore this stage came Jeffries could not
reach the black. The blows nearly
always landed with nearly all the
speed taken out of them. 1t was like
hitting punching bag.
Old Power Gone.
Jeffries fought by instinct, it seemed,
showing his gameness and his great
fighting heart in every round, but he
was only the shell of his old self
The old power to take terrible heat
ing and bore in and in until he land
ed the knockout blow was gone.
s,,I
treated his opponent almost as a Joke
He smiled and blocked playfully, evad-.
ing the bear-like rushes of JeffriesI
with marvellous skill, now tuckingI
blow under his arm, again pluckingI
it out of the air as a man stops al
baseball
While Jeffries was not actually
counted out, he was saved only front
this GROWING shame by his friends|
pleading with Johnson not to hit the|
fallen man again, and the towel wasI
brought into the ring from his corner.
At the end of the 18th round, Referee|
Tex Richard raised the black arm and|
the great crowd filed out, glum andI
silent
johnson Bores In FierceIy.
The 18th round started with a clinch
after Jeffries had failed to land ON
the body. Johnson then tore loose
and before the spectators were pre-
pared for the finish he had sent JEFF
fries down with lightning-like left and
right blows to the jaw.
Jeffries reeled and fell half way
through the ropes OH the west side
of the ring. Those under him saw
that he had lost his sense of surround
ings and that the faces at the ring
side were a blur to him. His time
had come. He was feeling what he
had caused others to feel in the days
of his youth and power.
Jim Corbett, who twice had gone
down before Jeffries' blows, and who
had stood in Jeffries corner all dur.
ing the fight, telling Johnson what a
fool he was and how he was in for
the beating Of his life, now ran for
ward with outstretched arms, crying:
"Oh, don't, Jack, don't hit him."
jeff "AlI But In"
Jeffries painfully raised himself to
his feet. His jaw had dropped, his
eyes were nearly shut and his face
was covered with blood. With trem-
bling legs and shielding arms he tried
to put up defense, but he could not
stop terrific right smash in the Jaw
followed by two left hooks. He went
down again. Jeffries' physician and
other friends jumped into the ring.
Stop it," they cried. Don't put
the old fellow out"
Jeffries was dragged to his corner
bleeding from nose and mouth and a
dozen cuts on the face. He had a
black, closed eye and swollen features
and he held his head in his hands,
dazed and incoherent.
Johnson walked out of the ring with
out mark on his body except slight
cut on his lip, which was the opening
of wound received in training.
Ring experts agree that it was not
even a championship fight. Jeffries
had chance in the second round,
perhaps. but after this it was plain
that the undefeated one was weaken
ing and outclassed in every point, and
after the 18th round it was hopeless.
1t was the greatest demonstration
the ring has ever seen of the failure
of a fighter to come back" after
years of retirerent.
The receipt: from the sale of seats
are estimated at S25O,OOO, and not like
ly to be less.