The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-15
WHO WILL REFEREE .
THE BIG BATTLE
Pugs Have Turned Down All
the Possibilities
MAY PULL OUT
VIII Not Fight II Jeffries' Selections
Are ChOsen-CIub May Name
Referee-Welsh or Eddie
Smith Probably
JOHNSON MAY PULL OUT
By w. w. NAUGHToN


San Francisco, May 14-with all the
prominent Californians who have had to
do with the refereeing of glove con-
tests of years objected to by one side
or the other, the average sporting man
is puzzled to know who will be selected
to pass judgment of the Jeffries john
son fight.
When Sam Berger and Jack Johnson
agreed to disagree on the point at their
initial conference on May 4, quite num-
Der were of the opinion that a little
''stalling'' was being resorted to, to
stimulate interest in the big ring event.
NO, sir" said Tex. Richard deter
minedly when the suggestion was made
in his presence. This fight is getting all
the advertising it needs and it seems
to me that if it were necessary, the best
boost the affair could receive would have
been the news that referee had been
selected at the time appointed by the
articles. I don't suppose there will be
any hitch over the matter but it would
have suited me a lot better If they had
chosen their referee at the first at
tempt"
It is evident now that Richards views
are shared by the majority. 1t is no
secret that Berger and Johnson had
two hours session at the Seal Rock
house where Johnson is located on the
evening of May 8, and that 1t was evil
dent when the men parted company that
their conference on the following day
would be barren of results.
In ordinary fights, politics enter large
ly into the selection of the referee. Each
man with an ambition to act as Judge
and earn the accompanying fee, not only
pulls wires in his own behalf but brings
friends can muster.
Under such circumstances the degree
of button-holing, whispering and back
biting. that has been INDUCED in, the
present argument can be readily mag
ined. 1t is said that Johnson has been
placed on his guard to such an extent.
through being warned against this man
and that his field of choice has narrowed
down to Jack WEIGH. and that if the
Jeffries camp does not agree to accept
WEIGH the negro will almost go to the
extreme of refusing to enter the ring.
Johnson named Eddie Graney too, but
IL rs Sdlu CndC WTen ne ulu so IL was
with the full conviction that Jeffries
would never agree to Graney, whatever
he might ultimately decide to do in
respect to Welsh. For that, matters some
of Jeffries' friends are claiming that
johnson promised faithfully not to in
troduce Graney's name as a candidate
for the position of referee when the pre-
liminaries Of the big fight were being
discussed in the east
So far a 10 yuri iS ;e
is in no sense an inference that Graney
is not as well qualified to act as Welsh
or anybody else. am merely catching
rumors OF the situation as they fly and
reducing them to the semblance of news
One thing is certain. 1t will be an
embarrassing matter if either of the
heavy weights has to accept man he
has already fouted. From what can be
gathered from the friends of both parties
in fact, all the men discarded so far
are entirely unsupported. A sporting man
Is likely to be picked to referee what
some one has described as 1.-THE worlds
fair of pugilism.'
What is sauce for the goose is sauce
for the gander. When at the opening it
became patent that Johnson wanted
Welsh or Graney and that Berger want
ed Eddie Smith or Charity Eyton, and
that none of the eligibles named are
likely to be chosen, promoter Gleason
took a hand. He warned Berger and
Johnson that if they could not agree
the articles required that each side should
name two men and the club make a
selection.
Johnson gave the table resounding
wtacls with his big fist and blunted out
well, if he puts down the two names
have already objected to and one Of
them Is chosen. there will be no fight
1r view of Johnson's declaration, loyal
fight followers are wondering whether
the names he will submit to Richard
and Gleason in case the task of naming
the referee devolves upon the promoters,
are those of Jack Welsh and Eddie
Graney. He knows. of course that JEFF
fries has objected to thef two mentioned,
and II he threatens withdrawal from the
fight in case the Jeffries side continues
to name Eddie Smith and Charley Eyton,
he will have to admit that his ideas of
equal rights are remarkably one-sided
The issue seems to be shrouded in
doubt right now, but there is one whis-
per which is somewhat hoarser than the
rest 1t is to the effect that when the
promoters have sifted matters to the
bottom, and have decided that there is
no other way out of the difficulty, they
will endeavor to induce the rival heavy
weights to toss up coin to determine
which of the two men shall judge the
fight, and that these two men are Jack
II ov,e;xl