The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-17
What's What in Sports
All the Time
RICHARD IS NAMED
TO REFEREE FIGHT

In accepting the place. however. the
Nevada promoter made it clear that he
would step aside If Jeffries and John
son agreed upon another man.
This settlement of the difficulty came
at stage in the meeting when It
looked as IL it would end in another
deadlock and after bitter words had
been passed between Johnson and Sam
Berger, Jeffries' mana ger.
Johnson first suggested Richard, but
Berger refused at first to consider the
Nevada man, stating that he would not
accept him on account Of his inexperi-
ence IS a referee. The cOlored cham
pion declared that he would stand pat
now and In future on the three men he
had mentioned-Jack Welsh, Eddie
Graney and Rickard-and Berger re-
piled Indignantly that he would leave
the meeting.
Then there came a further clash be-
tween Berger and Johnson in which
ugly words were used by Berger and
threats made by Johnson.
Berger stood up as If to leave the
meeting place.
so you want Rickard, do you?" he
queried of Johnson.
Yes" came the answer.
Well, all right. replied Jeffries
business representative, and the crowd
broke into a cheer as ii finally realized
that one of the difficult points had been
settled.
Following the agreement Richard
Rickard'S Statement.
In order to straighten out this af-
fair 1 am willing to act providing that
my name is agreeable to all concerned.
l don't want to act and hope that be-
fore the fight takes place Jeffries and
Johnson will agree upon another man.
If they can come to terms I am perfect
" willing to step down and out. But
If they can reach no other agreement,
I will not back down"
craff Of g,a ant sz
feeling of diStrust among those who at
tended the session that the last word
has not been said and that sooner or
later the referee question must again
be taken up for consideration. 1t has
been whispered around that in order
to give the impression that everything
is in working order Richard has been
named until the comics tants have further
time to look the field over. This feel
ing, in fact, has been strengthened by
the statement made by Richard.
1t was Berger, during the negotia-
tons, who lost his head completely and
missed many chance to score a telling
point. From the start he showed his
temper and toward the close II looked
for a time as if there would be a free
for-all affair.
Just before the compromise was
reached Berger in an undertone de-
clared: I'll go over and hit that big
black fellow" at the same time apply
ing an epithet.
This was carried 20 Johnson, who
suppressed his anger as best he could.
but warned Berger never to call him
that name again.
Berger denied that he had said any
thing of the kind. but Johnson's follow
ers insisted that II was true, and NUT
tered among themselves that If Berger
repeated what he had said he would
never leave the room.
You're just an educated dog" said
johnson to Berger. Now come out and
fight if you want to. I'll give a thou
sand dollars if you will come right out
with me and box just three rounds
They finally quoted down and the
session resumed
At the start of the meeting Berger
! again named the five men he wanted
Eddie Smith, Billy Roche, Charlie Ey-
ton. Phil Wand and johnny Herget.
Johnson renamed Welsh and Graney
and said he would stick to them He
fntimated further that he would allow
no one, not even the promoters, to do
the selecting for him.
All sorts of compromises were sug-
gested. Berger said he would be will
ing 10 have the sporting editors of the
five San Francisco papers name the ref
cree or allow these same sporting edi-
tors to act in conjunction with the two
promoters.
There was a world Of horseplay all
the way through the session, with
johnson as usual playing to the gal
ierieS