Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-14
JEFFR|ES PUT UPA
Sl0vEN[Y EXHIBITION
Was Not Result of Nervousness, But
Simply His Failure to
Come Back.
WISE MONEY WENT
ON JOHNSON LATE
Report That Corbett and His Friends
Hedged Just Before Men Entered
Ring-Johnson Fears Langford.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July 14-In a letter to
Jimmy johnson, matchmaker Of the Fair
mont A. c.. Charley Harvey, who has
managed Jem Driscoll, Owen Moran and
other pugilists and is associated with
James w. Coffroth, the California fight
promoter. says that the Jenries-Johnson
affair was a burlesque on pugilism.
1T was such a poor exhibition of the
manly. art" writes Harvey, that. if 1T
had taken place at the Fairmont Club
Referee job would have stopped it in the
third round and ordered both men out of
the ring. Jeffries was big, numbering
joke. He couldn't fight little bit and
as soon as Johnson banged him in the
right eye he was gone. He didn't seem
like the Jeffries Of old He looked as II
he weighed 80 pounds and was over
trained. The old fire and dash were not
there and johnson, as soon as he found
1T out, made show of the white man.
Cofroth and I bet literally on johnson
and SO did others who had an inside tip
as to Jeffs real condition. 1t wasn't
nervousness that beat Jenries. Just a
clear case of back number. The stamina,
wind, speed and hitting power were lack
ing. He had failed to come back. that
was ALL 1t was q slovenly exhibition and
Johnson won without getting up a sweat"
Other letters received by local sporting
men from the coast would seem to indi-
cate that the wise money" went on the
negro at the last moment. It is asserted
by one OF these letter, writer's that Big
Tim Sullivan, Considine, Corbett and
other New Workers who went to Reno
confident of Jeffries victory backed
johnson at the. last moment.
Thomas H. Williams. president OF the
Pacific Coast Jockey Club. and owner of
the Emeryvil'e race track, wrote a letter
two months ago to an eastern turfman
stating that johnson couldn't lose. the
liams declared, it is said, that Jeffries
could not get into proper condition and
would prove a comparatively easy mark.
With Billy Delaney, Coffroth and other
we'll posted Californians insisting that
Johnson would surely win, because of
Jeffs lack Of condition, Jim Corbett is
finding 1t a rather difficult task to ex-
plain why. up to the last moment, he sent
newspapers stories broadcast to the effect
that Jeffries was in superb physical con-
dition'' and couldn't be defeated.
Corbett Should Have Known.
Unless Corbett was carried away by
enthusiasm and was blinded by prejudice,
it is argued, he should have known the
real condition Of JeNries and should have
advised the sporting public accordingly.
Corbett says now that Jeffries didn't box
enough and also refused to obey orders.
He asserts that Jeffries was nervous and
worried before the fight and was not
himself. all of which information is of no
benefit to those who lost money on JEFF
fries because Corbett gave the o. X. Sig
nal for three weeks without let-up uefore
the mill. .
johnson doesn't want to fight Sam
Langford" says William Gibson, presi.
dent of the Fairmont Club. when John
son was broke a year ago 1 offered him
$4,000 In cash to box six rounds with
! Langford at my club. Six rounds, mind
YOU! He got only 81, 100 for beating Burns
in fourteen, so that I was sure my offer
| would be snapped up. But he turned il
down cold. ] was present once when
Langford entered sporting resort and
found Johnson there. There was bad
blood between them, and the moment
Langford made a rush for, Johnson the
latter bolted through the swinging doors