The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-08-24
CHAMPION WON'T
MEET LANCFORD
JOHNSON THINKS BOSTON TAR
BABY IS BIDDING FOR SHORT
END OF THE PURSE AND
ADVERTISING

Unless Jack johnson experiences
change of heart I'm the fu.urc, Sam
Langford and his manager, Joe Wood
man. might just as well cease their
clatter and efforts to inveigle the ne
gro champion into n match for the
heavyweight title. To party of
friends this week the conqueror of
James j. Jeffries explained his rea-
son for refusing to meet the Boston
"Tar Baby"
Fear does not prompt Johnson to
evade the challenge of Langford.
There is no doubt existing in the
mind of the huge black that he Is
the master of Langford at any style
OF milling. If that was not the case,
Johnson would use different meth
DDS of dealing with Woodman's pro-
tege. Jacks refusal to meet the per-
sistent Langford Is for financial rea-
sons only.
Like every champion, Johnson Is In
the game for all that he can get out
anybody and everybody the public
selects for him. providing. however,
that the challenging party is of the
caliber To draw IA good gate. Johnson
says that Langford Is not n good gate
card and for that reason absolutely
refuses to listen to his plea for a
meeting.
'If Langford can draw well in a
match with me why don't some prom
oters who are always on the look out
for good attraction offer a purse fol
Sam and myself? SO far there hasn't
been a dollar offered by any of them
and from the present outlook none
will. It's a plain case of free adver-
Using on Langford's part, but at the
present rate IL is not going to get
him anything.
IF Langford wanted to meet me
as badly as he would like TO make
1t appear, yhy didn't he cover the
check for $4,000 which / posted the
last time was In New York? / was
there three weeks and Woodman also
was in the city at the time. but tho
money remained uncovered. To tel
the truth, / don't believe that Wood
man had q nickel.
"Langford knows he hasn't g
chance I'm the world to defeat me
knows IL as well as he knows his
own name, yet he is continually yell
ing for meeting. If he figures TO get
the losers end, the idea on his par
is good one. Langford realizes thai
with me would be a tidy sum- and 4
is that more than his belief i'm his
ability to beat me and win the cham
pionship that he is after"
When asked what he thought 81
the Boston mans crawling out 81
his match with Kaufman at Philadel'
phia, Johnson said he believed thai
Sam was afraid of a licking at the
hands of the Californian, who John
son picks as the best heavyweight IL
the country next to himself. Il go
II staight." said Johnson, that San
wasn't I'm very good condition that
night and took the easiest and besl
way out OF III ny uetnanulns SohiS
thing he knew the promoters would
not listen to-"
Jack had something to say about
the men who now are asserting that
Jeffrles Is possessed of saffron
streak I'm his makeup and to the
unprejudlced mind his words should
carry some weight. Johnson declares
that II wasn't courage that was lack
ing In Jeffries but ability. The cham
pion said that Jeffries had fought .
clean game battle, but was defeated
by younger and stronger man.
Those very fellows who were first
to say that JEFF is yellow are the very
one who thought he was unbeatable
and bet their last shirt on his chances
never once doubling that he would be
returned the winner. When he lost
no credit was given me, but the first
thing said was that JEFF had quit"