The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-09
NERVOUS COLLAP PSE
OF JIM JEFFRIES

No fallen monarch ever Travelled a
more solemn road than did James J.
Jeifries yesterday from Reno 10 Oak
land Not a voice gave a comforting
cheer to his aching body and spirits,
while the majority OF the crowd that
was on hand when he arrived at Oak
land and when he left Reno the night
before barely noticed his presence,
save for e sneering remark or two
about his battered and unhappy ap-
pearance. Jeffrles was seemingly
without a friend outside OF his reia-
tiyeS and a few intimate friends who
were by his side.
Jeffries has a disposition and will
all his own. aud the free rein he exer-
clsed in training himself was not in
accordance with his own best wish
ers. His trainers thought best to CO.
incide with him. and this clearly
worked against the final test that
came so disastrously on the Fourth.
Beaten Before First Gong.
The facts in nutshell point to jim,
Jenries being a beaten man before
he crawled through the ropes OF the
ring, and his fight against Johnson
was only for the matter OF putting 1t
before the public that demanded It.
1t has come to light with every assur-
ance of being the truth. that JehrieS
collapsed in his rubbing room at his
training camp on the day OF the fight.
and was therefore in no condition to
make the fight he had worried about
and worked for so hard.
The big fellows nerves went TO
pieces at 80 Monday afternoon, as
near as can be figured. He had Just
returned from stroll on the road
with Frank Gotch and had proceeded
TO his rub room TO so under massage
by Roger Cornell Gotch had noticed
the mental struggle that was going
on because OF the big fellows dissE-
cIuation To talk He was rational on
the outside. but an old friend like
Gotch noticed a change the minute
they started out on the road
In the rub room Jeffries' nerves
gave way entirely Cornell admits
this. and the friends Of JeGries who
were present bear him out JeG shook
like a leaf. says Cornell. and when
he had passed the first stages of the
collapse he was left as limp as a dish
l-t
friend. tried 10 have the fight de-
clared of. according 10 gOio authori-
". but this was decided 10 be out OF
the question. The trainers that knew
also thought thar Jefries would re-
cover his strength shortly. too. and
they hoped for the best not knowing
what to do.
At any rate. Jeffrles was prepared
for the encounter while Lewissohn
and others having the information
wired east and tried to hedge on
their bets The rest of the story has
been told JEFF went into his dressing
room at the arena, and it was there
that his brother Jack discovered his
real condition,
What has happened to Jim?' he /
whispered anXiously in Cornell's ear. !
I'VE is as weak as a cat"
Refused 10 Talk. M
JenrieS was also trougled mentally /
He refused TO talk and his associates /
could not raise him from the stupor. I
which gave rise to the rumor that he .
bad been doped. There was certainly
a marked change in the man. The
writer was present when ne was lee
into the ring by his seconds. and he
appeared for all the world like he was
IN daze. jim JefTrles is such a curs
Gus individual thrt his condition was
rot so nUticeeole II tdo time, but TO-
loving the circumstances, it bears out
70 marked degree the story of his
collapse.
Jeffric ached the ring and went
through tac preliminaries of the intro
luction. but he says now that he re-