The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-05
SCENES AND INCIDENTS
 AROUND THE RINCSIDE
 BEFORE THE BATTLE BEGUN
(F'rom Farmers Sporting Extra.)

From Farmers Sporting Extra.) Reno. July Z. l High above the tier of seats com
 posing the arena proper were the eight boxes reserved for women. Three minutes after the opening of
 the gates there was a rush, a chorus 1 of feminine shrieks and laughter and the entire place was packed, the gorgeous millinery and dainty gowns of the women standing out in marked contrast to the black and while tiers in which coatless and hatless men sat.
 pr. Morrison and pr. Ascher earlier in the day visited the camps of Jeff fries and Johnson at Moana Springs
 and Kicks Resort respectively, and quired by the state law of Nevada.
 Both physicians pronounced both
 fighters in perfect shape. trained to the hour and fit to battle to meet
 most able press agents Had Roose- welt been one of the contestants, weather conditions could not have been more ideal for the battle. The
 sun shone brightly from cloudless sky.
 Although the majority of the wo-
 men spectators took advantage of the boxes, many were scattered through the arena. By noon lines of ticket holders two blocks long were stretched was a good-natured crowd, many doubly so because the presence of scores of dep uty sheriffs deterred them from vio- lence.
 As an evidence of Jefrries' confidence
 it was announced shortly before he en-
 tered the ring that he had prepared
 a banquet for 20 of his intimate friends.
 The difficulty over the canvas in the ring was adjusted to the satisfa ction l<< %1~ I0&f fxr1 I-- II IL
 red canvas on which Jeffries had done his last boxing.
 Representatives of the two fighters had offered to submit their canvas. Johnson's, which was white was re- jected because of the glare it reflect ed. The first row developed when SAC
 and $50 ticket holders discovered that I directly above and over their seats a moving picture stand had been erected The stand cut off all view from at
 least 600 people who became enraged
 when the management gave them no
 satisfaction and they threatened to tear the structure down. To prevent violence a. special guard was placed l around the stand and Rickard started
 in search of Gleason who is reported to have given permission for the erec-
 tion of the stand.
 Among the celebrities to arrive ear- ly were Nat Goodwin. Bat Masterson,
 John l.. Sullivan, Billy Muldoon, Jack
 McAuliffe, Abe Attell. Eddie Graney. Jack Walch. Charlie White, the emer- gency referee. Hugh Mcintosh, Bill
 Lang, Tommy Burns, Bob Fftzsim- mons, Frank Fogarty Battling Nelson,
 Lou Houseman. Sam Langford, and
 many others.
 tered the ring and aroused enthusiasm by playing America" and Dixie" The great crowd stood up and waved
 small American flags. All persons arr | irving at the gates carrying bottles or suspicious packages were stopped and l not allowed to enter until after dis carding them.
 The anger of the ticket holders whose view was obstructed by the moving
 picture stand had it's effect A squad of deputies were detailed to tear it
 down. When the first piece of tim
 Der yielded to the blow of a hammer | cheers went up
 1 At 1905 Tex Rickard announced that there were 15,000 people on the outside clamoring for admittance Rickard
 stated that room could not be found for all of them. At 1:15 the band left l the ring to give the moving picture
 men an opportunity to photograph the
 crowd.
 At 1:25 D. m. Manager Tom Flana- | gan and Billy Delaney entered the
 ring. The crowd began to show signs
 of inpatience over the dilatory tactics | of the moving picture men who seem
 ed to be attempting to monopolize everything.
 Governor Dickerson of Nevada has
 just taken his seat in the circle be- | hind the United Press box | At 1882, two minutes after the time for beginning the fight, there was no
 sign of either fighter, but Flanagan | promised to have Johnson in the ring l in few minutes.
 Tex Rickard then publicly an-
 nounced that the purse amounts 10 l $121, ,000 instead of $101,00 each man
 having been given a ten thousa nd | dollar bonus.
 | The purse, he said, was to be split, l 60 per cent. to the winner and 40 to l the loser.
 The original articles of agreement
 called for 75 and 25 per cent. split, but a few days ago the fighters agreed l to 60 and 40.
 | Tex Rickard said that both men 1 had agreed to the change, but re- l fused to say who suggested it. | At 1885 Rickard sent word to the 1 fighters dressing rooms asking them | to come into the ring at once. The
 house it is stated, amounts to S2oO,-
 900.
 l The deputy sheriffs detailed to pre-
 serve order and keep the crowd with
 in check paid no attention to the in- structions given them and scores of
 men and boys climbed up to the out
 side of the enclosure without hind 1 rance. The aisles were packed and every entrance damned. Mrs. Louise Scherhead, proprietress | of the Seal Rock House in San Fran cisco, where Jack Johnson started to l train, was an interested spectator in | a seat four rows from the ring. 1 Rickard was thoroughly disgusted with the manner in which the crowd | had been handled and when asked if he would do it again said: "NOt for million"
 Billy Jordan, the veteran announce CT, stepped into the ring at 1:43 and was given a cheer. Tom Sharkey, who announced that he would challenge the winner. and | post a certified check for $25,000, be- came so nervous awaiting the ap- pearance of the fighters that he chewed up thre cigars within fifteen minutes.
 At 1:45 there was still no sign of the fighters.
 Billy Muldoon, the famous wrestler, climbed through the ropes as soon as the ring had been cleared of moving picture machine, and calling for at- tention, which he tmme ediately got, paid a glowing tribute to Nevada for the lone free state in the Union," calling on every person in the arena to rise and give three cheers for the people, the state and His Excellency, the Governo of Nevada. He got roar that was tremendous During the cheering Mrs. Jack John son. wife of the champion, accompan- AErc ior or~t cfo nnd iy,fn h