The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-06-28

high state as champion. having an
nexed enough money through purses
moving pictures and stage appear
ances to do what he pleased, he has
tened to a farm in Southern California
: with the intention of ending his days
E as a sort OF country squire. Had John
: Arthur Johnson and the color ques-
i tion not interfered with HIS plans, he
would, In all probability, have carried
out that determination.
Jeffries was born in Carroll, Ohio,
in 1875. but his parents came to Cali
fornia so soon after his arrival that
he is looked upon almost as native
of that state. Little is recorded of
his doing prior to 1897 beyond the
fact that he was a mighty hunter, a
good boiler-maker, and rough and
tumble fighter with whom few cared
to mix. He never was an amateur
fighter The first time he entered the
ring he did so on the spur of the
moment, accepting the challenge Of a
colored fighter named Hank" Griffin
because Of the money he would get
by defeating the challenger. The fight
occurred in Los Angeles, Cal, in 1893,
land Jeff accomplished the defeat Of
the colored man in fourteen rounds,
winding up with an artistic knockout.
While this victory did not seem to
arouse jeff to any ambition as
fighter, it attracted the attention Of
fighters to him as a valuable training
partner He seconded middle-weight
named Billy Gallagher in San Fran
cisco two years later, and Gallagher
got him match in 1896 with Dan
Long, of Denver There was a $1,000
lpurse up, and Long went to sleep in
the second round when Jeff's left en-
countered his nose.
1t was shortly after this that Jim
Corbett began to prepare for his fight
with Bob Fitzsimmons. which gave
the latter the championship. Harry
Corbett, Jim's brother, who was on
the lookout for sparring partners,
sent JEFF up to Carson City, Nevada,
to join Jim's training staff. Corbett
Hammered the big fellow unmerci-
fully, but JEFF was absorbing knowl-
ledge of the fighting game through
every pore These were his first real
boxing lessons, and he took them from
a master of the craft. Within three
weeks after Corbett's defeat, JEFF was
in the ring again on his own hook
doing away with the aspirations Of
two promising heavy weights in quick
| succession in 1897.
SO much had JEFF benefited by Cor
belts training that he was marked as
a coming fighter at once, and match
was arranged for him with Gus Rub
lin, of.Akron, Ohio, which was fought
in San Francisco in 1897. The fight
went twenty rounds to draw
In the same year Jeffries fought Joe
Choynsd a twenty-round draw. He
recalls this fight particularly, he says,
because Choynski landed on his jaw
the hardest blow he ever received. 1t
was highlander, and had so much
good will behind 1t that Jeffries never
forgot it That punch was one of
the things that made Jeffries call
Choynski to his aid when he decided
to return to the ring to fight Johnson.
During the next year Jeffries began
to find ont how strong he really was.
He knocked out Joe Goddard, of Aus
tralia, a hardy fighter with many vie
tories to his credit following that up
by knocking out Old Peter Jackson
in three rounds, and making Mexican
lPete Everitt quit in less than three.
twenty-round draw with Tom Shar-
ikey came in the same year. and then
!Jeffries went to New York. where he
was matched to fight two men in one
evening. The first Of these was Bob
Armstrong fcoloredl, and jeff dam
Iaged his hand against the big black
to such an extent that he could not
meet Steve oDonnell, the other man,
imuch to the delight of 0Donnels
friends.
During this time Bob Fitzsimmons
was retaining the championship
against all comers. A match was
made between jeff and Bob at Coney
Island, 1899. 1t was looked upon as
joke, as the man who had gathered
Jim Corbett's scalp in decisive style
! was thought to be able to play with
tie big green Ind, Jeffries Fitz-
simmons did biay with him. for nine
rounds, If there was any part of
Jeff's head he did not hit at will, no.
body at the ringside could locate and
place. But in the tenth Fitz tired, and
in the eleventh, after going down
twice, he was unable to get up third
time, and Jim Jeffries was champion
of the world.
Five months later Ieffries met Tom