The San Francisco call., 1910-07-05
White Man.
BATTERED
BADLY
Negro Lands Terrific Blows,
Which Tell on Strength of
His Opponent
FORMER CHAMPIONS
PUNCH LACKS STEAM
Boiler Makers Years Rob Him
of old Time Skill and
Power TO Punish
END IN SIGHT LONG
BEFORE FINAL BLOW
END IN SIGHT LONG
BEFORE FINAL BLOW
By FRED R. BEcHDoLT

by thEO X DEOF7OOL4
sureness. That uncanniness kept up to
the last
They started late For two hours the
throng blackened the yellow pine seats.
The air was hot, a little breeze came
occasionally TO fan US as we waited.
The moving picture machines clicked
spasmodically. taking us in our en-
tirety. The band played patriotic airs
and We cheered.
MEN or YESTERDAY
Then old Billy Jordan clambered
through the ropes, and with hiEn score
Of celebrities. Like a black omen-for
I wanted to see JEFF whit struck me
that most Of the best known among
these were men of yesterday-pitchers
that had gone often to the well.
Finany-it was long after > o'clock
and the sun was glaring evilly-there
rose a shout There had been many
p shouts before. but this was unmistak
able-the cry Of exuItation, the roar of
a mob which sees what it wants to see.
1t swelled. and above the tossing hats
] saw johnson waIking-big. black,
splendid. moment later there came
another cry, and this. too. deepened-
II had a bulk which the first cheer did
not have. 1t was ponderous yell, and
Jeffries. climbing through the ropes,
acknowledged the cheering of preju-
diced audience.
I had a throb OF sympathy for John
son. 1 might have saved It for the
other man.
PRIDE IN JEFFRIES' WALK
The introductions were soon over, the
cheering subsided. the two lighters
went back to their corners. a gong
changed, they stepped forth again.
They began. There was in JEFF
fries then that regal pride He
showed it in his eye and in his walk
There was in johnson something that
was more impersonal something be-
yond what Jeffries showed. The latter
was a great, proud man, sure of his
mighty past, confident of what the
future had in store for him. a master
walking forth to subdue one who lay
between him and further mastery. And
there was in Johnson a smiIe-a smile
that worked as perfectly as the rest of
the machine; smile and an entire lack
of personality. as if he had been wound
zap to go and he had to go and he would
90, and he did not care who or what
was in front OF him.
That was the way they faced each
other, moving slowly, carrying their
huge bulks with circumspection, ad-
vancing. retreating. Their great corded
arms worked in and out and in and out.
Their gloved fists came back and forth
and back and forth The bulky white
giant with his immobile face and the
smooth black giant with a skin like
silk. And then johnson struck; they
clinched.
JEFFRIES SMILES
Their arms locked, their bodies
pressed close, and Jeffries smiled and
said something in low voice. could
not hear what it was he said, but his
smile was that of a master talking to
one who dares come in his way. It was
as il he had a certainty in himself
that made this other thing of con-
tempt.
That and two more rounds they fought
with a semblance of evenness, and JEFF
fries seemed to box far better than the
crowd expected. During that period Of
the fight they swapped blows some
times. but more often each man led
futilely at the other. And JEFF kept
coming forward, showing johnson back,
and when they locked their arms in
clinch he twisted Johnson about a bit,
and johnson. smiling. looked far away
And then they would break and John
son would strike that vicious upper
cut OF his once or twice. when they
were close together in a clinch, JEFF
fries would bring his fist home in a
short blow. 1t looked good to me- for,
as / say. my hopes were with Jeffries.
JOHNsoN's SMILE ENDS
And then there was change. John
son ceased smiling. His face altered
suddenly. 1t was something which
had not seen in him before. 1t was not
nerceness. not flash. as when he used
To box 1t was grimness, absolute grim
ness, the sort we northern races are
proud Of. the thing we claim as our
heritage. It went away and the smile
came back. The 6 foot black machine
began moving smoothly. swiftly per-
fectly.
Il is hard to write the rest of the
story. But it was harder TO see it
transpire. I hoped. and 1 know that
thousands around me hoped. that there
was method behind Jefrs taking pun
ishment in these next rounds. We
, thought OF other fights, comforting our
man with his history. bolstering up
cur hopes. But even the most rabid
Of US had to give way TO the certainty