The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-16
.G|LLETT WOULD
PREVENT FIGHT
IN CA LIT FORN|A
Governor Takes Action
Toward Stopping JEFF
frles-Johnson Battle.
DECISION COMES
LIKE BOMBSHELL
Promoters Will Take Contest in
Courts, and Failing There, Will
Take Fight to Nevada or
Utah-still Hope 1t Can
Be Pulled Off in San
Francisco.

Francisco.
San Francisco, Cal, June To-
stirred to action by insistcnt protests
from all parts OF the State and coun-
try, Governor James N. GiIlett to-day
took steps to prevent the championship
fight between James j. Jeffries and
jack JohnsOn, scheduled to he held In
San Francisco on July A.
In n letter to Acknowledgement A.
s. Webb, the Governor to-day ex-
pressed his disnpprovni OF prize fight
Ing In unmcnsured terms and directed
thnt the MD OF the courts be invoked
to prevent the match. He concluded
with n positive order that, In ease the
plea for 81 restraining order he not
granted and the fight be held, the At
torney-Gencral proceed to gnther eyi-
dence and prosecute the principals and
thosc interested In the fight for yioln-
tion of the penal code Of the State.
The Governor declares that the SUI
preme Court of California has never
defined a prize fight, and suggests that
an opportunity be given 1t to do so.
This is taken by those Interested to
Indicate the Governors intention to
press his opposition to the end While
the status of the fight is in an unset
tied condition tonight the sporting
fraternity Is much cast down, and 1t
Is generally believed that the death
knen of prize fighting in California.
the Mecca of the prize lighters" ac-
cording to the Governors letter, has
been sounded
May Stop Saturdays Fight.
This belief is borne out by the fact
that the Governor telcgraphed to At
torney General Webb later In the day
to take similar action as to the hgh,
scheduled Tor June Is in San Francis
/ co between Sam Langford and Al
/ kaufman.
Promoters Tex Rickard and John
Gleason said that they had heard no
| whisper of the Governors intended ac-
] ton. When the news reached hini.
| Rickard rushed to the office of Attor-
/ ney-General Webb and asked what
| that officer purposed to do. After a
| conference with Webb. Rickard said
| he believed that the fight would be
| held in San Francisco on the adyer-
tised date despite the Governors orr
ders.
Rickard has no intention of aban-
doning the effort to hold the fight
here. Both he and Gleason devoted
much time to-day to conferences with
their attorney, Herbert Choynslti. The
| course of legal defense decided on
probably will not be given out until
4 s.
Rickard said Webb had promised
him, because OF the great expense OF
erecting the arena and other matters
connected with the fight, that his
| opinion would be forthcoming without
delay. Richard expects it within two
days In the meantime. Richard says
he viii prepare to take the fight to
! California.
/, Nature NOt Known.
\ lust what will be the nature of tho
/ legal proceedings to be instituted by
| the attorney general Is not known.
I. The Governors letter is positive In
/ directing that the courts be asked TO
Intervene and urging a definition OF
prize Fighting by the Supreme Court
For this reason 1t is said that Mr..
Webb will apply for a writ Of manda-
| mus before the States highest tribunal.
! thus bring all parties before that body
4 for a hearing and procuring a tempor-
4 airy injunction, pending decision.
BY this step he would avoid delay.
4 since the promoters would have appeal
Ii Judgment were rendered against
] them.
L When word of the Governors order
i reached Ben Lomond. Jim Jeffries re,
1 fused to believe it. The camp was
4! thrown into an uproar by the message.
Rickard estimates that he will lose.
i $4,000 If he is forced to take the fight
4 elsewhere. He said he would consider
Reno and Ely. New, and Salt Lake
1 City. tle is said TO favor the Titan
capital,
i Work on the arena was ordered sus-
.Epended temporarily, until further ac-
4 tion of the Governor became known
Future Hnrd to Predict.
rrIa Iaool nrpnea5iDpS.s a sheliayeU.A
i will make no difference at the fight
\ ers' camps. 1t is probable that they
i will go on with their training us
i though nothing had happened, but tho
i whole matter is in such a disturbed
\ and unsettled state tonight that IL
y is hard TO predict what the next move
OF the interested parties Will be-
Il District Attorney Fickert, mention
! OF whom is made by the Governor in
!, his letter to the Attorney General dis
! played some bitterness when asked for
a statement. He said that tho Gov
ernor had Needed the clamor Of the
. mob, and make satirical reference
to political capital
''However," he concluded, Il still boz
lieve that the fight will be held here,
as the courts are more powerful than.
the Governor
Seeking a reason for the action OF
!, Governor Gillett, following his repeat.
ed declarations that he did not be-
1 lieve the fight could be, prevented, and
: he did not purpose to begin useless
I opposition, many think that pressure
! was brought TO bear on him at Wash
! ington. that the states representatives
< at the national capital have informed.
him that the holding OF the Hsht was
standing in the way OF San Franciseo's8 II
effort TO procure the Panama Paeitic
q Exposition,
! sportsmen tonight generally az.
Z pressed themselves as nelleNlns tnat