The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-06-16
GOVERNOR Will
STOP BIC FIGHT
Gillette Makes a Sudden
Change Of Base. r.g
GETS TIP FROM CAPITAL

cisco VIII Lose All Chance OF So
curing Psnama Exposition II Flstlc
Encounter 10 Permitted on July 4.
Also Puts Stop to Lesser Contest
Scheduled For Saturday.
San Francisco, June 16.-Governor
Gillette has ordered the attorney gen.
eral Of the state to use the full force
Of his Office to stop the proposed JEFF
fries.Johnson prizef1ght, which was to
have taken place here on July 4. The
instructions from the governor were
contained in a letter to M. s. Webb,
the attorney general. 1t was followed
by a statement from Gillette in which
he emphatically asserted that the
fight could not take place In Califor-
MIA. This was followed by an inter
view with Mr.. Webb In which he
stated that the governors iDstruc
tlons would be followed to the letter.
Coming as It did Unexpectedly, the
move to stop the big fight caused a
tremendous sensation, and for time
sporting contingent. At first they re-
sarded the whole thing as a bluff,
but after the governor had talked
over the lone. distance phone from
Sacramento, they came to the con.
clusion that the state executive was
in earnest.
Governor Gillette later sent a tele'
gram to the attorney general author
izing him to stop the Langford Kauf-
man fight scheduled for next Satur
day afternoon in San Francisco. This
dispatch intensified the gloom that
hung over headquarters of the prize
fight promoters, as It was recognized
as the death knell of pugilism in this
state. No promoter can afford to an
tagonize the governor, as the attor.
ney generals deputies coud stop any
boxing match as soon as blood was
shed and the spectacle became bru.
tai. All talk about taking legal meas
ures against the governors action is
recognized here as absurd, for every
professional contest in the ring held
here In years has been genuine
prizefight and under the law a felony,
Tex Rickard was about the first to
grasp the true meaning Of II all, and
he announced that he had stopped
work on the big arena and that he,
as chief promoter of the fight, had
no intention of bucking the governor,
lie intimated that the fight would
probably be transferred to Nevada or
Salt Lake City. Nevada Is most like.
ly to be. selected, as prlzetghting IL
not contrary to law there.
In his letter Gillette says that the
district attorney OF San Francisco
has notified him he can not take ac.
ton In the matter. and Gillette has
notified the attorney general to su.
persede the San Francisco district
attorney and take active personal
part In the prevention OF the fight.
The governor assured the attorney
general OF the cooperation of the
governors Office. The action Of Gov.
crnor Gillette was a sad blow to the
sporting men OF Frisco, but what
they didn't know was that the COVER
nor was forced from Washington.
The governor In his proclamation de-
clares that he has become convinced
that the function slated for the
Fourth oS July will be prizefght
and not boxing contest, and for
that reason, as pnzefghting Is de-
clared by the law In California to be
felony. he feels It his duty to stop
the contest. He quotes from the San
Francisco newspapers of brutal
scenes in the Nelson. Wolgast and At
tell.Connolly fights TO maintain his
position.
This is the governors official posi-. |
ton. But the real reason that
prompted him to take this action was
tGlegraphtc warning he received
from Congressman Bennett OF the
house foreign affairs committee. Ben
net wired that unless the governor
stopped the fight San Francisco need
not hope to secure the Panama fair.
Virtually the same dispatch from
Bennett was received by William r.
Wheeler, president of the chamber OF
commerce OF San Francisco. This
ultinatum made the governor take
quick action, especially as II was sec
onded by dispatches from the Califor-
MIA congressman and senators. Hotel
and business men are up in arms
over the governors action and have
called meeting of protest for this
afternoon.
There is a possibility that Mrs. JEFF |
fries will step In and take a hand
in the fight problem. 1t has been
known all along that she has not |
been enthusiastic over JEFF entering
the ring, and she would welcome the |
calling off of the whole afrair. Harry |
Monahan, Jeffries' former sparring
partner and friend Of the family, |
said that Mrs, Jeffries may try ana |
influence Jim to toss over the chance
to meet Johnson.