The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-03
JACK JOHN SON
RASQUIT THE RING
Black Champion Refuses to Re.
consider, and Will Remain
in Retirement.
PRETTY SCRAMBLE FOR BELT
Many Claimants, Mostly Dark
skinned, With Little Chance
for Palefaces.

When Jack Johnson nrst talked OF
retir' ig. many thought 1t was merely
one OF the champions whlrns. and that
he would be back in the game with
both feet the first time proper In
ducements" were made to him.
New corroborative testimony is forth
coming that Jack Is through with the
frivolities of the ring and that he
IS plagued with ennui to the extent
that he does not care n continental
who succeedE to the title
He valves all right to voice in the
bcstowal Of the laurels and says he
has no suggestions to make az to the
hc-Yyweights best ftted to wear them
This Is bad. 1t means there Will be
a colud on the heavyweight champion
ship for years--that the man who as
sumes the prerogatlve without licking
Johnson. Will be regarded as a pre-
tender. jackaI masquerading in a
ii ms skin.
There must be continuity In thing
OF this Kind. Each succeeding cham
pion Is merely q link In chain Of
destruction. The newest manor the
ic'est model, one might say-licked q
champion VINO licked another champion
and 80. link by link, we trace our
latest prize ring here back TO some
dim and distant champ" Just as a
race-horse traces to the Byeriey Turk,
or the barley Arabian.
Hard to Name Succesnorr.
When broken link appears, there
is olot on the escutcheon Of the man
whose reputational pedigree we are
investigating, and 30 It will be IL
hnson escapes from the game un-
licked and some ono grabs HIS title
This line OF argument is easily
proved sound. John L. Sullivan de-
feated Paddy Ryan. who defeated Joe
Lewis: Jim Corbett defeated Sullivan:
Bob Fitzsimmons defeated Jim Cor
bet; Jim Jenrics defeated Bob Fi,z.
simmons. and Jack johnson didn't do
Il thing to Jeffries
Just think OF the mental suffering
OF the sporting editors OF the future
while trying to explain to Old sub
scriber and Constant Reader that the
old line Of champions ended with John
son, and that the new breed is only a
kind OF Manchu dynasty.
Something must be done to rtalI or
the confusion that threatens the nstio
historians OF the coming years. We
must drag Johnson back at any price
and this goes both ways" us the
sl7nG1ters say-and have him trounced
4 the queens taste.
II should be done to keep the record
stra. hit and come to think OF II twill
be merely what some call poetic re-
tribution."
Jenfries Merely Shadow.
fhe JeHries that Johnson licked was
merely the husk OF the JetfrIes that
used to be. and johnson has as much
r!sl TO hearken to the comeback"
cry aa Jefrries had. especially II the
pr:ce is right
There's another angle to the aue..
sion which is bound to engender MT
Il ness OF spirit That is the racial
angle II johnson is allowed to rest
In peace there will come q time in
which the men with the dark pigment
beneath tho cuticle will say:
TIE first negro that was given n
chance became the champion of the
word. They couldn't defeat him. and
SO as not to block the wheels OF pro-
gress. he stepped aside and allowed
them to arrange q fresh deal. Tho
chain OF destruction which began with
Figg and Mendoza ended with Jack
Johnson"
Joe Jeanette. through his manager,
pan Mckettrick. Is the first to lay
claim to the crown left on the bureau
OF Jack Johnson. MoKettrick sovs
that his man has shown himself su-
perlor to Sam Langford on various
occasions. and that 1t wasn't SO much
Australian gold as desire to evade
Jeannette that sent LanGford scurry-
o the land of the kangaroo.
Trouble over Champions.
Oh, Is the nrst shot In the new
campaign. and Jeanette probably has
as such right to fire It as any other
man.
But how are things to be brought
TO focus? with Johnson on the re-
firing list, astute Hugh Mcintosh is
sure 20 bill the impending Sam Lang
ford-Sam McVea fight as worlds
championship struggle, and who is TO
Sainsay him2
Maybe the best thing for Jeanette
to do, is begin wedding out at this
end. Let him hook up with Jim Flynn,
who seems to be regarded rs tho best
OF the white heavies, and let the win
ner of that affair Journey to Aus
tralia OF coax the winner of the Nc
Vea-Langford bout back to this city.