Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-08
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ST. LOUIS. Mo-. January Jim
Jeffries would have. beaten Jack
Johnson at Reno last July If he had
been the same Jeffries who whipped
Corbett. Fitzsimmons and Sharkey,
said Jack Gleason, who promoted the
big fight. Jeff landed only one real
punch during the whole show at Reno.
1t was in the third or fourth round,
and 1t almost Jared Johnson to sleep.
jeff hit the negro in the side.
"I'll never forget the expression on
Johnson's face when JEFF drove home
that blow. Talk about the agonized ex-
face when Fitz hit him In the solar
plexus at Carson City, well. it wasn't
marker to the look of pain and misery
that crept over Johnson's mug when
Jim walloped him in the ribs. 1t hurt:
I thought 1t was going to finish john
son then and there, but the negro had
greater recuperative power than I had
given him credit for possessing. jeff
punch Of the same kind. and the re-
mainder Of the fight is history.
Il mention this punch to emphasize
the point started out to make, namely,
that II JEFF had been as good a man as
he was when he whipped Corbett. Fitz
the coon sure as two and two make
four. When he was good he carried
an awful punch in either hand and
could go the route. Coroett 1ouno "
out the night JEFF whipped him In the
twenty-third round.
"Corbett thought he had the tight won
on points when JEFF slipped over the
sleep producer. It was the same case
hoo aptpk Gho q
was entitled to the decision when they
fought twenty-five rounds, but Stler
handed the verdict to JEFF because ne
showed so much grit. pluck and staying
power. and came SO fast In the Closing
fighter when he met Johnson there
would have been another story to tell
Of the Reno affair.
Johnson and not J Sana sef haa the the
fieht. drew up the original articles.
They called for Is per cent to the win
ner and rs per cent to the loser
Changing the Articles. Il
1.-TWO days before the battle Johnson
came to me and asked to have them
changed. He wanted the money cut In
half. jeff would not agree to this. but
finally decided to have 1t go 60 and ~
He surprised me when he allowed the
articles to be changed, but / am abso-
lutely convinced of his honesty. know
that some OF his most intimate friends,
including Bob Vernon of New York,
went broke on the fight. jeff would never
have let them lose their money II he had
had an inkling that he might lose. Jen
was beaten because he could not come
back He was out Of the fighting game
too long, but never discovered the fact
until it was too late.
Jnhnl0n asked
even split two days before the battle in
dicates where he stood. The frame-up
talk is bunk II there had been nxing,
you know 1t would have been Jeffries and
not Johnson that would nave peeh re-
turned the winner.
Il think Johnson is the greatest black
fighter that ever stepped into the ring In
fact, there Is only one other negro In
fistic history to be compared with John
son-Peter Jackson. ! saw Corbett nght
Peter in Frisco. Jackson was a great
negro fighter but think If he were alive
and in good shape today Johnson would
beat him.
Jeffries fight in San Francisco the gate
receipts would have totaled $1,OOOOOO.
Gov. Gillett handed Rickard and myself
an awful jolt when he stopped the nght.
They beat us to the governor. and con-
WINGED him that he would gain everiast-
ing fame IL he stopped the big fight.
"'You're unknown as Governor OF Cali
fornia. Stop this fight and you'll become
the greatest figure in American history,
is the way one reformer put 1t up to Gill
lett Another said:
Look at Gov. Folk Of Missouri. He
cleaned up the race-track gamblers and
has been making $4,000 per annum e.e-
since lecturing. Then there Is Gov. Hughes
Of New York. He also handed the race
track men Knockout punch and became
q justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States. Gov. Culberson Of Texas
stopped the Corbett- Fttzsimmons fight
and became a. United States senator. Gov.
Clarke Of Arkansas also chased the fight
ers out Of his state and was rewarded
with q seat In the United States Senate.
Now is your chance. Chase the hsttc
warriors out Of California and we'll send
you to the United States Senate
"Gillett had the political bee buxxing In
his bonnet and fell for the reform
gufr.' He stopped the night, beat Rick
ard and myself out of cool 81 COO. 900
and incidentally caused Jeff's defeat.
az feel satisfied that IL the fight had
been staged In California per original
schedule JEFF would have won. The
change from the low altitude Of the Pa
cidc coast to the high mountain altitude
OF Reno took the edge on Jeff. OF
course. some win say that 1t was just as
bad for johnson. but don't think 90.
Jef had more at stake. worried over the
da<a1Iu and tina ahift at tina last Ynf0sst a