Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-11-05
CHAMP KNOCKED
OUT BY BLOW
Jack Johnson is 0StraCized
by Public and
Promoters

Jack Johnson is down and out for
ever He is the first champion Of the
prize ring who has been knocked out
without a blow. Public opinion has
retired Johnson from the ring and the
authorities will probably retire him
from public life for a term of years.
There will be no regret in any quar-
ter for the winding up OF the disgust
Ing career of the big black fighter
who was a disgrace to the ring, and
who had very few of the character
tstics of manhood. His ring career
Is ended, for he cannot fight in this
country and he has been barred in
England and Australia, and will be
barred in France The animal pas
sions We're so strong I'm the big Tex
an that he was more OF beast than
q man. He lacked every attribute Of
'manhood, barring that Of physical
courage. He had little respect for
any moral obligation.
Men who kept him from starvation
In the earlier days OF his pugilistic
career have never been repaid the
loans they made to him. Sam Fitz-
patrick, who went heavily in debt to
take Johnson to Australia to, fight
Tommy Burns, which was the begin
ming Of his great money making ca
reer, was thrown to one side and left
10 do the best he could in a far-off
land, although it was fortunately
Fitzpatricks home, where he had
many friends. Johnson's career since
he became champion is too we'll
known to need any recapitulation
here, for he has been constantly in
the eyes of the public, mostly through
disgraceful escapades. But a long
suffering public finally became tired
of his wrongdoing and cry went
up to ring down the curtain on him
for all time High living would have
probably put Johnson out of the fight
ing business in a short time anyhow,
but public opinion would not wait for
things to take their course. Decent
men wanted Johnson "outened' as
quickly as possible, and the job has
been done. and done completely.
There were rumors last week that he
had been shot, and there were
enough men in Chicago disguised
with his latest outrage against de-
cency to have put his light out with
a bullet, but, fortunately, murder
was not necessary-he has been kill
ed off just as effectively.
Nothing that has happened in john
sons sporting career has hit him so
hard as the blow that Hugh Nc
Intosh, the Australian promoter,
dealt him when he called off the two
fights which he was trying TO ar
range between Johnson and Sam
Langford and Sam McVey. Mcintosh
has a big inclosed arena in Sydney,
which Will seat about 10000 people.
II takes a big fight 20 pack such a
place, and the Australian promoter
calculated that two such bouts would
be so profitable that he could afford
to guarantee Johnson $4,000 for his
end But as soon as the news came
out of JohnsOn's latest crime against
decency he promptly cabled that Aus
tralia was closed to the big black
fellow. There is a lesson in this ac-
ton Of McIntosh's that every fight
promoter might take to heart. At one
time or another every champion OF
near-champion feels that he has the
promoters so tightly in his grip that
he begins to choke them almost to
death. The promoters wriggle and
scuirm. yelling meanwhile that the
IBnLef IS dClinH III tht AhooN cubhobc
Gus manner, but giving in to the
demands, feeling that he cannot help
himself. But II the promoters would
only have the nerve to act as Hugh
Mcintosh did in the case of johnson
they would soon make the fighters
come TO terms.
When the news was flashed TO Aus
tralia that johnson was in the most
serious trouble Of his life, Mcintosh
saw mat as a pugilist he was dead,
and that he would have to do without
him. That is just what the promoters
of boxing should do when they are
being held up unreasonably by GER
tain boxers. Just mark them dead
and go on as If they we're buried. IT
is possible that some other fellow
might gain temporary advantage
but in the long run the promoter who
would have the nerve TO scratch the
fighter who wanted to play the part
of a wolf would be a gamer. for in
short time the other promoters would
find that they were being victimized
and that their only salvation was to
follow the example Of the first man