The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-04


ticipation but the feeling of uncertain
ty and eager interest in the outcome
which marked Fourth of July morning
at Reno was absent. There were no
heated debates on the street corners.
Everybody seemed willing to talk over
the probabilities in a dispassionate and
purely philosophical way.
Both Fighters Early to Bed.
There was a marked difference in
the way the fighters spent the last
hours before the battle. Johnson de-
voted last evening to the Unholz-Y oa-
was to meet Flynn. He occupied a
front seat at the ringside and sat in
bored silence while the little fighters
pulled and hauled about through 20
drove his training staff back to his
camp in his automobile and went
straight to bed. Today'S fight appar-
emily was not in his mind.
Flynn paid his first visiS in several
days to the town last night. He came
clad in a brilliant red sweater which
showed to advantage the lines of his
huge chest and powerful shoulders. AS
he marched about the hotel porch, his
rudy, sunburned face and springy
step indicating perfect health, he was
followed by mob of fight fans. His
stay was short, however, and before
dark he was back in his quarters six
miles away and visitors were discour-
aged.
While the exact weight of the men
will not be recorded until just before
the fight. Johnson probably will tip
the beam at PIP pounds anC Flynn at
100 or whereabouts.
The fighters did not come to the
arena today until just before 2 o'clock,
the time set for the fight to start. They
dressed at their quarters and came to
the ri1gside in automobiles. At the
camps the morning was very quiet and
neither the fighters or their various
spokesman put in an appearance until
the day was well advanced. Neither
man had anything to add to the state
ments of entire confidence they had
made repeatedly.
A final drying OUT process was the
order of business in the morning at
beth camps. The men expected to rid
themselves of a pound or so excess
weight and to prevent undue perspbra-
ton.
Indications this morning were for per-
feet weather with clear skies and
light. cool, breeze sweeping the mesa
just out of town where the arena stood
within its can as walls, strongly re
bling a circus enclosure. The can
vas which was placed in double walls
some 10 feet apart to shut off the view
of those not provided with box Office
credentials, stood about 10 feet high,
leaving plenty of space for the breeze
to dip into the enclosure itself. The
seats ranged back from the ring on
very gradual slope, the last row of
bleachers being about on a level with
the ring while the first row was all but
on the ground behind newspaper
row"
Promoter Jack Curley had lost the
strained look of the last few days when
he appeared this morning. He wore a
broad smile, probably induced by re-
ports from the box office which ran
until midnight last night to accommo-
date late corners. 1t seemed certain
early today that he would have a good
audience within the enclosure when the
men were started on their As round way.
Length of Fight the Question.
The question of the length of the
fight appeared to be the most absorb
ing one in the ,..:-4@ of the fight fans.
Nobody apparently looked for a long
contest. Only one bold plunger haz-
arded a guess that it would pass the
20 round mark and he selected the
twenty-hfth as the last round. The
others clustered their bets on the
twelfth and thirteenth rounds john
son himself reiterated today his state
ment that he would win in Il rounds
and rumor had 1t that he actually ex
pected the fight to end in the tenth.
Flynn had no remarks to make as to
the length of the fight.
81 am going to VIM" was all ne
would say.
AS the noon hour approached the
sidewalk groups about town began to
get into motion toward the arena. The
drift of traffic that way steadily in
creased for the next hour, and sixty
minutes before the fighters appeared
the bulk of the audience had seated
itself removed it's coat, lighted its ia
vorit, pipe, cigar or cigarette and set
tied down to gossip of fights and
fighters.
Referee Ed W. Smith of Chicago
was among the first of the ringside
officials to appear. He said that there
were no pending questions of ring pro-
cedure to be settled and that the men
they would fight. 1t was to be first
come, first served as to corners when
the fighters arrived and the crowd
waited patiently to see who would get
his pick.
Little Betting in Chicago.
Chicago, July 4.-The heavyweight
fight between Jack