Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-06


ish was cleaner or less brutal. john
sons left eye was partly closed in the
early rounds. but not sufficiently TO
interfere with his fighting. His lip
also was cut inside and his famous
golden smile flashed from a very red
setting.
End a Surprise
The end Of the Git came with a sud
denness that dazed the spectators. It
followed two Or three rounds of almost
complete ldleness on the part of the
contestants and the crowd settled down
Ia long drawn out struggle. believing.
mag it would so the full limit Of the a.
rounds.
Tie early rounds were filed with
fiasles Of Johnson's former wonderful
speed when he would rain rights and
lcfts y Willayd's body and face. deliver
ing 70 blows to one from the big white
cA&llensor. Through all this time Wil-
lard Was strictly on the defensive and on
occasions Johnson played with him,
ono" staining with guard down and let-
ting Hard swing at him only lodging
ana laughing Al he awkWardness Of his
opponent. In many respects the fight
resulted 1ust as many predicted that if
The battle lasted 70 rounds Johnson could
NJt win. This was based partly upou
/ the belief that Willard could stand an
me punishment Johnson could inhict and
partly on the doubt as to Johnson's con
dition and his ability At his age to fight
II ''H= haiie against the odds o. superior
. height. weight, reach ana youth
Willard said before entering the
ring that he expected TO take d beat
ing for 10 or II rounds at the HANDS
of his faster and more skilled oppon-
ent and had trained 10 withstand it
/ As g matter of fact, he took twenty
! rounds Of severe punishment. but
laughed the blows aside and kept
standing up against the rushcs of the
/ Negro. who several times in each Of
! the earlier rounds, swept Willard be-
fore him in the ropes. Wizards back
showed numerous weltS raised by the
ropes, as he fell into them. In tn 4
/ rushes Johnson would attack Willard
! IN the body, and when the latter's
! hands and arms came down to guard
/ that part of his anatomy johnson
! weld swing rights and lefts 10 tn
! unprotected jaw and face. After each
! of these attacks Willard kept coming
! Cheerfully back for more
/ Johnson's perpetual grin through the
/ early rounds began to change to 4
! look Of wonderment as the battle turn
! ed into the twenties and it was per-
tectly evident when the Negro came
to the conclusion that 1t was useless
Tfv y ir,,
western giant Johnson seemed also
to know he was in no condition TO
| fight IS rounds His blows lacked
the force which sent Jeffries topping
from the topmost rungs Of the pugil-
! istic ladder at Reno. Time had done
its work. Johnson and many of his
| friends had believed that he need not
be in the best condition to whip Viii
! lard. undertaking the latter's splendid
! condition and youthful stamina.
johnson to Twentieth
The fight was all Johnson's dur :.
ing the first 20 rounds. Willard only
once or twice taking the aggressive
and then swinging clumsily and wild
| iy. Meanwhile. his body was growing
pink under the blows that flashed
from Johnson.
In these rounds Willard took a beating
which would have put an ordinary fighter
down and out. The crowd got used to see
ing him throw off these slashing blows
and expected to see Johnson do the same
thing when Willard swung his right to
the Negroes chin in the fatal 26th round.
| They expected TO see Johnson jump up
and continue fighting, just as Willard had
come back. but the old champion knew
that he had fought his last champion
ship fight.
From the 2oth round to the final, the
fight looked slow and the crowd began
TO boot and ask that somebody do some
thing. There was a single cry Of fake
but it was no, taken up by the other
spectators. The reason it looked slow
was because Johnson. who had been do
ing all the fighting. suddenly stopped and
began sparring for time. II was some
time before Willard or his seconds real
lied that johnson was through and need
ed only q blow or two to send him to
pugilistic oblivion.
During the early part OF the fight John
son carried all his old-tlme confidence
and self assertiveness. He was constant
ly bandying words with the spectators
about the ring and talked steadily at Will
lard. who needed the Negroes chatter Is
little as he did his blows.
Wizards seconds were after johnson
all the time. warning him to keep away
from Wizards terrific right. 1t was in
the 18th round that one of Wizards sec
onds shouted: Jack. you run into Jess
right; we will pick you up right over
here"
Be sure you take good care Of me-"
said johnson.
1t SO happened that when johnson
went down for the count it was in VIII