Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-06
PuoILisT PLANS TO 90 INTO RE.
TlREMENr AND LEAD
SIMPLE LIFE.
BATTLE At HAVANA
CLEANER THAN MOST BOUTS
riot 80 srut.; and Sioody q. MANY
Championship Ring contests-Mueh
Doubt Expressed az to Whether
johnson Was Really Knocked Out
or Simply Took Count.

| A second or two after being counted
out johnson 4:.tckly got up and It wal
we'll that he did SO fol- & moment later
a rush Of spectators to the lighting
platform all but smothered the pugi-
lists. For an instant it seemed as II
trouble threatened but some fifty o,
more OF the several hundred soldiers
stationed about the arena formed cir
cles about the Vanquished and victor
Under escort Of the soldiers Willard
and johnson left the ring and went tc
| their dressing rooms while the croWe
cheered and broke into wild discussion
There was much discussion Monday
! night and probably will be for a lone
time among the followers Of the boxing
game, whether johnson was really
knocked out. In the sense of being
smashed into Inconsistencies he GER
tainly was not put out. The concensus
Of opinion Is that johnson, who had
exhibited for more than twenty rounds
his best attacksy without appreciate
injuring his opponent, knew that there
was no possibility Of him winning sc
when knocked down he chose to take
the count rather than rise and take
LurLNeC punishment.
To Return to France.
johnson, his wife and little Group
Of friends will sail for Martinique, there
to await passage back to France, where
Johnson proposes to settle down and
lead the life of a farmer. raising pigs
and chickens There is no doubt that
he is thru with the ring.
Willard, who is being acclaimed
as the new champion, is going back to
the United States to win the fortune
which was denied him Monday, when
Johnson got $4,000 before the fight
started, Willard taking only small
share Of the net receipts. Just what
his share was is not known.
Mondays fight has few parallels in
the history Of ring battles. For twenty
rounds johnson punched and pounded
Willard at will but his blows grew less
powerful as the fight progressed until
at last he seemed unable or unwilling
to go on.
johnson stopped leading and fo1
three or four rounds the battle between
the two huge men was little more than
a series of plastic poses Of white OF
black gladiators.
So 1t was until the twenty-ffth
round, when willard got one Of his
widely swinging wind mill right hand
smashes to Johnson's heart. This was
the beginning OF the end.
johnson Whipped Before Final Blow.
When the round closed, johnson
sent word to his wife that he was all
in and told her to start for home.
She was on the way out and was pass
ing the ring in the twenty-sixth round
when the climax came. Johnson has
often stated that fighting is q business
and he would not foolishly submit to
repeated knock downs when he found
he had met his master.
Willard was out Of his dressing
room q few moments after the fight
ended and in an automobile on his
way back to Havana. He was escorted
half way to the city from the Marianao
race track, where the fight was held,
by troop Of Cuban cavalry.
Crowds lined the streets and mar
row roadways and the new white
champion was loudly cheered. He was
decidedly the favorite Of the crowd all
thru the fight and Monday night was
the hero Of the island.
Automobiles returning to the city
from the fight few, white flags and
thus the news spread far and wide
that the white challenger had beaten
the negro champion. AS Willard came
along the crowds in the streets waved
flags and handkerchiefs tied to sticks.
At one point, group Of negro children,
who had evidently heard that Johnson
was the victor, waved black flags at
the white champion who was much
amused.
Willard probably Is the most mod
est champion who ever stepped out
of a prize ring, taking his victory as
philosophical as he had looked for
ward to the fight. Neither he nor
Johnson showed much evidence Of
having been engaged in q heavy
weight championship battle. The new
champions lip, right ear and left
cheek showed slight cuts but at no
time was there more than a drop or
two Of blood in evidence.
Fight Unusually Clean.
In this respect, the fight was in
great contrast to the Johnson-J effries
fight at Reno. five years ago. when
JEFF was cut to pieces and blood
splashed over the spectators at the
rinsside. Evidently thinking that this
condition might prevail again Monday,
johnson objected to the presence of
q white woman in the newspaper seats
Just outside the ropes and she was
relegated to Q place out Of possible
range.
4 On the contrary, no fight between
heavyweights that has gone to q finish
was cleaner and less brutal. Johnson's
left eye was partly closed In the early
rounds. but not sufficiently TO inter-
fere with his nghting. His lip also
was cut inside and his famous golden
smile flashed from very red setting.
The end OF the fight came with =
suddenness that dazed the spectators.
It followed two or three rounds Of
almost complete idleness on the part
OF the contestants and the crowds set
tied down to q long drawn out con-
test, believing that It would go the full
limit of the forty Ave rounds without
either being able to register q knock
out.
In round twenty-six Johnson rose
slowly from his chair and Willard met
him more than two thirds Of the way
across the ring. Willard stabbed q
long left into the nsgro's face. sending
his head bobbing cack. Before the
champion could recover his position
willard swung q smashing right which
landed full on Johnson's stomach.
~, ts "a VIZ IL