The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-04-07
WHITE MAN NOW
WORLD CHAMPION
Jack Johnson Knocked
Out In 70 Rounds.
COWBOY WILLARD THE VICTOR
Black Man Seemed To Have
Best Of Fight Up To
the 18th Round.
FIERCE RIGHT SWING TO JAW

Ringside, Oriental Park Track,
Havana, Cuba, April 5.-Jess Will
lard, the Kansas cowboy, is the new
heavyweight champion of the world
He brought back the title to the
white race to-day when he knocked
out Jack Johnson, the negro, in the
twenty-sixth round. More than H.
900 persons saw Johnson go down
to defeat from a terrific right swing
to the jaw which stretched him out
for the count.
Johnson had fought a confident
battle up to the fifteenth round, his
famous golden smile" playing upon
the spectators during the clinches.
Then he began to tire. But to the
spectators it seemed that Willard
also grew listless. In the twenty
sixth round Johnson was slow in re-
spending to the bell and Referee
Welch had to warn him sharply.
For seventeen rounds Johnson
seemed to be complete master of the
contest, his generalship and his re-
markable strength standing him in
excellent stead. The old master had
no difficulty in lodging the wild
swings of the white man. He fought
craftily to save his strength.
r In the twenty-second round 1t
seemed his vitality left him because
of the hard pace which he carried
throughout the early rounds.
Then the giant plainsman opened
his heaviest attack and in the next
few rounds carried the. fight away
from the black man and toppled him
over with rights and lefts to the
body and blows to the face.
When johnson crumpled up on
the floor from a fierce right swing
to the jaw, the crowd burst into the
ring. Soldiers cleared the ring.
Johnson took the referees count
while laying on the ropes, but the
moment after Referee Welsh had
given the decision the former
champion got to his feet in time to
escape the wild rush of excited spec
tators.
When Johnson. the black man.
went down before Willard, the white
man, the vanquished heavyweight
was just thirty-seven years and five
days old, the same age as Bob Fitz-
simmons when he lost the heavy
weight title.
Willard is about ten years young
er than Johnson, and thus the old
adage of the ring is justified:
youth will be served"
Johnson knew that the end was
near before the knockout came. Al
the end of the twenty-fourth round
he sent word to his wife, who was
seated at the ringside,- that he was
very tired and wanted her to leave
the arena. This was Johnson's
warning to his wife that he expect.
ed to lose. She acted upon it, and
left the arena during the twenty
fifth round.
Johnson arrived at the track al
1926, but did not appear until la
ter. His wife came to the ringside
accompanied by Tom Flanagan, who
was acting for Johnson.
At half past twelve Junior jim
Mace exhibited Johnson's receipt fol-
$29, 900. the balance due him on the
purse. and the meaning of these pa
pers was explained to the crowd In
Spanish and English.
Time was called at 1888 o'clock
Eastern time. by Referee Welsh
Johnson wore the blue tights he
wore in 1910 in his fight with Jeff,
ries. Willard wore dark blue trunks
and an American flag as belt.
In the challenger's corner Were
the following seconds:
Wizards manager. Tex O'Rourke
Jim Savage. Walker Monahan. John
son was seconded by Tom Flanagan
George Munro. Sam Mcvey. Dave
Mills, Calm Hall and Bob Arm
strong. The two pugilists shoot
hands for the movies. The ring wat
gradually cleared of all except Ref
cree Jack Welsh, seconds and prin
cipals.