New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-27
JOHNSTON SAYS
HE'LL PACK EN-
AT THE GARDEN
Expects a Record Crowd
to See the .Coffey-
Reich Bout.
IRISH HEAVYWEIGHT
RATED HIGHLY NOW
Billy Gibson Pointing jim
Toward a Match with Jess
Willard Soon.

Jimmy Johnston, matchmaker of the
Madison Square Garden boxing club, is
spending a lot Of his spare time in the
Brooklyn Bridge subway station these
days, watching the guards and special
officers handling the rush hour crowds
The bigger the crowd and the tighter
the passengers are damned into the
trains, the broader grows Jimmy s
smile. lie dashed up the stairway TO
the street last night, uttering strange
cries indicative or JOY, and jumped into
his automobile and ordered the chauf-
feur to head for the Garden.
When cornered there, Jimmy ex-
pIained the reason for his strange ac-
You see" he said, Jim CoTey and
Al Reich meet here for their ten
round bout week from Wednesday
night. That is going to be some DouI'
and the crowd is going to be record
breaker. ] haven't time to knock out
the walls of the old building or raise
the roof a couple Of yards, but I've
thought out a scheme that Will 90 JUST
as well.
Those guys down in the tube are
certainly king pin at packln EN- ID.
counted 1856 of them IN one car at Ihe
Bridge to-night-and do you Know not
one Of 'em even got sore? mat goou
enough for me. When the ticket Duy-
ers file past the little old window lne
night Coifey and Reich are IN the ring
III know just how 10 escort lhem w
their seats
All that remains 10 make the evening
an ambitious party" according to
Jimmy's reasoning, is for Reich and
CofTey 10 perform at their best. Both
men are marvels Of physical perfection,
about equal as TO weight and height'
and il is a question as 20 which carries
+ the heavier punch, although helch
seems 10 have the edge IN that regard
Billy Gibson's big Irish boy is ndlng
lust now on the top wave Of popularity
The mastery manner IN when ne zoos
the measure Of Carl Morris, the giant
from Sapulpa, and the swiftness with
which he laid Arthur Pelky out Tor the
full count are still fresh in the mem
orv of those who sat at the rlngSlde on
those occasions. 49,,
So astute a Judge Of boxers as Billy
Gibson picked Coffey as the next
Heavyweight champion Of the word
several months ago, and backed up MS
Judgment by becoming the Roscommon
BOYS manager. The fact that jess
Willard defeated Johnson and acquired
the crown means little TO Gibson. lie
has always maintained that CoHey
would have done the same thing ana
done il better and quicker had he oeen
; given the chance.
Coffev has been made the favorite in
n 4.
but bv the time the men enter the ring
the wagering will probably be nearer
even money. ,.-
Both men have posted their forfeits
for apDcarance. 81 600 each, and surely
they have enough incentive bout
with Willard in the not too distant
future to spur them on TO ther
mightiest efforts. q,
From this angle it looks like small
edition of the battle Of FLANDERS IN me
Garden a week from tomorrow night
Johnny Kilbane, tho featherweight
champion of the world, will have ms
chance 10 meet Freddie Welsh, the
lightweight king, if he defeats benny
Leonard decisiyely in their match at
the Federal A. c. on Thursday night
. The management of the Federal A. {.
has offered q purse OF SO'UOU 4oI "
match between the men. dependent on
/ the showing Kilbane makes against ms
opDonent. With such a plum to hght
( for. Kilbane may be depended upon
TO do his best. He has long cherished
/ the idea Of securing a match with
/ Welsh, and now opportunity beckons
Cross, with an idea Of getting a crack
at Welsh. is working like beaver 1or
his match with Packey Hommey.
Ralph Gruman, the sensational light
weight from San Francisco, Is pointed
for the heights, it would seem. HIS
recent victory over Dick Peters stamps
/ him as a conner.
Three clubs viii hold bouts tonight,
/ Eddie Wallace and Bushy Graham will
meet in the star bout d. the BROADWAY,
Sporting Club, while the semi-hnal wllI
hiring together Dutch Brandt and Bat
ling Lain. Kid Albert and Young
Victor will mingle at Brown IS gym
nasium, and an all-star card has been
arranged for the Astoria A. {.
1r Yzv0yYHH