Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1915-04-09
WILLARD VICTOR
BY KNOCKOUT
Defeats lack Johnson After 26
Gruelling Rounds
NEW WORLDS CHAMPION
Cowboy Proves to be Real White
Hope-Fights Careful 5rainy
5attle-Youth Again Triumphs
over Age.

Havana (Ringside) Eighteen thou
sand sun-baked, wilted and frenzied
persons saw Jess Willard. the gigan-
tic Kansan, take the worlds title from
Jack" Johnson after twenty-six
rounds of fierce battling at the Ma
rino race-course here.
Once more the heavyweight crown,
which had rested on Johnson's hnky
hair since the memorable December
afternoon in 1908, when he defeated
Tommy Burns, returned to the keep
ing OF the white race. But not without
a struggle.
Twenty-six fierce rounds. the long
est heavyweight championship battle
under Marquis of Queensberry rules
were necessary to regain the long
lost laurels. And il seemed to the
old-timers at the ring-side as though
the ghosts of Sullivan. Corbett. Fitz-
simmons and Jeffries stood mutely by,
praying that the title would fall from
the usurper.
Johnson, cool, arrogant and supreme
1y confident, entered the ring shortly
after one O'Clock New York timel.
He was attired in gaudy bath-robe
and an even more gaudy smile. He
was there for an afternoons fun, so
he chatted with his friends at ring
side. waved his tapped paws at his
wife and answered the raillery of the
crowd. He was well received.
Then came Willard The teeming
crowd of impulsive hot=booded Gu
bans, with their passions, Latin-like,
stirred in an instant. rose as a huge
wave and beloved their welcome to
the serious-faced warrior, who was Of
their color and had their sympathies.
Jess wore a black sweater trousers
and a huge black sombrero, the typ.
ical cowboy. He went instantly 70
his corner and sat. somewhat nervous
as though he wanted to be about his
task
The referee called the men to the
ring and gave the last Instructions.
Johnson, as usual tried his kidding"
tactics, but Willard only smiled a
smile that BODIED ill for his tormentor
The gong changed. They we're at il.
The crowd quieted its rotous cat
calling to the silence of the grave,
as the two mastadons spared for an
opening. Johnson, quick. clever, wise,
with the wisdom of experience. tented
and then like a black snake his long
arm, shot a straight left to Willard's
jaw. A volley of uppercuts followed.
with no return, as Willard was visibly
nervous. The round was all John
sons.
The following rounds went all the
same way The great black landed
at will He made his opponent look
like an amateur. Directing his blows
at Wizards nose. he drew blood and
with the adroitness that is part of
his trade smeared the red spotehes all
over his opponent It worked well
on the Cubans.
The tenth round passed by with
Johnson still having his own way.
So up to the fifteenth. But the Am
erican element at ringside. veterans
of many such sights as this. sehooled
in the way of the ring, noted that
Jess took all the negro's blows smil-
ingly: took all the punishment com
ing in; missed his punches, but kept
forcing; the wise ones saw these
things, noted the rapidly firing John
son-and smiled in satisfaction. The
champion now was working his trick
of fighting and at the same time an
swerng the sallies of the crowd.
The twentieth round passed by. The
negro evidently realized that he was
not going to put the challenger away
and seemed content to let his oppo-
nent do the leading The fight slowed
up perceptibly, but Willard was by
far the stronger of the two. Youth
and condition we're beginning to tell.
Jess had lost his nervousness and
was fighting carefully-yet savagely.
Then came the finish. Johnson had
scarcely left his corner for the TWEEN
ty-sixth round, when Willard met him
and rushed him to the ropes. He shot
a fearful upper-cut to the negroes
stomach and the champion threw his
arms around the white mans neck
to keep from falling. Referee Welsh
was forced 10 drag Johnson from the
clinch and, as the negro stood totter-
ing in the center OF the ring. terri
fic left to the jaw shook him. Grog
gy, and Keeling the black master Of
the ring art staggered TO the ropes
where Willard. following his adyan-
tage. landed a tremendous swing on
the jaw Slowly. Johnson slipped
down to the floor and stayed there
while the referee eounte dhim out.
worlds championship had changed
hands.