Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-18
CHAMPION LEONARD GETS 100000
OFFER, WHILE HE WATTS TO SIGN
$50 MONTH CONTRACT WITH u. S.
Benny Can Pull Down $1,000 Round Defending
Title in Six Bouts, but He Thinks More
of Defending Old Glory
By LOUIS II. JAFFE

xryHIIE Benny Leonard is bding his time
w about signing a s3O.a.month contract
a. asht under the management of our Uncle
sammy and jeopardize his new lightweight
,ewel against shot and she'll Of BILL the
Tvrant, another propositon-one very, very
,smpting-is staring him squarely in the
toce Leonard can pluck nice, new, crisp
$1,000 bill for a single round Of boxing
and the offer which is being forced on the
sbamp calls for sixty three-minute periods
~ dstic frivolity. IN other words unless
leonard overlooks this 100000 affair, it's
not going to be a very hard winter for the
sonoueror of Fred Welsh
Jimmy Johnston, New York match
roaker. is endeavoring to hand over the
naltrv sixty thou to our hero and Jeems
has been talking these phone figures for
nublication. Here's the scheme: Johnston
g,II give Leonard $4,000 to engage Johnny
Dundee not dime more to mix with Willie
Jackson, $4,000 to face Joe yelling, $1,000
n he will take chance with Charley
whites deadly left hook, $4,000 if he will
agree TO box Ted Lewis at 1876 pounds at
4 o'clock and $4,000 if he will attend
nugilistically to Johnny Kilbane.
That's a total of only S5S000. If Leon
.rd will sign an agreement to meet these
men for the stated amounts Johnston viii
give him bonus OF $4,000, so that his
$4,000. Johnston informs the world that
no lightweight ever got 100000 for six ten
round bouts before.
Means Every Word
'T mean what say when I make this
oner" we are informed Johnston said,
Leonard can make his own arrangements
as to the period of time between each
bout and he can select his opponents in
aha ordar that hest suits his fancy.
There are three men in that list who
can whip him to a certainty. Jackson
white and Lewis are the men ! have in
mind l know you'll laugh when l mention
Ted Lewis as one of Leonards opponents.
They all think that because he fought
middeweights he is one himself I'll guar
antee that he will make 1856 at o'clock
for Leonard and if the truth is known,
1876 isn't any too happy weight for Benny.
Despite the fact that his weight was
announced at 1873 the night he won the title
from Welsh he really weighed l37 pounds
and he worked hard to make that. Lewis
is the most remarkable lightweight that the
world has ever produced.
Leonard will have to fight real class
soon or he may never get the chance to
again. He is bound to he drawn into the
army or navy. There is no chance for
him to avoid that, so he might just as well
look over this list of mine and take some
of them on. Outside of the men l have
mentioned there is none with whom he
could draw respectable gate l think
my offer fair and it certainly goes Let
him sign and I'll hand over the $4,000 prize
money without blinking
Some Exaggeration
Jesse James, as Johnston is familiarly
quoted by those whom he calls by first
name lbels himself when he intimates that
Leonard has trouble making 1875 pounds
cause it isn't so Leonard has weighed in
for bouts in Philadelphia at lG5, some
times at 1874 and 133 and there were no
signs of weakness in his bouts, unless il
was on the part of the opposition. There
shouldn't be any doubt about Leonard
being a legitimate 133-pounder, and by de-
Tending his title at that scale those other
'lghtweights" would have to box in the
erownless welter division.
Leonard, as champion, is the best of the
133-pounders, and no one should try to
besmirch his ability. There are severa
good boxers, legitimate 133-pOunders, who
might make things interesting for the title,
holder, and he would make splendid move
by resettng the limit at 1873 pounds Jack.
son, Dundee, White and Kilbane, of course
all can do the weight with ease, and thest
men are worthy OF whacks at the laurels
There are great opportunities to acquire
a fortune rapidly when one is in the posi-
ton of Leonard. IL will require a strong
est kind to ignore the many purses-thou
sands of dollars to turn to the monthly
wage of $50 and the risk of life that g
with active service under Old Glory.
All the more honor to the New York lad
therefore, if he goes through with hi
original declaration and dons the khaki
Such an example by a boXer-a holder of
title-would do much to relieve the gam
of its present offensiveness. Furthermore
Benny would be a regular hero; he woul
find himself to be Americas idol just lk
Georges Carpenter in France.
Boxes Nelson Tonight
Leonard defends his title for the secon
time in a no-deCision contest and for tn
second time a Phladelphian gets tn
chance to knock off the crown. Johnn
Nelson, of Kensngton boxes Benny te
rounds in New York tonight and it is lkel
that the Quaker City lad will go the limi
as Joe Welsh did here recently in ST
sessions. Nelson boxed Leonard shortl
before Benny won the title, and the fraca
went along for the scheduled eighteen min
utes, although Johnny spent eighteen sec
onds, nine seconds at time, on the foo
Then Philadelphia again will be in tn
limelght on Leonard's next appearance, II
will show his championship figure right her
in Philly. That will be tomorrow nigh
Benny won't box, though He's going [