The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-10


bett is writing concerning Jim Jeffries
defeat by Jack Johnson.)
Nervousness skaters the whole sys-
TEN OF some persons while 1t has the
opposite effect upon others. 1t made
a wreck of Jim Jeffries which caused
some persons to think that Jeff was
afraid of Jack Johnson. But that IL
the greatest injustice tina. was ever
done TO one of the greatest fighters
that evek lived effries had no con-
troll over his nerves and had to suffer
the way many other brave men have
suffered who were so afflicted.
During my own ring days the great
er the ner vourstrain the greater would
be my strength that made 1t possible
for me to get my greatest strength and
to rise to the greatest heights in the
most nervous moments. But Jim jeff
ries was of phlesmatic nature. Nerv-
ousness. instead OF strength entne him,
unsettled and weakened his physical
self
During the two months that I was
in JefY's camp ] tried often to draw
him out; to have a heart to heart talk
with him. / felt that the big trouble
with JeTries was nervousness; realized
also, that unless 1t could be cured II
would bring about Jef"s defeat even
before he stepped into ring. But in
those days JEFF was in an uncommuni-
cative mood refusing to make friends,
refusing to have anything TO do with
newspaper men and ignoring most of
his sparring partners. SO 1t was a
rather difficult Job to draw him out.
IA the day neared for the fight. JEFF
succeeded In taking off weight, not so
much through the medium OF exercise
h,,t ~ Ia
placed some OF the fiabhy muscles with
those which were strong and plant
but in the main Jim Jeffries WAS in a
poor physical condition on the day
that he stepped into the ring to face
the perfectly conditioned negro.
| have stated previously and / reiter-
ate II now that there wasn't q heavy
weight In the country who could not
have whipped Jim Jeffries the day that
Jack johnson beat him. / don't say
this with the idea OF belittling John
sons triumph. The statement Is one
based on facts. Jeffries was so com
pietely stricken by "nerves'' that he
was like a man in daze. Further
! than that he did not sleep for three
nlghts previous to the battle and had
ate but little.
The next morning all ths reporters
sent out stories about Jeffries having
had "a very refreshing sleep. The
real truth is that Jim Jeffries never
slept a wink the night before the
battle. He rolled around and tossed
In bed for hours and along about four
got up and sat by an open window
looking out into the sky He remained
In such a position for an hour or SO
and then nervously paced the floor OF
his room until long after dawn.
! Then followed light breakfast at
ter which Jeffries tried his mightlest
TO control his scattered nerves. But
to no avail,
Every man who saw the fight knows
the story only too well JeYries walk
ed to the center OF the ring like ii
drunken man. johnson hit him when
and where ne willed, Jeff made
numerous feeble efforts TO land punch
es but he couldn't do II. Even II they
did land they wouldn't have broken
an egg Time and again he tried TO
ward off the Johnson attacks but to
mo avail. Round after round went by
with the ringsIde crowd hoping against
hope that Ieffries would rally: that he
would come out of his state of semi
coma. But all In vain,
Johnson, as everyone remembers,
fought cool headed battle. The
negro remembered Jeffries In hts
prime lie expected to meet a rush
ing. rugged fighter. When Jeffries
attitude was entirely opposite TO what
johnson expected the negro figured NJ