The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-13
Claims He Allowed Jess Will
lard to Win as 1t Had
Been Pre-arranged
NOW TgANTS TO FIGHT
FOR CHAMPIONSHIP
He Got Valuable Money Con-
cessions, johnson
Declares

Havana Cuba, Wednesday, March II.
Jack johnson, former heavyweight
champion, in signed statement given
to the Associated Press tonight de-
clared that his fight with Jess Willard
in this city four years ago was a pre-ar-
ranged affair and that he allowed Will
lard to win. In addition to the sum of
$4,000, entire rights to the moving pic
ture films in Europe and 80 l-3 per cent
of the proceeds from the exhibition in
the United States and Canada are men
toned by johnson, together with the
promise Of aid to settle Johnson's diff
culties with the federal authorities in
Chicago so that the colored pugilist
might retusl there TO reclaim his prop
erty and see his mother,
johnson declared in his statement that
it was arranged that he should lose in
the 10th round, provided Wizards show.
ing was such as to justify ii, but that
as Willard was doing practically nothing
he was forced to wait. The signal agreed
upon was given in the goth, johnson
states, but he waited until the Goth
round to give Willard an opportunity to
make a good showing.
The former champion declares that un.
less Willard agrees to fight him within
reasonable time he win claim the
worlds title. He signed his statement:
Jack johnson, Champion"
Colonel D'Estrampes, former congress
man, who is backing johnson, stated
that Johnson is willing to battle Willard
anywhere in the United States, the pro.
oeeds to 60 to Clark Griffith Bat and Ball
fund or to any charitable institution.
Colonel D'Estrampes has wired bat -
Masterson of New York, asking for the
addresses of Dempsey and Fulton. with
the idea Of arranging match in Havana
between either of them with johnson,
D'Estrampes says in his cablegram that
johnson is disposed to defend the
worlds championship against either Of
these men.
The statement, in part, follows:
ITO arrange the match, Jack Curley
came to London from New York. He
asked me If we're willing to fight Will
lard and / said | would if he gave me
my price. / thought ] could beat his
man for him. Curley said he didn't
want that. / told Curley I'd make the
match.
when ready to leave London I wired
Calrley for a certain sum Of money
which he readily sent. Well, it went on
and began to bother me and | spoke to
my wife, who advised me not to do it,
but I told her that if were going to
lose I'd send her word in time to get
out. The reason / said that was because
there was more money coming to me
and | did not want to lose until found
out that they would pay me the sum
asked for and guaranteed that they
would get me out of trouble in America,
the most important thing for me.
"Then we figured on the best round to
lose in and agreed upon the 10th. They
were to give the word in the first three
or four rounds if Willard could make a
good showing.
cat the end Of the 10th round vii
lard's showing had been so poor it was
necessary to continue the fight further
The signal agreed upon was given in the
goth, but considered Wizards showing
80 poor / was forced to wait until the
26th before carrying out the agreement.
Il was to have all the moving picture