New-York tribune., 1919-03-14
$50, 600 Cash Was Bribe,
Declares Negro Pugilist

Johnson claims to have received. Then
again Wizards ring work previous
to the Johnson fight did not make him
look like the man who could beat the
negro.
Willard wires indignant denials.
Some of those who believe the negro's
story answer that the fight might have
been fixed without Willard knowing
anything about it. The present title
holdre is not overshrewd.
Jack Johnson simply needs the
money and is trying to put over an
other match" Willard said "There is
absolutely nothing to it. I refuse to
dignity the statement with a denial,
for as far as l am concerned it is
simply crude joke.
I'm view of the fact that there were
sport writer's and fight critics from
all over the world at Havana when |
won the championship from johnson, it
is foolish to suppose that fake could
have been perpetrated, even if I had
been SO low as to countenance such
an agreement.
A Childish Came
"Johnson's game is almost childish
in its simplicity, and you may say
for me that / refuse to fall for IL. I
do not intend to fight Johnson again
or any colofed man"
Jack Curley, promoter in chief OF
the bout, who is accused by Johnson
of manipulating the fake" SAYS:
"This is a pathetic, childlike whine
coming from an ignorant mind, from
one who realizes that he is now at
the end of his rope.
at has been fashionable of late to
make confessions a la Fred Fulton, so
that Johnson had to fall into line. The
world knows my feeling toward Jess
Willard, but 1 cannot lie strong
enough even to injure that migrate
and give any color of truth to the
Willard defeated Jack Johnson in
Havana in as square and as honestly
fought contest as was ever pulled
off.
johnson says the fight was framed
for him to lose in the tenth round,
that his wife advised him against doing
it and that he finally told his wife that
if he decided to flop he would notify
her in plenty of time to get out.
HE sent for me along about the
twenty third round. ! was in the box
office, more than half a mile away.
When l reached the ringside he was a
sad sight. His color was CHASTITY white.
He was licked. He asked me to get
his wife out, but he could not last
until she got out, and hardly reached
her chair when Willard put over the
finishing punch and Johnson fell in a
heap. ] have always said that Johnson
would have given his end of the purse
just to have lasted another round, so
that his wife would not have seen him
knocked out"
Tom Jones, who "owned third of
Willard" at one time, characterized
the confession as "the worst kind of
bosh. Jack Welsh, of San Francisco,
who refereed the championship con
test" declared that the bout was on
the level.
Johneon ssserts that he Is now
under the management of Colonel
L'Estrampes, a former Cuban Congress-
man. Just what he expects to gain by
the confession is hard to tell. The
negro will never be allowed to box
again in the United States, even if he
is permitted to land in the country. He
has been the cause of the repeal of
many boxing laws.
Advocates of the return of boxing to
New York are apprehensive as to the
effects of the confession on legislation
now pending. They should not be.
Johnson is barred everywhere by un-
written law. If the confession is sub
stantiated, the present heavyweight
titleholder and all concerned in the
Havana match would be barred.