Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-03-22


Was o \ .uw, Whit" Man TO Vim
II Tenth t,oInd Forced to Wait
Tn il TWcutE %iN,h. lie Asserts. ia
Let Jess Make Good Show ny.
simply y Crude Joke" says Willard
in reply.
Lawrence, Kan, Mach l&.--'.Jacll
Johnson simply need thc money and
Is trying to put over another match, 4"
WAS me comment Of Jess Willard
when shown thc statement received
from liaVanna today, in which John
son cla the championship bout
with Willard four years ago was Il
prcarrangcd affair.
Thcrc IS absolutely nothing to it,"
Willard continued. 81 refuse to digni-
~ the statement with denial, for
as lar as | am concerned it is simply
Il crude joke.
I'm view Of the fact that there were
sport writer's and fight critics from
all over the world in HAVANA when
l won the championship from Johnson
1t is foolish to suppose that !: fake
could have been perpctuatcI even il
| had been 80 low as to countcnancc
such an arrangement
"Johnson's game is almost childish
i'll its simplicity, and you may say
Tor me that | refuse to fall for it |
do not intend to fight Johnson again
or any other colorcd man. -
When the Associated Press rcprc
sentative asked Willard if he wished
to make Il formal denial of Johnson's
charges. Willard exclaimed rather i'm
patiently:
certainly not. have nothing to
deny. Is it not apparent that there
is no foundation for such bunk rs
this? That guy just wants to force me
into another fight
Willard added that johnson was a
LONG tilpc getting around 20 his S oIv.
1t takes considerable nerve to admit
being party to Il fraud and in the
same breath wanting to arrange anoth
or bout "
HAVANA, Cuba, March 13-Jack
Johnson. former heavyweight cham
pion, in signed sta cmcnt given to
The Associated Press. declared his
fight with Jess Willard in this city
TOUR years ago, was Il prcarrangcd If
far and that he allowed Willard to
win.
In addition to the sum Of $50 coo,
entire rights to the moving pic urc
films in Europe and 33 g per cent
OF the proceeds from their exhibition
i'll the United States and Canada arc
mentioned by Johnson, together with
In promise of aid to settle Johnson's
difficulties with the federal authori-
ties in Chicago 50 that he might re-
turn there to reclaim his property
and see his mo her.
Johnson declared in his statement
it was arranged he should lose in the
tenth round provided Wizards show
ing was such to Justify 1t, but that
as willard was doing practically moth
ing he was forced To wait. The sig
nal agreed upon WAS given in he
twentieth round. Johnson states nu'
he waited until the TWEEN sixth round
to give willard an opportunity to
make Il good showing.
The former champion declares & n
unless Willard agrees Ia first u ~
within reasonable mo he will claim
tn" worlds title. He signed his 8 a;c
mont: "Jack Johnson, champion"
Colonel D'EstrampcS, former Con-
gresham. who is backing Johnson.
stated that Johnson is willing to bal
tie Willard anywhere in the United
States, the proceeds % 30 to the Clark
Griffith hat and ball fund or to any
charitable institution. Colonel DIES
trampcs has wired bat" Masterson,
Of New York asking for the address
cs of Dempsey and Fulton with the
idea Of arranging n ma CHI in Havana
between either Of them and Johnson.
D'EStrampeS says in his cablcgram
that Johnson is disposed to defend
the worlds championship" against
either of those men.
The statement in part follows:
"ro arrange the match, Jack Curlcy
came 10 London from New York. He
asked me if l were wiling to fight
Willard and | sad I would if he gave
me my price. | thought / could beat
his man for him. Curley said he did
not want that. told Curlcy I would
make the match.
when ready to leave London. I
wired Curley for a certain sum OF
money, which he readily sent. Well,
it went on and began TO bother me,
and I spoke to my wife who advised
me not to do ii, but I told her that if
I were going to lose I'd send her word
in time to get out. The reason I said
that was because there was more
money coming to me, and I did not
want to lose until I found out they
would pay me the sum I asked for
and guaranteed that thoy would get
me out Of trouble in America the most
important thing for me.
AGREED ON TENTH ROUND.
"Then We figured on the best round
to lose in and agreed upon the tenth.
They wero to give the word In the
first three or four rounds If Willard
could make good showing.
at the end of the tenth round Will
lard's showing had been so poor it was
necessary to continue the fight furth
CT The signal agreed upon was given
n the twentieth round, but I consider
4 u.