Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-03-03
JAIL SENTENCE ID
 WRITE 'F!NIS' FOR
 JACK JOHNSON S'
Already 43, Negro is Through as a Fossil
 bility


 man flotsam, shunted about from country to country, unable to find rest or contentment either in Europe South America or Mexico, Jack John- son, former worlds heavyweight championship, is reported to be re- turning from exile to surrender him. self to the United States authorities and, eventually, to a federal jailer. says John E. Wray in the Post-Dis- patch.
 The Jail sentence of one year and day, inflicted for violation of the Mann act, which he evaded by jump ing his bond and fleeing to foreign lands and which once appeared so hateful to him that a life among strangers appeared preferable, now seems refuge for the foreign wan derer, cut off for years from friends and relatives and from intercourse with his own kind.
 When Johnson eventually reposes on his jail cot, he will probably heave high Of regret and wonder why Tn the name of common sense he had not accepted the inevita ble several years ago and thus been quit of the overhanging sword.
 A jail sentence at the age of 42 is surely not a pleasant lot to enter upon, especially when Johnson must realize that at his time of life he has long passed the age of pugilistic bo ls reflected in his willingness to un dergo his punishment at last. When he emerges he will be without a pro- fession, despite his talk of meeting Jack Dempsey" Johnson is no longer of interest to the public as a factor in the fight game.
 Johnson Once a Stevedor.
 Johnson's career is without prece- dent in pugilistic annals. In the course of his spectacular career he mounted from the humble berth of stevedore on the Galveston levee to the championship of the world, con- querer of Tommy Burnes and the once mighty Jeffries, and reaped financial rewards that were then without precedent in the history of puglllsm. As man of wealth, but of Ethiopian race, he was the target for all sorts of petty gratis and. later, of legal attacks which on one occasion landed him in a California jail for 30 days. A persistent speed CT in his high-power automobile, his penchant cost him small fortune in fines. Eventually Uncle got him in his dragnet and sentenced him to be guest of the government for a twelvemonth.
 Jeff Sidestepped Johnson.
 Pugilistically Johnson's climb to the top was as best with troubles as was his primrose path, after vic- tory. For years he was forced to fight men of his own race or insig- nificant opponents among the whites. Jeffries in his prime ig- nored him; whether from prudence or racial antipathy has not been proven.
 Johnson's first chance at the worlds title came in San Francisco during the reign of Marvin Hart. The latter was more or less of joke title holder. He gained the laurels from Jack Root in Reno, when Ref cree Jeffries formally retired from the ring and consented to turn over his honors to the winner of the con- test he had been paid $1,000 to ref cree.
 The Hart-Johnson fight is entered in the book as a 20-round defeat for Johnson; inside history and certain ublased chroniclers state that John son really won, and that it was a white mans verdict.
 Johnson's next title essay was against Tommy Burns, after the Can- adian had gained decision over Hart. Johnson followed Burns all over the world, finally running him down in Australia. Johnson kidded Burns for few rounds, then crushed his ribs in with powerful blows, com polling Burns to stop in the four teenth.
 This fight did not lift Johnson into a fortune ,nor did it bring any great amount of fame, as Burns was not. considered a scintillating champion. His guarantee was $5,0OO. Strange to say, all of Johnson's fame and much of his coin came from his defeat of the cracked shell of that once great fighter, Jeffries, in 1910.
 Having beaten the big bear of the Cordilleras, Johnson retreated into his shell and refused to hear the call of any real challengers. In vain Sam Langford thundered challenges at him and all in vain white hopes grew up like mushrooms over the country. Carl Morrises, Al Palzers, Lute McCartvs, Jim Savages, Tom Kennedys and others sprang up on every hand, eager to win back the title for the white race Johnson turned a deaf ear to all and content ed himself with trying to outspeed the motorcycle cops or with playing his bass viol
 Plucking Another Lemon.
 Eventually they picked the ancient and waning Jim Flynn for an oppo- nent, against whom Johnson was to defend his title. Flynn had been stopped by Johnson in a previous fight. who took II leisurely rounds to do it. The second, bout was staged in the new Mexican town of Las Vegas and was, as had been pre- dicted, bloomer, both fistically and financially. Referee Smith stopped the bout and gave the verdict to Johnson when Flynn insisted upon putting and other foul tactics.
 Johnson got most of his $30.000 guarantee for this fight, but all Pro- moter Curley received was a lot of hard words from the Vegas citi- zenry. Flynn was given a beating and secondhand automobile be- longing to Curley for his portion.
 After Johnson's conviction on a Mann act charge, he fled the coun- try. Curley went to Europe to en- gage him to meet Jess Willard,