The Connecticut labor news., 1922-02-17
IEFFRlES, NATURAL BORN ARTIST
 WITH HIS MITTS, ALMOST JUMPED
 INTO HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Carson City three years before. He challenged Jeffrlcs and they met at Coney Island, May IT., 1900,
 For 20 rounds, Jetfrles appeared like a novice in the hands of the form CT champion He swung and missed often enough to look foolish, while Corbett punched him at will. Ii the bout had been merely for 20 rounds, Corbett would have won on polnts, 10 to I, but, unfortunately tor Jln, it was scheduled to go 25 chapters:
 When the goth round ended, Jett's seconds told him he was an cN-cham- Dion if hes did not wade in. Jeff took their advice. He waded in. He took scores of blows as if they were mere slaDs. Corbett made no effort to cover ID. fatal mistake. He met Jettrles ! toe to toe and exchanged wallops Finally, in the 23rd round, Jetfrles 1 connected with Corbetts stomach | with terrific left and followed It up ! with a right to the jaw and Corbett | was through, having been victim ot 1 the same combination that F1tzslm- l mons had used so successfully agalnst him. 1 While Corbett was jabbing and | l rounds, Gentlemn Jim kept talking to the big boy in an effort to rattle him. l For instance, after hooking Jeff in the mouth with his left, Jim said:
 Well, Jeff, 1 taught you all y5ou know at Carson City, but l suu have up my sleeve a few tricks l did not
 show you"
 That's all right, Jim," replied Jef- fries, but 1 have learned some since
 then and I did not dare hit you hard
 then or you couldn't have fought
 FitzsimmonS.
 As Gus Ruh1in, Corbett and Fitz- simmons were dissatisfied with the beatings they had received from Jel- fries, the latter had to give each an other chance in the next three years.
 In the meantime Jeffries was tol lowing i'll the footsteps ot hls prede ! cessors by trying to elevate the stage
 He also did a trip i'll which he met al ! corners, agreeing to knock them ou inside of four rounds. One night il ] Butte, Mont, he took on big inner lack Monroe Jeff was in no condl
 ion and Munroe not only stuck ou l the four rounds, but outpointed the champion.
 That accidental success encourage Munroe to challenge Jeff. Jim tool him on the next year and put him tC
 sleep in two rounds.
 That brief bout was Jeffrles last ap Ipearance in the ring for many years As there really were few heavy weights in his class, he was called Iupon to fight seldom, and he was
 man who found it difficult to keep II lcondition. He disliked training st emphatically he finally, in 1905, re tired from the ring and turned tn , championship over to Marvin Hart second rater Hart lost the title t Tommy Burns and the latter to lac 1 Johnson.
 It was the first time in the histor Il of the ring that a negro had been heavyweight champion, and Jetfrie
 lin 1910, yielded to public demand
 lemerged from his retirement and mo
 Johnson in the ring at Reno, July + $ His long absence from the ring U however, had unhtted him for bait
 with such a skilful boxer as Johnso O who not only was master of defen$ n but a hard punchcr. For months Je fries trained for the contest. but, a
 though he gathered splendid corr Ir0 of advisers and trainers, he did m get into the physical condition d l sired. Training always had been a H. horrent to him, and he went abo his work this time in half-heart'
 manner, being so irritable at times | yi managers could do nothing with hi 1u There was nothing to remind u ot hstic fans of the Jetfrics of form Ill days. His famous trip-hammer blo> were lacking His old bull-like rus ;e cs were missing. Tn short, the vii Ill spark was gone and Jeffries was b n' child in the hands of the negI oII who knocked him out in the I5 round after having punished the h
 Californian terribly