The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-05
WILLARD NOT SO| SURE OF MEETING FLOYD AFTER ALL

NEW YORK, April 5.--Indicted as an alleged fat man or the wonder side of forty years, which Is very seri- ous charge, Jess Willard. one-time colossus of the circus tan bark, ap- pears to have made one or two other serious errors which may prevent him from doing his bit for charity and the nominal fee Cf S25,000 in May MT. Willard, it may be recalled, has signed a contract to raise his hands and strike blows at Floyd Johnson. another, but younger, rancher of spuds in the Yankees ball park on the twelfth of the merry month. tract. Mir. Willard betook his bulk by one night stands to Excelsior Springs, Mo-, to go in for training in a really serious way. In his ab- sence, Tex Rickard has made an agreement with Luis Angelo Firpo. of Buenos Aires, that he, Luis Angelo; shall step into the place of Willard or Johnson should either of them for any reason be unable to keep the en- gagement
 The meaning of this article in Fir pos contract, which primarily called for a fight with Young MacAuliffe, was not apparent at first. Nothing in ed eye. Under microscope, how ever, the Firpo contract means that LJess Willard is not quite sure Of making that s25.o00.
 O o O
 Must Prove Shape
 The boxing commission knew, of course, when Willard was given this chance to come back, that he was as fat as a kettle of bludder and as stiff with age as the cariff giant. But 1t was understood that he would re- main within a car ride. of the com hn dNy ff, cto I inspection as tC' his decrepitude at any time.
 Willard has been recalled by wire from the commission. He must pre- sent himself here not later than April 21 and unveil his equatorial tuberos- ity so that the doctors may say whe- ther he Is a fat man or merely a stylish stout model. and. should he pass this test, he will be given point ed advice to dissociate himself from MT. Will McCarney, ticket taker, speiler, ballyhoo man and all round shllaber to the Willard spectacle, who is now performing his various duties with great eclat at Willard's S camp in Excelsior Springs, where the public Is let to see the wonderful giant for the very small fee, nay the advertising price, of four bits a look.
 A Desperate Person.
 It seems that this Will McCarney Is really a dreadful and desperate per- son. The commission recalls that he l was the one who brought the pre- posterous Tut Jackson from Wash | ington Court House, O., last August and trundled brother Tut into the ring where brother Harry Wills took one swipe at him, missed him, but knocked him as flat as a polkado with the mere breeze of his blow. The commission always felt that Will McCarney took a nasty advantage ot | it's naive credulosity that time, mis- representing brother Tut as a prize | fighter, whereas he didn't know | whether to put the gloves on his feet or his ears.
 By passing judgment on Willard's fitness three weeks in advance of the | fight, the commission will be in a position to substitute Firpo against Johnson without discommoding the promotion. There is disposition
 the ground that he will only go in
 and lop all over Johnson. anyway and try to squash him with his 800 pounds of suet. Also. even if he should whip Johnson. there woulc still be F'irpo for him to endure ane
 there would still be brother Harry ] Wills with a direct claim to the rug ged attentions of Jack Dempsey prior to any business that Willard | might desire to do.
 The blow to Willards generous trusting nature will be very severe | should he lose that chance to per | form for charity and the nominal fec ] of $25,000. There is talk here o
 raising a fund by public subscription to buy him a fruit far. As a starter ! the boxing experts have contributed the price of one pedigreed raspberry l bush