JACK JOHNSON KILLED

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24899, 12 June 1946, Page 7

JACK JOHNSON KILLED

FORMER HEAVY-WEIGHT CHAMPION

(Rec. 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 10. Jack Johnson, the former world heavy-weight boxing champion, was fatally injured when the car he was driving crashed into an electric light pole and overturned. Jack Johnson held the world’s heavy-weight championship from 1908 to 1915. When James J. Jeffries retired in 1905 he presented the title to Marvin Hart, who was beaten by Tommy Burns, a Canadian lumberjack, whose real name was Noah Brusso. Johnson beat Burns on December 25. 1908, at Sydney, the police stopping the contest in the fourteenth round.

Johnson defended his title against Stanley Ketchell. Jeffries, who came out of retirement, Jim Flynn, and Frank Moran. He was knocked out by Jess Willard-at Havana, Cuba, on April 5, 1915. after 26 rounds. After his defeat Johnson made a living operating saloons and night clubs and acted as master of ceremonies in cheap cabarets. In 1933 he tried to give boxing and wrestling exhibitions, but abandoned that when he collapsed in the ring in Brussels. He was reduced in 1936 to the role of a spear carrier in the opera “Aida” at the New York Hippodrome and then hung round New York boxing establishments, predicting that the next opponent he would slaughter would be Joe Louis.

Johnson then became a performer in a 42nd street arcade sideshow eight times a day, lecturing on boxing and physical culture. He planned a series of bouts on the Pacific Coast in 1943, but physicians declined to give him a medical certificate. In the same year he called on Aimee Semple McPherson at her Los Angeles temple where he proclaimed that henceforth he was going to do his fighting for God. He gave an exhibition bout last year that resulted in the sale of 3,000.000 dollars’ worth of war bonds. Three weeks ago he said he was going to Texas to make a film of his life.

Davis Cap Tennis.—ln the European zone semi-final for the Davis Cup Mi tic and Puncec (Jugoslavia) defeated Destremeau and Pellizza (France) 8-10, 8-6, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8. France now leads by two matches to I. Paris, June 10. English Cricket Coach.—E. (Patsy) Hendren, the famous English cricketer, said to-day that there had been negotiations, but up to the present he had not received a firm offer from the Wellington Cricket Association for his service® as coach.—London, June 10.