BLACK & WHITE FIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1288, 17 November 1911, Page 2

BLACK & WHITE FIGHT.

NOT TO TAKE PLACE IN BRITAIN JOHNSON'S PUOMISE AT BOW tmtKET.

The <-ciiiihh;ii«.i'S which were granted on September id at tin; instance of tho Homo .Secretary nsain-t the principals conwnfil in Ihn propo.-cd •Johnson-Wells contiv-t were heard before Mr. Marshnni at How Street „„ September 27.

The two contestants—John A. Johnson mi'l William 'J'. AYclls--wo.ro summoned mi cimiplnint lniil by the Director of Public I'i-(i-«c«li(ins thai (hoy contentpMrd coinmihsioH o f a broiich of (be prJK'f ill Dnrl'.s Court, ami I hey were ro'liiirnl to show cause why they should not enler into r««;'iiisancos with sufficient MirftK..., (~ i; Cl , p t | lß fraf(l| h<! other three defendant;,—JnlnM UliHn, orp.ani.-er ~\ tho eonlH.; Juntos Mnkuiey, nnd 1!. C. Jo-iiJiinjs, Ihe ro-,poo tivc miiiinpTs-wprf! summoned for uidiii:t am iibi'tting, conmelling, nnd procurWA Johnson mid Wells to tho commisMoii ot ii lirerHi of th<> pence Tin- .Solicilor-GoticTii! (Sir ,lohn Simon), Mi., It. I). Miiir. and M r . Travers Hum. plirics vie for Win rampliiimnl. Mr. lorif,t Kiilton and Mr. Enstflre I'iilton fur Mr. White. Mr. It. 11. fnrlis HfiiiiH-tt was for tho olhor d> Icnilniil.s i.M.opt wlio tonduclol Ills OWII CM,

Solicitor General's Speech. Tho Kolicitor-fioncrnl, nijnninc thp n<o wiicl (hut tho last lime a li»jivv-wciplil; I'hsihipi'jiiship contx'.st was decided it tonic jijtiKL at Kciio, Sl.tte of Nevada, and the title* of lii'iivy-woijrht chnmnion was tuoccssfnlly nuiini-ninod by Jackson. Johnson (interrupting): Johnson, if yoa plcn.'o.

Tho Solicitor-General bowed liis aeknow. ledgmenl nf the correction. Now it wan propped to hold a similar contest in London. Ho thought it would be clearly shown Win I the proposer! fight was clearly illegal, atthougli a (purring mutch between two mc:i which did not conlcmplilr* or involve so injuring one of the ootitt'siauls us to prevent him continuing, was not illeßal. Thai Johnson and Wells had contracted to porform this eonlcM. and had signed articles of agreement did not imiko the slightest difference in the law. Xor rlirl it make any difference in the law when the number of romid? were not limiie:). In this cast: it was contemplated .that same twenty round* should lxi fought, luit thai was a nominal limit, for in the three; previous competitions for (lie he.ivy-weieht championship of the world in which Mr. Johnson took part not one. continued to twenty rounds.

Whatever difference there might be under National Snorting Club rules instead of Qneenvbcrry rules, it was certainly contemplated in both codes that ono man should fo reduce the other that when he was kneeked to the ground he could not riso. Previous legal cases lw.iring nn the matter were quoted by the SolicitorGeneral, in ono instance the magistruto who interfered with n prize light was assaulted in the execution of his duty—a reference at which Mr. Mar.-ham, (ho magistrate on the Ueneh, smiled,

The magistrate might bind (he defendants over not to commit a. broach of thepeace till thu next ec-ssion*. lie also had power to require securities from the i'.eicodants lor a certain period, Mich as two years.

I Superintendent M'lntyre. the polire officer ill whose division the wit of Iho proposed content is situated, whs called aa the fir.-t witness.

Legal iirgumcnt ensued n.< to whether (he witness could be Questioned on published records of previous heavy-weight championship contests, and upon the newspaper descriptions nf fight?. The magistrate n.'kcd JoluiMJii whether bo had any objections to raise. Johnson: "Ye.-, [ object, because (hew papers printed in England are no authority upon contests in America."

Johnson as Cross-Examiner. Cross-examination of the witness was re served by counsel: Johuioa: I want to cross-cianiiue him now. Are you familiar with Queensbcrrj rules?—No, I am not. Did you tay I knocked Tommy Burn* out in the fourteenth round? The superintendent essayed to look at Iho records before him. Johnson: I object to you looking at that book every tiino I ask you a. question. You are simply vefreshius your memory. The superintendent was understood to say that, he meant the. contest oadvd in ll" rounds. , . The magistrate: He admits uo made a mistake. Johnson: Why did yon sny that when Jack Johnson and M.r. Wells box oil October 2 there will be a breach of tho peace? The superintendent: 1 said 1 feared there might be. Did Sam Longford and Bill Lang cause a breach of the pnaec?— l do not know. Did yon see that fight!'—No. Havo you ever ;oen liny championship contest?— No. Then you havo no idea of what they are like'?—Xo. , , With a scornful wave of his mm. John. Ptm turned to the magistrate and said, "The witness i-iiii nuw go." The Cii.-e vas then adjourned,

Tho Injunction. Mr. Justice Lush, sitting on Scplombrt ''7 us Vacation Judge, grouted fin injunction disallowing tho proposed tight. 'J'lio injunction is iiddro-cd In harl n Court, Ltd., Lessors of tun exhibition wounds who have had a contract .with Mr. While, promoter of tho contest. permittinir it to be hold. Ttu> motion for (ho iiiiunclion was made at tho nislniico of tho Metropolitan District Knilwiiv (\mtliiiny. who uro tlw freeholders and leased the "buildings to the defendants. Mr. Justice Lush decided that the light should not take place nt Earl's Court on (lie ground that it could nor lie I'oiiUd "as a mere friendly exhibition'of skill.

Unexpected Development. \n unexpected development took phen on Thursday, September .28. The principals connected with the light attended •it Bow Street and. by nrrnnpmiiont with tho Director of Public Prosecutions imvo undertakings that Johnson and Nolls should not hold any contest at any p nro within the Britis.li Isles; and upon (Ills undertaking the suinmonws were practi(vilh- pill nn end to by tboningislnitc-ad-jonrniiK? them for an indelinite period. Mr Forrest Fulton (lor tho delendant Mr. White) said tho proposals were that an undertaking wo" 1 ' 1 bo Riven by all the dcfeiulwits that the contest; between Wells and Johnson should not tnko Waco nt Eiirl's fourt on October 2; that no boxing bhould take place nt tarl s Court on. that day by cither Johnson or Wells with iiiv third party; and, further, Mr. White, on' hi< behalf, would give a personnl undertaking Hint ho would not at any future time promote a boxing contest between johuwn and AVclis within (ho British Ylr Curtis Bennett, on bo.hn.lf of the. three defendants he represent™!, said ho concurred in ovcryllniiE Mr. lulloa bad Tlii> in assist rate, liirnuis! to .Tohmoa, a.'ked if he had miythiuß to say. Tho champion leaned forward, and in n. clear, deep voice said' "His Worships, I should like to say. the injunction having been sranted, that 1, John Arthur Johnsou, speaking for myself, wish to announce that on Monday ne.xt 1 shall not box with Mr. Wells in the British Isles or'nny other place where Britain lias conThe Solicitor-General said that as the defendant-; had abandoned the propes'il contest and civen undertaking no u'ofnl nurpuso would be served by eoini: oi with the summonses. The masistmie, then n.l- - the summonses sine die. When Ui<- dofoMiiauls-l»lt do Conn they wore cheeroil by the crowd that lint! fathered outside.