JIM JEFFRIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 811, 8 March 1910, Page 4

JIM JEFFRIES.

REPLIES TO THE “KNOCKERS.”

ALWAYS ON THE LEVEL

Relating the story of a conversation with Jim Jeffries anent his match with Johnson, the sporting editor of the New Y r ork World puts it thusly :

“Jim,” said I, “why did you sign articles in private ? I want to know the inside facts.’’

Jeff stopped right in the middle of a stride. For a moment he looked straight at me, and then he spoke with the sudden vehemence of a man who had been bottling up his anger for a week.

“Why do they knock me?” he exclaimed. “If I’d ever done a dishonest thing in my life I wouldn’t have a word to say, but what right have they to knock me when they know I’m absolutely on the level in every fight I ever had in my life. What’s all this picture money talk ? What do I care for pictures or picture money, when the one thing I think ol day and night is knocking Johnson out as soon as 1 can get him into the ring ? What do I cate for picture money beside the satisfaction of finishing him in a round or even two or three rounds.

Money never could touch me and it never will. I wouldn’t agree to stall with Johnson a single round if they offered me a million dollars for it.

As for the private meeting, I’ll tell you exactly what that was for. I was responsible for that. The others all wanted to have it in the big room where all the reporters were, I had an engagement at Washington that night, and had to catch a train about two o’clock.

“ Johnson is a windbag. When he can get in front of a crowd be wants to throw his chest out, and think he’s the whole works. I knew that he’d talk and stall and object tor hours if he could. He might even try to make the whole thing a joke by stalling along until I had to leave for the train. That's why I made them go over the articles in a private room. “ Even at that Johnson stalled and kicked about everything, while I kept my mouth shut to save time. There was one set of articles, and only one. You can bet your life on that, too. That’s the set of articles that was given out to the newspapers, and it goes. The winner will get 75 per cent., and the loser 25 per cent., and that goes, too.”