BURNS BADLY BEATEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 309, 28 December 1908, Page 3

BURNS BADLY BEATEN.

UGHX STOPPED BY POLICE. AFTER FOURTEEN ROUNDS. JOHNSON NOT TROUBLED BY PUNISHMENT. TREATS CONTEST AS A JOKE. BURNS' CROUCH STYLE OF NO AVAIL. JOHNSON GETS "ON THE JAW* AT WILL.

Kweived 26, 7 pjn. Sydney, December 20. Light rain fell in the early morning, but cleared off and left a cool, dull day. for Uours a stream of traffic flowed to the Stadium. TWENTY THOUSAND gained admission and a huge crowd surrounded the structure waiting to hear the result. Many hundreds camped in tno vicinity through the night. The money lakcn is said to be a WORLD'S RECORD GATE, for a prize fight. At a quarter to U, both men entered the ring, receiving ovations. Burns wore elastic bandages about his elbows, and Johnson insisted they should be taken off. He refused to fight unless the request was complied with. The announcement was received

with VOCUEROUS HOOTING. At a quart ;r past eleven, the men, faced «ach other, Burn* having removed the bandages., The fighting started with a will. Johnson in tho first few minutes TOPPLED THE CHAMPION OVER, and the champion remiiined down for MX seconds. . Burns went for the body of his opponent, but Johnson, standing erect, was BATTERING HIS OPPONENT over me kidneys. Burns got Johnson one. on the chin. So TERRIFIC WAS THE IMPACT, that tne champion (Burns) fell back iroin its force, but it did not trouble the giant in the least degree. Right through the fight, JOHNSON'S COOLNESS was remarkable. Burns was boxing Miperbly, but any of his blows that got home seemed of no consequence to ike black iellow. Johnson made vicious efforts to try his right across his opponent's jaw, but Burns cleverly parried him. Johnson, however, PUNISHED BURNS' ribs unmercifully, and they soon showed evidence of the treatment. Bums made frequent attempts to reach Johnson's head. One got home, but the black only smiled. In fact, he

&ad ft CONTINUOUS SMILE. on throughout the contest, and appeared to take the combat as a joke. It ■was no joins for the champion, however, for Johnaon repeatedly got heavy oody ■work in. BURNS FORCED THE FIGHTING qp to the fourth round, but did no daman but in this and the fifth round susSained a lot of punishment. Johnson ■urreyed him coolly, awaiting his opponent to lead. After several seconds of this, Burns said: -ARE YOU GOJNG TO FIGHT, YOU CCfif

and Johnson's reply was a Bwing of his terrific left, which found a resting place bn the champion's stomach. The cnanipion kept going, but his mouth was Weeding. Johnson followed with a lard one right across the jaw, bringing liia right up under Burns' chin. In the sixth round, Johnson got a 'dozen on to Burns' ribs, which had assumed a beautiful pink hue. Bums stepped up to his man gamely. JOHNSON ONLY SMILED,

«nd at every opportunity got home on Burns' jaw. Burns swung a stiff left into the black's stomach several timvs, but Johnson' laughed at the crowd, and addressed a few sarcastic remarks to Tommy. ... Suddenly, he swung his left viciously to Burns'" body, and brought his right; over to the champion's head, but Burns sot under Johnson. The latter then bustled him to the corner, narrowly grazing the champion's chin with a ■TERRIFIC LEFT.

ji the next round, Burns' punishment was severe. His eye g«t <l»uiaged, «ad Johnson found the same spot several limes. The fight now eased off a hit, Burns apparently tiring. Every time Burns tried to get in a Mow, Johnson retaliated disastrously. Then turning to the crowd, 8| THE BLACK SHOUTED: . b j «I thought Tommy was an 'in-lighter!' ' " Alter this remark, he dealt with Burns' eye again, eventually dropping him * with one ui the ribs". The champion' only remained down a couple of seconds. Johnson was bleeding slightly from 1 the Up, otherwise he showed no signs of the struggle. In the ninth and tenth rounds, the champion freshened up somewhat, but apparently his blows produced ( NO EFFECT ON JOHNSON, " t , who remained imperturbable. He never misted an opportunity of inflicting punishment, and Burns' jaw was becoming a monument to his work. Nevertheless, Burns kept at it willingly, although his blows lacked strength. Several heavy body blows caused Jolm- • son to stand off, while causing Burns to j remark: h "WHY DOST YOU FIGHT?" a The eleventh round, however, gave a Boms plenty of fighting, and he receiv- f ed most of the damage, including a cou- g pie of hard Wows on the kidneys. John- s era walked vigorously to his corner, t bat Burns limped to his. v Burns came up for the twelfth round t ■with a badly swollen face, and despite n his efforts, MOBE DAMAGE WAri KFICTED on his jaw. Burns got one home on Johnson's stomach, hut received half a dozen on the jaw by way of reply. I Barns attacked, but Johnson, fighting i steadily, waited for his lead. I The men clinched repeatedly in the "•- thirteenth round, but Burns' riba sufi fercd every time. 1 The fourteenth was THE DECISIVE HOUND. , ' Johnjon, who had a big advantage in i reach, after a hit of sparring, got Burns ' F 'fairly on the jaw, and he went down W lot six seconds. When he got up, he ; 8. received another oa the forehead. ' ft. The police then stopped the light, and F' ihe referee declared I \ JOHNSON THE WINNER. f ' The great crowd took the victory sul*"—'Tealy. (- Burns, interviewed, said-. ,- I did my f Lest, but Johnson is too big for me. His i reach is too big for me.'' f It is stated that Burns' jaw was £ broken. \ BURNS' INJURIES. I ' A BADLY SPRAINED ANiaE IN THE FIFTH ROUND. > - Received 27, 4.10 p.m. <7' i Sydney, December 27. f Burns' jaw was not broken, but his '-. - ankle was badly sprained in the fifth -' round, depriving him of his footwork. TREMENDOUS INTEREST IN AMERICA. » Received 27, 4.30 p.m. San Francisco, December 20. There was no great betting in San Francisco, but tremendous interest in the result of the fight was evinced hi America. TROUBLE OVER APPOINTMENT . OF REFEftEE. *" - Sydney, December 24. A hitch occurred over the appointment of a referee for the boxing contest between Burns and Johnson. The 'contestants would not mutually accept any of the names submitted. The ililli-. culty was surmounted by the promoter,! ' Mr. H. D. Mcintosh, in terms of his contract with the pugilists, taking the position himself.