JOHNSON BEATS JEFFRIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 74, 6 July 1910, Page 5

JOHNSON BEATS JEFFRIES

FIFTEEN ROUNDS FOUGHT

BLACK HOLDS UPPER HAND THROUGHOUT THE FlfiHT

SOME CRUEL PUNISHMENT

JOHNSON'S TIGER-LIKE SPRINGS

A PATHETIC FINISH

By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright

New York, July 5. The fight between Johnson (the colored man), heavy-weight champion of the world, and Jeffries, the challenger, took place at San Reno, an old silver mining camp at Neyada, on July 4, in the presence of r.n immense concourse

of people, estimated r.t 100,000. The battle was for a purse of £50,000 and large - sums for' the resultant cinematoigraph films. It is estimated that in all Johnson, the winner, will draw £35,000 as his share of the purse and the picture proceeds. ' THE FIRST ROUND. TJie first round the inen refused to shake bands, and after much sparring Johnson shot his left into Jeffries' iace and clinched and roughed at close quarters, the negro hitting his man in the face. This was a tame round, with honors even. THE SECOND ROUND.

In the second round Jeffries held on' to Johnson, clouting his right into his lace. Jeffries sent his right iijto the negro's stomach, Johnson retaliating ■with two upper cuts. Jeffries leaned in the clinch. I THIRD ROUND. Johnson landed his right on' the stomach and his left twice in the face, and the men closed in. Johnson uppercut and blocked Jeffries. When separated, Johnson hit three times with his left in Jeffries' face. A long clinch followed. Johnson won the round on pointer FOURTH ROUND.

Johnson, rushing away, hit Jeffries inthe face and mouth, and drew blooc}. Jeffries sent his right on to Johnsorfs mouth, and forced the negro to the ropes. Several punches landed on Johnson, who drove his right on to Jeffries' jaw, and Jeffries had the best of the round. FIFTH ROUND. Johnson talked volubly, wrestling at close quarters. Jeffries got hits twice on to Johnson's body. Both men ■were bleeding at the mouth. Jeffries sent the negro's head back a foot with a straight left, which made Johnson look serious. SIXTH ROUND. Johnson landed three lefts, drawing blood from Jeffries' cheek, and, fighting cautiously, followed with three up-per-cuts. Jeffries waded in, but met with nasty upper-cuts, which closed his right eye. Two more drew blood from Jeffries' nose. Johnson had the lest o£ the round. SEVENTH ROUND.

fhff men sparred for a while, and then 'had <a long clinch. Johnson three times hit Jeffries' damaged eye, followed by blows by Jeffries on the jaw. Johnson again hit his left and right to Jeffries' face.

EIGHTH ROUND. Jeffries rushed, landing twice on the negro's face without damage, and also landed two body blows. Honors even. NINTH ROUND. Johnson still talkative. He hit a powerful left on the jaw. Jeffries butted and clinched. Jeffries crouched, and the negro drove a wicked left into his stomach, two jabs -following to his mouth and eye. Jeffries did not seein to mind. Johnson had the best of the round. TENTH ROUND. Johnson landed twice on Jeffries' head, and a clinch followed, with much in-fighting and wrestling. Johnson landed two lefts to the jaw of Jeffries, amid yells. Johnson peppered Jeffries' body, out-boxing his opponent. ELEVENTH ROUND. In the next round Jeffries landed a hard blow, but was fighting wildly. The negro retaliated with success, and again bad all the best of the round.

TWELFTH ROUND. In the twelfth round Johnson repeatedly hit his antagonist on the mouth, causing Jeffries to bleed freely. One blow knocked Jeffries' head back a foot FROM THE ELEVENTH ROUND. JOHNSON STILL TALKATIVE. "JEFFRIES' CLUMSY ATTEMPTS." Received July 5, 5.5 p.m. Reno, July 4.

In the eleventh round Johnson was hitting often, and Jeffries fighting wrld]y. The negro upper-cut his man frequently. Jeffries, though bleeding m a stream from the mouth, and looking bad, electrified the crowd liv rallying and landing hits on jaw and body. At the beginning of the twelfth round the men clinched, aTid after the negro missed a swing to the jaw, Jeffries wished in and was met with a straight left, breast to breast. Johnson swung hard lefts on the body and face, and Was still talkative. He blocked Jeffries' body blows, and landed his right on the mouth, starting Jeffries bleeding afresh. He also shot several lefts on to his opponent's face, sending Jeffries' head back a foot. The latter went to l)i« comer spitting blood. In tie thirteenth round, clinching and

wrestling in the centre of the rino- did no damage to either, but Johnson, breaking away with rights and lefts on the face and mouth, cleverly evaded Jeffries' clumsy attempts to reach nim. The negro cut loos? with many blows from either hand on the jaw and body. Jeffries had visibly weakened. A right upper-cut almost lifted him iroin the floor, and he seemed all at sea. JOHNSON AMUSES HIMSELF. TAUNTING JEFFRIES. In the fourteenth round Johnson landed a slight left as they met, followed by a jab on to the mouth. He amused himself by taunting Jeffries to close in. Corbett called to the latter to beware of the upper-cuts. Jeffries' eye was almost closed. Johnson landed blows repeatedly on his mouth, and Jeffries shook his head. "Clever as you, Jim," shouted the negro to Corbett. His blows took effect, and again the round ended tamely, Johnson having all honors.

FIFTEENTH AND FINAL. JEFFRIES HANGING OVER THE ROPES. The fifteenth round opened with a clinch. Then t]?e negro rushed Jeffries to the ropes, and left him hanging over them. The seconds rushed into the rfng before the timekeeper could finish counting Jeffries out, and Johnson still remained heavy-weight champion oi tne world, having knocked Jeffries out in the fifteenth round. From the beginning of the thirteenth round the experts at the ringside passed the verdict that Jeffries must simply ■stay out and not fight, if he hoped to have a chance to stay the limit.

ONE-SIDED FROM THE START. " SPRANG LIKE A TIGER." The fight was one-sided from the start. The negro blocked the old champion's blows at every stage of the game, and punished him severely in the last five rounds. In the last, Johnson went at Jeffries savagely, and in quick succession delivered three knock-down blows, Jeffries each time falling against or into the ropes. As Jeffries staggered for a foothold after being sent to the floor for the third time, Johnson sprang at him like a tiger, and with a succession of lefts on the jaw sent him down and out. As Jeffries was helped to his corner, he said, "I AM NOT A GOOD FIGHTER ANY LONGER. "I could not come back, boys; I could not come back. Ask Johnson if he will give mfe his gloves."

AsspJeifries hung .over the ropes, a hundred friends rushed close. I crying, "Don't 1 let the old man get knocked out/' ■ but the timekeeper was inexorable, and the count went on. When seven was reached, it was evident that Jeffries was finished, and hundreds of persons broke through the ropes.

The time-keeper, Harting, scurried from the ring into the crowd. Jeffries was picked up by his brother and Corbett, and carried to his corner, dazed. Johnson stood in the centre, and received the congratulations. At first he would not shake liands. Later, he went over to Jeffries' corner, but Corbett waved him away. John L. Sullivan was the first to congratulate him in his corner. Jeffries was taken to his training camp at Moana s"rings.

INTEREST IN LONDON. LARGE AND EXCITED CROWD. JEFFRIES' FAILURE DIMINISHES INTEREST. Received July 5, 11.45 p.m. London, July a. Crowds assembled in Fleet street at 9 o'clock, and watched the fight bulletins at the newspaper offices. The special police had difficulty in controlling the large and excited crowds. The partisans of the champions cheered at every point. . The'theatres and music halls were packed. The details of each round, as they were announced, were cheered until the closing, when the audiences flocked to the streets and eagerly purchased the special editions of the papers.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the suburbs of the provincial towns. The newspapers are devoting columns to descriptions of the fight, but Jeffries' failure has generally diminished popular interest. DISAPPOINTED SYDNEYJTES. Received July G, 12.50 a.m. Sydney, July 5. Crowds gathered outside the newspaper offices, awaiting the result of the fight. There was considerable excitement and much disappointment at Jeffries' failure.

BEFORE THE FIGHT. New York, July 4. Jeffries passed Sunday lolling on a shady lawn. Johnson walked eight miles, and attended a concert, where he played his favorite bass viola. He declares his weight is 2001b.. and says: "The tap of the gone will Vie music to me. If Jeffries beats me. I will be the first to congratulate him." Reno. July 4. There are crowds of roughs, thieves and sharpers here. The police are armed with rifles and revolvers. The banks are guarded, and the

streets patrolled night and day. Eight thousand pounds to five thousand has been staked on Jeffries in one wager. The authorities at Pittsburg will not allow a negro parade in Johnson's honor, and trouble is threatened. THE SECONDS. Reno, July 4. Jeffries' seconds were Corbett, Attell, Choynski, Bob Armstrong, Eugene Vancourt and Farmer Burns. In the south-east corner Johnson's seconds were Bill Delaney, A 1 Kaufman, George Cotton, Don Drury, Dave Mills and Larry Foley. Johnson's timekeeper was Stanley Ketchell.

JOHNSON CHEEKED AT ASSOCIATION MEETING. By Telegraph.—Press Associati#*. Dunedin. L"st Night. Before the final bouts of the Otago Boxing Association's championship commenced to-night, the president of the Association (Mr. Myers) faced a very largelgatliering of boxing enthusiasts in His Majesty's Theatre, and made the usual preliminary remarks. Then, with evident hesitation, he referred to another matter. "Just after Bearing of that great battle in America," he said, "I think it would be 'British' if we were to congratulate the winner. (Applause.) lam 'glad to bear that applause. A great majority of you here, as I would myself, would have given a very great deal to know that the champion of the world was a white man. (Applause.) However, so far as we know, it's been a fair and square fight, and a good fight, and the best man won. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, as this is the first meeung of boxing enthusiasts in the Dominion since the fight took place, I think it is only fair and British that, on behalf of the Boxing Association of Otago. we should offer the winner our congratulations." (Applause.)