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Show JEFFRIES DEFENDS HIS FORMER MANAGER NEW YOEK, Oct. 4. Testifying today to-day in bohalf of his former manager, Joseph Egan, who is suing the Pearson Publishing company for alleged defamation defama-tion of character, James J. Jeffries denied de-nied emphatically that Egan had over been accused of '"short counting" him in settling up after one of his bouts. Jcffriess deposition was takon in advance ad-vance of the trial of Egan's suit. Referring Re-ferring to his fight several years ago with Fitzsiinmons in San Francisco, tho former world's champion was asked if one Bolasco who was present when the purse was counted did not say "It was shv 135." 11 No," replied Jeffries. "Didn't Percy Williams say, 'Kid Egan has got that money'?" Again the negativo answer was given. "Did Belasco leap up in a rage and say 'You (Egan) meant to keep it, thief!' " "No," replied Jeffries. "If Bolasco over called Egan a thief, Little Irish would have eaten him up. He would have torn tho head off him. He is not a big fellow but ho is a wonderful boy." Jeffries said Egan had been his manager man-ager for two years aftor tho Fitzsim-mons Fitzsim-mons fight and ho could not recall ever hearing anyone accuse the "little fellow" fel-low" of dishonesty. Ho finally broke with Egan, he said, because the manager man-ager could not get along with another manager in his camp. This testimony will bo read at tho trial of Egan'B suit. |