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Show 14 1 JEFFRIES LOST 1 1 . IN FOURTH ROUND I I By "piddv" Bicbop in Taccma News.) 1 1 ifl That Jim Jeffries was knocked out ffi , Jn four rounds in a private bout with ttfH Sam Langford Just a few days before jell the memorable battle with Jack John- Wj son at Reno, which was no doubt re- . mj I sponsible for the nervous breakdown UP '? Jeff suffered, nnd which aided largely II in his defeat, is the assertion of Jim II , Barry, Chicago heavyweight boxer, at fit present in Tacorna ' The Impromptu contest between l I .leffriea and Langford was arranged B i ! us a son of tryout for Jen The big murj i bolicrraaker wanted to test his fight Ing strength on the evo of the big battle. It took place at his training quarters at Mona Springs and wasi witnpssed by only half a dozen people, peo-ple, all of them trainers of Jeffries. Joo Woodman, LangforcUs manager, and the colored boxer himself were the only ones outside of Jeff's own handlers who were present. The Httlo secret has been kept all these months, only to be disclosed by Laugford'a manager, who confided it to Barry, who gave out the information to the writer last night, at the Donnelly hotel. ho-tel. "That's as sure ?s you're a foot high," said Barry. "Joe Woodman told me all about it and I knew he would not string me, lor Joe and I hae beei close friends for a long time I'm telling tell-ing jou this on the quiet" Barry says the tryout match was framed up about a week before the Reno b'attle. A large room at the hotel ho-tel where Jeff was stopping at M0113 Springs was cleared of its furniture and the men went at it on the floe; with no ring Five-ounce gloveB were used Woodman handled and care:" for Langford In the bout, while taew Were four men who attended Jeffries Bob Armstrong, Sam Berger, Jim Corbett and the former champion's old friend, Dick Adnms. No one else around the training quarters knew of the bout, and to this day Jeffries other oth-er trainers, Roger Cornell and Farm- tr Burrs, do not know tnat it tool-place, tool-place, go carei'ullj was the secret guarded. "'I did not sec the scrap myself, but Woodman told me cortidontially thai Jeff had no chance with Langford an . that the 'tar baby' knocked him out in the fourth round," say3 Barr. "Twice in the third round Langford floored Jeffries Jeff didn't punter. Sam vcr much. The big fellow wai 3iQW ana couldn't hit well." It was pvobablj this, ns much ns ib :vt strain on the former champion brought about bv excessive training qnd other worries, that caused his mental collapse and made him a mark, for the big black champion Knowing th?t"o -man much smaller than Johnson hpd whipped him hiu' its effect. Fearing defeat. Jeffries en tered the ring with Johnson moi than two-thirdr. birtcn, but a shell o j 'lis former greatness. So to Son" 1 1 nugford Johnson probably owes his present lofty seat in the raJm of pu 111 I sm. |
