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Show Jeffries Tells Why He Will Not Fight had set the pace for fifteen miles. The track was soft (By James J. Jeffrie.) Just a few words In connection with the uproar that has been raised in connection con-nection with the demand that I :e-tu-n to the ring and attempt to ie-tke ie-tke tho title that Tommy Punis yielded up to Jack Johnson, Lhe nesro heavyweight. To begin with. I do not intend to fight again mark this A3 final. 1 bave burned up many dollars in telegraph tele-graph tolls during the past week or so, lulling different people in all paita of the country that I did not intend to reenter the ring again. I also have printed many state- , rr-cnts in the newspapers to that effect, but the public seems inclined to d?ubt riy sincerity, it was as if every man vas saying, "Quit your joking, Jeff--when are you going to whip this negro and win back the title?" ; They seem to take it for granted that all I have to do is to yet my hair cut, jump the rope about two weeks, pul on a pair of boxing gloves and go lu and maul the life out of Jol.unou. They never stop to think that I ha?o ben out of the game for over four years, during which time a gymnasium gymnas-ium has had the least of my attention. I repeat that I am sincere whn I say that I never will fight agaia. 1 will now tell the public why I am determined de-termined to stay out of the nng and a few facts in connection ebMiof. I have enjoyed my ring career ar.d it has been finished. I am now enjoying en-joying a title that no boxer ever held before and probably never will hold after me. I have my home, my wife, uiy business, my health and my friends. I am not rich, but I havs oM the money I need, and will never want for anything. If a disaster was to hit mc and I was to be swept off toy feet without a penny In Lie wurld. then I might try to retrieve myself vml my position by fighting again. As il is, I will go on as I am. enjoying rr.y home, my friends and my everyday every-day life. Why, if it were more money I was after I would not have to fight for IL I have rejected a lortuno lu theatrical offers during the past year. To sum the situation up, 1 am a contented con-tented man and why should I reopen r.-y ring career, upset my business and' home-life for tho sake of a few dollars that I do not need. Another thing, I do not bellovo that the great American public wants to see me como out of retirement I bellevo that they vould rather point to me .is I am the retired and undefeated champlou-'Ihe champlou-'Ihe hundreds of telegrams that I have been receiving are mostly from newspaper men, who are looking for a good "btory" and from others who would bo benefited by my consenting to fight again. Right hero I want to correct a wron:-T iiripression. I did not give tae title to Jack Root, Marvin Hart or anhoJy else. When I retired I took the title with me. and the fact that theses lei-lows lei-lows claimed that I gave them ihu title to fight for was press agent wont rurc and simple. Now a word to the well-meanirfg people who believe that I could go Vack In the ring next week -ind whip Jack Johnson. I am not tho Jim Jeffries Jef-fries of four years ago. I have spent the beet four years of my life In promoting pro-moting my business affairs. Sinca I have been In the cafe business I have played the part of a "good fellow." fel-low." I have drank in moderation; I 1 ave smoked every day, and I havo I kept late hours. My place of h&A-r-s8 closes at 1 o'clock in the norn lng, and many times I am the lust person to leave the establlanmcnt. - Would Train Hard. At the very least I would reoidic i:: months, probably a year, to gt into any kind of condition, and it is a question whether or not I would hot in anything like the condition that I watj when I quit the ring. Suppw tfat after a year of training I sh rild re-onter the ring and that - Johnson should beat me. Then the public and myself would be in even a worse predicament. The very people who arc urging me now to go In and fight vould bo the very first to turn their backs on me and condemn me lor uver having considered a proportion to fight again. On the other hand, should I whip Johnscm. which I, in all probability, would. I would be In no belter position posi-tion than I nra now with the exception excep-tion of having a few thousand irore dollars added to my bank account I whipped every heavyweight in my day and the majority or thru 1 beat twice, for good measure. 1 haire retired re-tired In every sense of the word, ud I want to enjoy that retirement I have gone further In this article than ever before, because I want to rhow the public Just exactlv where I stand, I have everything hat I wint. I repeat that I am a contented man, end I want to be left alono to enjoy my retirement. I suppose tLut in ten years from now they wil mil talk of dragKlng me out to light the champion, whoever he happens tc be. |