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Show 000 was to l posted by me Gloa-son Gloa-son was forced on lo mo by Sam Bor-ger. Bor-ger. not Jim Jeffries, and If I had held out. as I should havo done, I would not bave taken Gleason In as a partner. "I told Cleason the time we signed sign-ed up that 1 expected to brin; the contest con-test to Salt I-ake city and that If the laws of Luh permitted I was to have the naming of the place for the ton-test ton-test In Utah. If COuj not staao the go In Utah, It was to go to California, Cali-fornia, and there Gleason was to have an equal say as to whore it should bo and there Gleason was to have an equal say as to where it should bo staged. "I want to say right here that Cleason Clea-son Is my partner In the matter and If he comes lo Utah be Is to have an equal place with mo In any and all matters regarding the contest. However, How-ever, under our contract I have the say as to the place of the contest In Utah, and tomorrow I will slate the place where It will be staged Utah Best Place. "I did agree with Jeffries that I 1 would not take the contest to Nevada, I 'because of the hot weather la tho I Bummer time. I do not believe that Jeffrl-s will say that there was any understanding between myself, Gloa- I son and Derger that Che contest was I to go to California, nor thot Gleason had the naming of the place, other than an equal voice with me. were tho contest to be staged In California. "My reason for bringing the contest con-test to Salt Lake City Ih that I know that I will draw a bigger house here than at any other place In the west; and, further, that the people who will come to Salt Lake will pay a higher price for their seatB than at any place on the coast.'" piir.e If ft had not been for the Glea-! Glea-! sen Influence with Sam Derger and ! Jim Jeffries. Jeffries Likes 'Frisco. Thi main point In di-pute between ' I ho two managers Is the question of which city shall ,o rhowen for the ; I'u-lit S;in Francisco or Salt Lake. It j appears that the matter has ceased to ' le a cimiest between tile cities, how-ecr, how-ecr, and hut It has resolved Itself Into a I iimI? for authority' between Gleason and Illcknrd. The balance of power seems to be with the fighters and the local sporting fraternity Is almost al-most unanimously of tho opinion that the fight will be bold wherever Jeffries dictates. Nothing has yet been heard from either of the two principals since Gleapon and Rlckard fell out. It Is well know n that Jeffries Is partial par-tial lo San FrancUco ns a place In which to handle big ring contests. JefTiies Is a Californlan aud llorger, his manager, Is a San Francisco boy. Jiick Johnson has oten said that he has always been well pleased with tho way In which he was treated In San Francisco. Glcjton Inslctent. "When all is said and done, the big fight will bo held here," said Jack Gleoson tonight at the Olympic club. "I say so, aDd It was agreed In New York that I should have the naming of the place. I don't care what Tex Rlckard says about It I know what I in talking about. I don't care to get Into a. controversy over this thing, but I want It distinctly understood that I am to name the place. Sam Berger will back me up In this matter. He knows, and Johnson and Little both know. I am content to l-ave It to them They will tell who was given authority to choose the battleground. The fighters want lo o to the place j SPRY SAYS NO FIGHT IN UTAH ooooooooooooooooo! o o : O SPRY SAYS "NO." O ! o o O Chicago. Jan. 1C "There Ol O will he no fight In Salt Lake O I O City or any other place In Utah. O 0 The authorities will take what- O O ever drastic steps oro neces- O 0 flan' to prevent It," Governor O , O Spry of Utah, who arrived In O ; O Chicago late tonight, made this O j O statement, O O O ooooooooooooooooo "I havo made this assertion before," continued Spry, "but I repeat It now with renewed omphasl3. There Is no use of these sporting men keeping up the talk of overthrowing the law la Utah. It will be absurd If a couple of fight promoters could nullify rbe law at their convenience. The law Is against the fight, and we simply will not permit It. "I don't think It would he necessary to call out the militia to prevent a fight, but we. would take whatever drastic action would be niccssary. It 1 generally understood that the fight Is to tako place In California and we don't think there Is any danger of our state bolng Invaded. As to tho supposed guaranty having been put up by Salt Lake business mcu, It had no official sanction." San FTanclso, Jan 16 A bitter controversy has been engendered between be-tween the "two fight impreesarlos who ore to handle the Jeffries-Johnson championship Dgbt, Jack Gleason of San Francisco and Tex Rlckard of Nevada, over the selection of a battleground. bat-tleground. Just nt present there Is a wide difference of opinion between tho two managers as to where the go will be held. Tex Rlckard Issued a flat statement last night that the fight would tako place la 6alt Lake City or the Immediate vicinity. In response. re-sponse. Jack Gleason Just as positively positive-ly stated that when Jeffries and Johnson John-son met In the ring the greatest fistic event In years will take place In San Francisco, And In this connection tho situation li left dangling In mld-alr. Where the controversy will end Is coming to be the main topic for discussion dis-cussion and speculation in the sporting sport-ing world. Rlckard, In w statement, charges that Gleason has not advanced ono cent in the transaction so far. Of the J 101,000 forfeit guarantee that the two heavyweight pugilists were offered to Induce them to fight It la said only J20.000 has been posted. Rlckard asserts as-serts that Gleason did not put up a cent of this forfeit, hence cannot assume as-sume to dictate. Gleason entrenches himself behind the declaration that Rlckard could not have become a partner in tho enter- where the llpat can De most advanta-gi-ously handled, and I guess that before be-fore long the world will know whether that Is San Francisco or Salt Lake. Jeffries will be here In about ten days and then we will see. "If Klckard does not care to live up to this agreement I will Lake the fight off his bands. I am ready at any time to take the whole thing" I can handle this fight and I Intend to handle han-dle at least my end of It. 1 say again that If Tex does not want to go through with it tho way we agreed to do, Til relieve him of any further re-. re-. eponslbllity. Jeff Not Willing. "Jeff would never have commented to sign articles with Rlckard as one of tho partners in the affair if It had not been for me. I'm not going to stand fcr Rlckard being the autocrat and neither will Jeff. That'll about settle the dlspnto." Many sports here are skeptical about the meaning of the controversy between Gleason and Rlckard Some think It Is belnj? done to keep the Interest In-terest In the- match alive. This, how-over, how-over, Is Indignantly denied by Gleason. Glea-son. Tho fight fans here are at a loss to explain the posltlveness wlih which Rlckard states the fight will be hold In Utah In face of Governor Spry's recent statement that he would use all the means at his command to prevent the battle from being pulled off within the borders of Utah. . . Salt Lake City. Utah, Jan. 1C In answer to the statement of Jack Gleason Glea-son of San Fraoclsco today, Tex Rlckard Rlck-ard said tonight: 4 Rlckard's Reply. "Tell the reporters to get from Mr. Olcason the private contract that was signed by Mr. Gleason and myself, where Gleason Is guaranteed by me to suffer no financial loss In case the contest loses money and it Is also stated that the entire purse of $101,- |