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Show didn't want to take any chances on the long and short end of the puree. Whatever comedy there was In or during the fight was furnirhed by Jim Oorbott and Johnson himself. .They kcpt'up a perfect crossfire of words that 'hrought forth many a laugh, onco Corbett sold: "Go after him this round, Jeff, and he'll show that yellow streak." "That's what they all say," replied Jack" with a grin. "Why don't you fight Instead of stalling?" carue .back Corbeit "I'm too clever, like you used to be, Jim," blurted out Johneon. At another time after a short rally In the center of the ring Jeffries clinched w-lth the black man. "love me, Jeff; love me," grinned Johnson. "I ll love j on before I get through," came back Jeff. These little sallies at repartee were all that enlivened the contest, or It would have been as solemn as a funeral. fu-neral. Jim Corbctt gave about as good an explanation of Jeffries' action as I have heard when he said: "Jeff had nothing." Then he went on and said: "You know even so great a pitcher as Mathcwson has days on which he has 'nothing.' The poorest excuse of batters in the world" go up against him and hit him for home runs. Then there are days when he 'has everything,' and the mightiest men of the willow cannot touch him. In 6hort, his 'spltter' wus not worklDg. That's how I dope It, now that It's all over." In short, the fight has now passed into history. Jeffries came back physically, as his friends claimed and expected. Bat they had not reckoned his mental condition, which proved his undoing Johnson won and Is entitled en-titled to the championship and all that goes with It. (By Otto Floto In Denver Post.) Tho moment that Jeffries sat down In his corner his friends realized that he was gone. All the confidence that he had inspired by his wonderful work in the training quarters fell when he took his peat.' lie no more resembled the Jeffries that we had seen doing hits road work, boxing and going fishing fish-ing for the past month than night does day. It was a different man In that corner. When Abo Attell fitted the bandages he said: "Why, Jeff, your hands and arms are cold and clammy." The big fellow kept chewing chew-ing his gum and replied: "They will , bo all right after we fight a round or two" When he took his clothe?loff and stepped to the center of tho ring to be presented to the spectators he straddled hla legs and his arms b-ung by his side apparently helpless. The moving pictures will show this more plainly than words can tell. Instead of the trained athlete who was about to strive for the greatest honor in pugilism, pu-gilism, there stood a man who suffered suf-fered a total nervous collapse. Tho strain had proved too great. He then realized the importance of his position. posi-tion. He felt that the eyes of tho whole world were rivlted upon him and his performance. lie was like tho actor nho suffers from stage fright and forgets his lines. Jim Jeffries Jef-fries was beaten beforo he ever be-ga-n.. Those who had stood by him and championed his cause did so on what' they saw in the . preliminary work-was work-was the real wild "cave ! man " Ho outs In training quarters. There he toyed and tossed about all his trainers train-ers and assistants. His strength was something marvelous. In fact, there were many who thought the fight would never go over three rounds and that be would cave in Johnson'B body with his terrible wallops. His every appearance Indicated and breathed success. All this was outwardly, however, how-ever, for when he got Into the ring this was cbauged to Just the opposite extreme. No one' inspiring item of his former self did he present. Tie appeared broken in mind and spirit physically a giant, but a mental wreck. It was as complete a collapse as over was witnessed anywhero ra the world. While Johnson was fortunate in having opposed to him a man in this pitiable plight, no credit should -be taken away from his splendid victory. It Is almost certain that he believed that the most formidable man he bad ever been called upon to meet was about to face him. He knew tho record rec-ord of the man and realized that the man who had defeated Fitzsimmons, Corbett, Sharkey and a lot more was not to be trifled with. For that reason it is certain that Johnson himself was as much surprised a man when he learned of Jeffries' condition as any one else around that big arena. The very fact that Johnson sent to Jeffries Jef-fries the day before the fight and wanted the money cut 50 and 50 Instead In-stead of 75 per cent to the winner and 5 per cent to the loser, speaks for this assertion and shows in what high regard ho held Jeffries as a fighter. For that reason all the honor and glory that goes with the black man's victory belong to him. Her last of all, drcmed that he was going to get a man in the nervous condition that Jeffries showed himself to be. He all along felt that Jeff had regained his former condition, and that's why he i ii'V-V V:""- V !,Vt'C...'V'v -'-yS'- ' ' 1 TERRY KELLER, . ; -Well-known Local IMiddleweiglit, Who Meets Joe Thomas in Ogden, June 22, at the Fair Grounds. . Terry B. Keller, Ogden's "Native Son" and lncldently one of the brightest bright-est stars on the middle-weight horizon, hori-zon, has arrived in Ogden to prepare for his boxing maOch with Joo Thomas. The match will bo pulled oft at 3 p. m., July 23, at tho Fair Grounds under the niannfsemeM. of Roy Shnmway and will be an important battle as the winner will bo In direct line to meet either Laus or Papke and thence to middle-weight championship cham-pionship elegibillty with "Thunderbolt" "Thunder-bolt" Ketchell at the piece de resistance. resist-ance. Thomas has beaten Klaus in six rounds at Philadelphia and was tho possessor of tho championship in the middle-ewlght division with a record of 14 straight victories when Ketchell Ketch-ell won from him in 32 rounds at San Francisco. Keller is a well-known Ogden boy, who has been climbing the pugilistic ladder steadily ever since he entered the game three years ago under the able guidance of "Cyclone" Johnny , Thompson. Fighting at weights rauglng from 150 to 15S pounds, Keller has beaten eeryone in his class on the Pacific coast, .including such men as Kid Grantz, Johnny O'Kcefe. Freddie Brcoks and others equally known. Keller has 2S victories to his credit and is generally considered the best welter weight on the Pacific coast. His manager, Charles Cleaver of the South Side club of San Francisco, has been remarkably successful in his management of the young fighter, who is but twenty years of age, and it is his boast that a few years more will find Keller at the top of the middle-weight division. Keller will train for his fight at Idlcwild, Ogden canyon, and he is T4w engaged in securing sparring partners to assist him in his workouts work-outs for the coming battel. "Cub" Culver of Ogden will be one of his assistants and others are being considered. |
