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Fighters Sign Articles; What’s the Next Move?Public Anxiousy Awaits Developments in Greatest Press Agent Work in History.Special Dispatch.New York. Dec. 4.—After engaging in wordy war and coy* persiflage (what-that if) foT run a; urn* and some it appear* that n- In*t Jim Jef-and Jack Johnson may book up. The article* of agreement were finally framed up yesterday and agreed upon, and all that rerun ns to be fixed now arc a few details.Whether the two big men ever fight or not. the world in forced to admit than the whole proposition h8* been handled on a prodigious vale ro ver even ap proaohed in the previous history of Colossal pre.«* agent performance)*.Started a Year Ago.The history of the deal, especially on the part of Jeffries, i« a staggering proposition The California bear start-ed the ball to rolling nearly a vcaP ago. when on Dec 25, 1908. he issued ;v statement in these words:••No. T’ll not fight Johnson They have been after me for weeks, urging to re-enter the ring if he whipped but I have retired for good and will never fight again.“ Why. I'd be a fool to do it. f'ouldn'D do justice to myself or the public, either. T’vr been out of training foe four years, and doubt if I could ci.-r get into condition again to tight a championship b a/tie.Jeff Yields.Powerful pressure must have br-n brought to bear on the undefeated «nu in the meantime. The first intimation that the big fellow might be induced to change hie mind came when he gavo* out that he wa* going to Carlsbad, where he would “talc* up light training in connection with the bafhs in on effort to get a lin*- on whether or not he could make condition again.Then came the announcement that the grizr.lv losing his alderman at u great rate, was hardening up all over and that it was n cinch he could re. enter the ring hm fit as he ever did. Then, for n tune, the two fighters worked up a tittle feeling of animosity for each other, gently leaving ihc impression that if they ever did enter the ring, a murder would follow. This added a little touch of human interest to the proposition that was irresistible.Police Step on Big Scheme,The nett step was walked ’on by a police commissioner of New York. ft w:«* (he attempt to open the colossal bid* for the expected fight in Madison Square garden and charge an admission to the feast. This was ndmittcdly the greatest stunt in its line ever attempted. and it was n pity the police wouldn’t stand for it. However, they wouldn't and the bids, which broke all record*, opened comparatively quiet. Await Next Step.The public, following the announce. Ia*t night that articles bad been agreed ii|Hin and forfeits of $10,000 posted by each principal, anxiously await* the next step in the game. It would seem to have ita inception in the eautiottanesa of the negro over tho terms, the stakeholder and other roii*.r matters. Johnson is naturally suspicious, lie evidently has bis mind wade up r1 nt he is figured as the fall guv in the deal, his natural cunning is iicgioningto assort itself. Heretofore the bg‘ blnck has contented himself with «n;a*h- . ing autos and ga ning publicity :n «• legitimate way of established order It would seem to be his next move, and the poor public, which has followed : ho . different move* in the game with tin-J abated enthusiasm, hold* its breathLoses Langford.«ne of the iirticlf* of th. agreement! is probably lt;• distinct relief to Jack. This is a little memorandum that neither of th. principal- arc to engage in ntiv battle* between now and July, 4. when the lug -crap is expected to \»* pulled off. For months a -mall but’ ominous black shadow has camped on j Johnson'a trail in a dogged and persist- j ent,manner. It’s name i* I.aagford V. majority of the fight critic* actually! believe Langford can whip hi* h g black brother to n frar.rle. and that I .lack himself has a slight hunch to that effect is *hown by the in unrr to which he ha* coosi*tentlv kept out of 1 the little fellow * wav. However, be s relieved of the ominous Nemesis by the article in the agreement, whirls would vent to be'* relief to him.On the other hand, the -amo arf.icio will work a hardship on Jeff. The big boy could have taken on Kaufman or some of the other lemons and cleaned up a nice bundle without even getting up a sweat. Hard luck, big bov.But We Believ* in Jeff.But. after all. in spite of all the sarcastic criticism hurled at the head of Jeffries, it is a cinch it isn't hi* fault. 11c ha* done the be*i he con Id If-yielded to the immense pressure brought to bear on him. He was independent lynch and cannot he accused of mercenary motives, beyond a desire to atak* »* much mom ' a- he can a- loug a* no has gone into the game again.The res: bn* been the work of pres*
Newspaper Details
San Antonio Light and Gazette
San Antonio, Texas, US
Sat, Dec 04, 1909
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
IL, USA 20 Dec 2017
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