HOW JOHNSON WON.

Mataura Ensign, 6 July 1910, Page 6

HOW JOHNSON WON.

A ONE-SIDED CONTEST. JEFFRIES' SEVERE PUNISHMENT. A PATHETIC CRY.

REN0 2 July 4. In the eleventh round of the great prize fight to-day between Jeffries and Johnson the latter was hitting often and Jeffries was fighting wildly. The negro "upper-cut" lus man frequently. Jeffries, though bleeding in a stream from the mouth and looking bad, electrified the crowd by rallying and landing hits on his opponent's jaw and body. At the beginning of the 12th round the men clinched, and after the negro had missed a swing to the jaw Jeffries rushed in and was met with a straight left. Breast to breast Johnson swung hard lefts on the body and face, and was still talkative. He blocked Jeffries' body blows and landed his right on the mouth, starting Jeffries' bleeding afresh He also shot several lefts on to his opponent's face, sending Jeffries' head back a foot. The latter went to his corner spitting blood. The thirteenth round saw clinching and wrestling in the centre of the ring which did no damage to either. But Johnson, breaking away with rights and lefts on the face and mouth, cleverly evaded Jeffries' clumsy attempts to reach him. The negro cut loose with many blows from either hand on the jaw and body. Jeffries had visibly weakened. A right upper-cut almost lifted Him from the floor, and he seemed all at sea.

In the fourteenth round Johnson landed a straight left, followed by a jab on to the mouth. He amused himself by taunting Jeffries to "close in." Corbett yelled to the latter to beware of upper-cuts. Jeffries' eye was almost closed. Johnson landed repeatedly on the mouth, and Jeffries shook his head. "Clever as you, Jim," shouted the negro to Corbett as his blows took effect again and again. The round ended tamely, Johnson having all the honors. The fifteenth round opened with a clinch. Then the negro rushed Jeffries to the ropes and left him hanging over them. The seconds rushed into the ring before the timekeeper could finish counting Jeffries out, and Johnson still remained heavy-weight champion of the world, having knocked Jeffries out in the fifteenth round.

" l Couldn't Come Back."

From the beginning of the thirteenth round experts at the ringside passed the verdict that Jeffries must simply stay and not fight if he hoped to have a chance to stay the limit.

The fight was one-sided from the start. The negro blocked the old champion's blows at every stage of the game and punished him severely in the last five rounds. In the last round Johnson went at Jeffries savagelyj and in quick succession delivered three knock-down blows, Jeffries each time falling against or into the ropes. As Jeffries staggered for foothold after being sent to the floor for the third time Johnson sprang at him like a tiger and with a succession of lefts on the jaw sent him down and out. As Jeffries was helped to his corner he said: "I am not a good fighter any longer. I couldn't come back, boys; I could not come back. Ask Johnson if he will give me his gloves." As Jeffries hung over the ropes a hundred friends rushed close, crying "Don't let up, old man; don't get knocked out." But the timekeeper was inexorable and the count went on. When seven was reached it was evident that Jeffries was finished, and hundreds of persons broke through the ropes. The timekeeper, Harding, scurried from the ring into the crowd. Jeffries was picked up by his brother and Corbett and carried to his corner, dazed.

Johnson stood in the centre and received congratulations. At first he would not shake hands. Later he went over to Jeffries' corner, but Corbett waved him away. John L. Sullivan was first to congratulate him in his corner. Jeffries Mas taken to his training camp at Moona Springs. THE NEWS IN LONDON. LARGE AND EXCITED CROWDS. LONDON, July j. Large crowds assembled in Fleet Street (the newspaper centre of London) at nine o'clock last night (equivalent to 1 p.m. in Reno) and watched the tight bulletins posted at the newspaper offices. Special police had difficulty in controlling the large and excited crowds. Partisans of 'the champions cheered every point made by their favorites. The theatres and music-halls were packed, and the details of each round were cheered until closing-time, .when the people eagerly purchased the special editions of the papers.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the suburbs and provincial towns. The newspapers are devoting columns to descriptions of the fight, but Jeffries' failure generally diminished the popular interest. STRANCE ANOMALY. LONDON, July 5. The 'Daily News' says it is strange that the most sacred day in the United States' civil calendar should be celebrated before the world by the most nakedly commercial prize light in the history of pugilism.