THE UNLUCKY NUMBER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1056, 2 June 1910, Page 10

THE UNLUCKY NUMBER.

Number 13. Who’s afraid? Is the unhappy number of bad luck, with its melancholy train of dark legends, holding its own against the acid test of materialism, or do we still quake at the chance of being ourselves “thirteen?” Do we believe that the thirteenth man always dies within the year? Or do we just think we do? Jack Johnson, heavyweight champion, says he isn’t superstitious about the number 13; he isn’t even afraid of two of them. The Chicago telephone people recently installed a ’phone in Johnson’s new mansion, and tacked the number 1313 to it. “Sure Ah think that number is unlucky,” said Jack the other day in response to a question as to whether he feared that the hoodoo would affect his coming battle. “Sure, that’s the unluckiest number in the world for Jeffries. They say that it has to bring bad luck to somebody and Ah’m going to pass it along to the boilermaker. Nothing mean about me.

“They can’t worry me with any hoodoo numbers this time, fo’ Ah’m out to win. If this man Jeffries stays 13 rounds, he can consider hisself mighty lucky. That’s how Ah look at this 13 proposition.”

Word has just been received of the first legitimate bet made on the heavyweight championship fight between Jim Jeffries and Jack Johnson, on July 4, which has been recorded in San Francisco. Clarence Berry, the millionaire oil and mining man, and Charles Sutro, the well-known capitalist, both of San Francisco, made the wager, Berry putting up £4OO on Jeffries against £2BO which was furnished by Sutro, who took the Johnson end. By offering the odds of 10 to 7 on Jeffries Millionaire Berry used poor judgment, for had he offered odds of 10 to 9 the chances are that Sutro would have snapped him up just as quickly. On the strength of thia bet the chances are that the Johnson admirers all over the country will demand the same odds.

Articles have been signed for a wrestling match between Gordon Smith, of Pahiatua, and Louis S. Robertson, of Stratford, for a sidewager of £5O, and the match is to take place at Stratford on Tuesday next, June 7.

What should prove to be the best fixture ever arranged in Brisbane for the little ’uns is that between Billy Elliott, the ex-New Zealander, and Joe Russell, the Queensland champion, which is down for decision on June 4 at the Brisbane Stadium.