THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1960.
Page
The
hate in their fists
vengeance of
the Black Shadow
By REX LOPEZ
The ballyhoo was over. For nearly three years Negro boxer Jack Johnson had chased world "heavyweight champion Tommy Burns all over the world.
He had finally caught up with him in Sydney, New South Wales. And in a few minutes the capacity crowd at the open-air stadium at Rushcutter's Bay would see the climax of the longest ring wrangle in history.
There was hole in that con-
The deafening cheer persisted
as
But at that time boxing's rule test for the world crown on unti! the Negro climbed into makers everywhere were exer-
bitter the
ring. Then, Boxing Day, 1908-the
silence cising a segregation policy. The hate of a Negro hypassed by descended on the vast crona, era's favourite phrase was: "You bcking's rulers because of his Johnson with a cruel smile in have to draw the line some- colour....and fired me : rage his voice, said: "How do
you where And although Negroes by the insulent gibes of the man like my rube. Tommy? I got it were allowed to fight Whites in
his who had taken rightful to please you because you've everyday contests, the line was drawn at allowing them to fight place.
always called me yellow."
for world crowds,
"A yellow dog," Burns had called Johnson when he de- manded a chance at the heavyweight crown. A dirty yellow nigger with a yellow streak in him a mile long."
'Called me yellow'
Now But was in his corner, looking pale but cool.
Segregation policy
It was only a slight hint of what was to come. Johnson had three years of instilts to catch up with. And he Was determined to make the most of it.
Excuses ranged from the unfairnes of expecting hard-skinned Negro to allega tions that Negroes could only fight when they were on top.
These
Trailed
excuses may seem
were uni-
A NEW CHINA MAIL
SPORTS FEATURE
The proposition was put bo "Here comes a good one, Burns by the National Sporting Tommy....Ob! 1 am sorry! Club. But Burto demanded Didn't that hurt enough? Well,
€6,000 as his cutwin, lose take this one...-' or draw." The price was be-
and the club's resources.
For ipurteen rounds he kept vp his biting remarks and
"£6,000 And Burns went to Australia punishment.
You wanted....I'll see you got your In Sydney, Burns staked his money's worth of punishment
in search of more fortune.
title against B Squires, who don't worry Tommy, I'm with him before, and Bill Lang, funeral parlour-just yet,"
had burely lasted one round not going to send you to the
Australian champion. were walkovers for him.
They
Broke all records
Then, Australian promoter McIntosh matched Hugh D him with Johnson, He agreed to Burns' terms, and cabled the Negro to come to Australia,
McIntosh had offered Burns 50 per cent of the gate, but Burns insisted on his £8,000. As it turned out, Burts was the loser by £7,000,
For the fight broke all re- cords and attracted £26,000- worth of paying customers.
The first bell rang.
Burns, wobbling at the knees, swayed like a drunk,
Grinning from ear to ear, Johnson continued his banging, prodding, stabbing. Every punchi thudded cruelly home.
By the 19th round, Burris, asked by sit-on-his-feet, was the referee if he wanted to give up. The plucky Canadien dected to go on..
'A slaughter'
Then, in the 14th round the police stopped the fight to save him from further punishment.
The great Jack London, re porting from the ringside wrote: "The Bight!! There was In less than one minute
two no fight. No American mas- ridiculous today. But at the turn the first round Johnson, of the century they
store heavier and six inches sucre could compare with this taller than the champion, up. hopeless slaughter...There was versally accepted.
of no fraction of a secoud in all percut Burns for
the 14 rounds that could be “x”
awarded to Burns," Pluckily Burns jumped to his Jeffries had given lack of angry Johnson in his quest. feet and tried to retaliato. Bu
For Johnson the champion- He knew that the man he ship quct had started long be. had been avoiding for three fore Burns won the world Crown years was no pakooka. He knew, from Marvin Hart in February Hart had inherited the
It was an almost insurmoun- title from James Jeffries who table barrier of racial prejudice relired undefeited.
that confronted the battling.
too, of
the hate Johnson had 1906. nurtured in his heart. It would be a hard tight
Suddenly the 20,000 crowd let up a tremendous cheer.
Down the centre aisle, bobbing
confidently towards the ring
came Johnson immense bright yellow robe.
worthy opponents as his reason.
# count
he was no match for the Negro.
Avenged, Johnson, the Arst Negro to win a world ütle, be for vacating the heavyweight With the tile, Burns in throne - despite the fact that herited the wrath of Johnson. It was a bitter fight, cruel in came one of the greatest heavy- its one-sidedness. A short weights ever-even if success
Burns did go to his like a black shadow, taunting vicious right jab sent
heed. him with challenges, demanding down again........ rocognition.
in Juhnson had been pounding at He trailed Bigns everywhere
his door for months.
KILMARNOCK
UPSET
BURNLEY IN US.
FOOTBALL LEAGUE
New York, June 1.
Kilmarnock of Scotland upset Burnley of England tonight 2-0 to take undisputed first place in the U.S. International Soccer League. The half time score was 1-0. Burnley now has won one Kilmarnock scored its first and lost one, and Glenavon of goal in the 18th minute of the Ircard and Bayern Muenchen first half on a high centre by of Germany each has won one Andy Kerr and crashed home its and lost two. New York has second goal just 30 seconds be- lest the only game it played and fore the end of the game during Nice of France has not yel #scramble which followed a played,-UPI, penalty-kick.
Took chances
Burnley controlled the ball for most of the first half and for the early minutes of the second half but never was able to penetrate the Scottish de- fence for a truly clean shot at the goal.
Baseball results
New York, June 1. Results of today's baseball,
As the second half wore on and it became apparent that the one gual might be the deciding; matches included: point, Burnley was forced to take | chances to break up its pre- Pitsburgh cise passing pattern to take bad shots and to kick hurriedly from well out.
Kilmarnock, in excellent phy- sical. shape, ran at top speed from beginning to end and took control of the game after about 18 minutes of the second half. Towards the end Kilmarnock was clearly superior lo, the desperate English champions.
Everyone of the Kilmarnock players shared in the victory- there was no outstanding stars. The half-back and full-back line gave stout support to goalie Jim Brown and the forwards ran hard all the way, keeping the Burnley half-backs and full- backs occupled every minute.
Unbeaten
Scotland's
long - passing
At first, Burns ignored him But when Johnson's case was faken up by more liberal sport writers he descended to gibės.
The Negro was yellow. Not At company for a white man -- even in the ring.
Furiously, one day in 1907, Johnson trailed Burns to a New York hotel, where the champion was ceremoniously signing con tracts for his first fight against Australian Bill Squires,
Burning passion
"When are you going to stop fighting duds?" Johnson de- manded.
"I fight the men my public demands." Burns gibed. Sweat- ing with rage, Johnson "wes escorted off the premises by the mariagement.
The incident turned Johnson's ambition into a burning passion.
Now he wazted Barns' scalp. And he swore not to rest until he had the barrel- shaped Canadian at the re- ceiving end of his fists.
Burns fought Squires and knocked him out in two and a quarter minutes. Then he came to England to further his fame and fortune. Johnson followed.
In London, Burns, the flam- toyant clown who fancied hi- self Napoleon's double won the heart of the fight fans..
Napoleon of ring
He was short (5 ft. 7 in), but scaled 12% stone. His moon-face 7425 not
NATIONAL LEAGUE Cincinnati ... 000-000-0000-0 202-000-30x-3-11-0 Purkey, Nuxhall (3), Henry (8). and Bailey. House (3); Friend and Burges.
unlike W-Friend (B-2). L-Purkey (3-2). Chicago
000-100-000--1--31 Napoleon's. And he enhanced San Francisco 031-000-00)~~~24-0 the illusion by dressing his hair.
Averill, Thacker Ellsworth and
in a similar fashio:i ta the (0); Jones and Schmidt,
W-Jents (6-4). L-Ellsworth (2-2).
French Emperor's. Milwauke
100-201-011-10-2 Philadelphia 000-110-001-3-—10—0
Buli and Gradell; Roberts and W-Buhl (4-2). L-Roberts (1-7). Home runs-Milwaukee, Covington.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
100-000-000-1-1-3
Dalrymple.
(3)
New York ..... Baltimore
000-030–10%-40 Max. Gabler (8). and Berra: Brown and Courtney,
W-Brown (4-1). L-Mass (0-1). Home runs-New York, Manile Cleveland's game at Kansas City has been postponed because of rain and wet grounds—AP.
(7). Baltimore, Hansen (4),
scheme, apparently somewhat Bayern Munchen's
unexpected, time and again
caught the Burnley defence out of position and allowed
The Sophs to came in for dan gerous thruals.
However, several good.saves
But to promoters he was 0 hard-beaded business man,
uthless in his demands.
Burns fought only vetted op- ponents. He chose the gloves for the contest. He demanded the right to appoint the referee. And before he would consent to don a glove, his purse had to he paid to his seconds for safe. keeping.
He always got his way. For the Napoleon of the Ring was the biggest draw in the world,
He toppled every" opponent who dared face him. He khocked out the English Wile New York, June 1. holder, Gummer Moir, in ten Bayern Munchen of Westemands. Jack Palmer lasted Germany ruined their first win four. In Dublin, Jen Roche,
First Win
by Blacklaw and some hurried the U.S. International Soccer was counted out in the
shooting by the Scots nulled
all except the two scoring of tempts.
The victory gave Kilmarnock a record of three wing in three geches
League when they defeated three minutes..... Clonaven, Northern Irisad
Grounds tonight,
Arst
champions, 3-0 at the Polo vious every day that only They led 2-0 at half-time-Johnson would give the cham- tion the kind of fight be shte
AP.
served.
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