The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-01-04
SHE LOVES TO FIGHT.
A Chat With Mrs. Hattie Stewart, "rhe
Female John L. Sullivan"

Female John L. Sullivan"
Buffalo Express.
To look at her no one would believe that
the woman who sat in room I at the Spen-
Ger House last svening, talking with an
Express young man, was the champion
woman priZe-6ghter Of America-Mrs.
Hattie Stewart.
Though built from q mold made for
casting a man, Mrs. Stewart is not mascu-
line in looks, save for ber short hair. Her
face is round and attractive, and her voice
is pleasant. The vernacula- OF the pug. list
and sport sounded strange from her lips,
and her evidently sincere interest in sport
ing matters especially prize. .fighting-was
a novelty, to say the least From Maine
to California, Hattie Stewart is known to
sporting men as The Female John L. Sui
lIvsn," and she is proud of her title. On
November 11th last a iull-psge picture of
her adorned the New York Police Gazette,
and she treasures il in scrap book well
filled with other press notices she has re-
&C we'd.
Il nke to fight" said she. "As girl at
school in Philadelphia l was always fight
ing with boys. was born and brought up
in Philadelphia. 1 learned boxing and
club-swinging in 1876, when l was twenty
years old. For three years taught box
ing to ladies in the Norfolk, Va, gymna-
sium. Those Southern women are pretty
tough, too. They can put on the gloves
with any man. All they care for is horse
racing and sport"
Have you seen the challenge of Mrs.
Alice Robson, of Pittsburg, printed in the
New York World of November % last?
She offers TO fight you to finish for 81 900
a side."
Yes, i have seen it, and have answered
it through the World. l will meet her at
any time or place, and will fight her for
any amount. She has not replied to my
answer. i think she is blufing. They
say she is jealous of me because l was too
familiar with her first husband. Some.
body has been putting up job on her,
guess.
Mrs Robson, am told, is 81 years old
is brunette, feet 6, who fights at $50
pounds. Her husband Is a master painter
at Grafton, near Pittsburg. She's taking
four lessons week in boxing, hear, with
Tom Conno-s, the wrestler, as her trainer.
They say that she and her husband own
$40, 900 worth of property. If 1 had that
much money I'd quit the business-as
profession.
'tMy fighting weight is between $50 and
16o pounds, in tights, though pull up $50
pounds BOW. / haven't been doing any
work lately. can soon get down to l60
pounds by banging away at the sand-bag
few hours each day. 1 can take off Is
pounds week IL it's Tor q night.
"Here's picture of Annie Lewis. I
licked her at Houston, Texas, February %,
1885. A match was first made for Us at
New Orleans, for 5000 q side, but the sher-
If interfered and we had to quit. She was
the hardest woman / ever defeated, bat
did it IN less than two minutes. That's the
great trouble in my business-the sheriff.
Whenever get chance to fight, even if
it's advertised as only friendly set-to,'
the authorities get onto us and stop the
mill. All the work do now has to be in
private.
Annie Lewis is dead now, poor girl.
She began to advertise herself as cham
pion female boxer of the world. This
CALLED me, because | knew / could lick
her. We met, and offered to spar her for
fun, to take the conciet out OF her. She
wouldn't do that, but wanted to fight
for $500 The contest was finally arranged
for 5000, at Houston. We were to have
fought eight rounds, Marquis OF Queens-
berry ruler, for scientific points,
but 1 Knocked her out on the
second round. 1 got the stakes and all Of
the excursion money-the fight was little
way out OF town.
"How old am II / was born on October
~, 1858. My parents were Germans. I
was married TO Richard Stewart, my pres
| ent husband, at Norfolk. He was m sster-
of-the-sword at the gymnasium where /
taught boxing to women.
"Did ever fght With mani Oh yes,