The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-28
CORBETT ON THE FIGHT.

HE Denies 1aat lie 1AOnnitteO ne was
Willing to Stop.
James j. Corbett wrote An article over his
own signature for the San Francisco Ex-
aminer of Sunday last on his recent fight
with Peter jackson, of which the following
is the full text:
"When it was first proposed that I should
meet jackson l was rather doubtful as to
whether 1 would or not. After some persua-
sion l consented, but I did not feel any too
confident of nv ability to stay with him
until l met him in the ring last Thursday
night. There was not much to en-
courage me. but rather the reverse.
Everybody thought l WAS an inferior
man compared to Jyckson, and all the bet
ting was in his favor, and consequently for
a few days preceding the fight had a great
deal to discourage me. This all dlsap-
peared the moment L stepped into the ring
and saw jackson. Then | realized the
magnitude of the task l had before me. but
it did not discourage me in the least. On
the contrary, after had sized up my man
nothing in the world coald have persuaded
me that l was ultimately going to leave
that ring a whipped man. There was
something in my mind that told me l was
at least the equal of Jackson, if not his
superior. 1 never experienced a similar
feeling, and it is difficult to account for it.
Certainly | could see nothing that would
cause me to think so. | saw at a glance
that ! had q perfect general to fight with.
and his extra weight was, of course, an ad-
vantage TO him, but still when the gong
sounded / was MS lighthearted as a school
boy. Az the tight progressed, and we set
tied down to business, | found that l was
quite able to take my part, without putting
forth any extra effort. l at once discovered
that Jackson was q careful man and that
he did not intend to force things. l thought
he was relying on his staying power SO l
followed his example. | cannot recoiiect q
single time when l took the lead. Jackson
assumed the offensive from the first and |
, did not propose to interfere with his doing
so. At the same time, | never failed 20 fol-
low up his lead with a load of my own. At
! ter the first half-a-doZen rounds | saw that
Jackson had decided in his own mind that
my weak spot was over my heart, bat he
only succeeded IN placing his fist there
once. About the same time | found out
that he was more anxious to defend his
=. stomach than any other part of himself. So
for his stomach ] went, and | think with
some success.
The only blow J received which was really
an effective one, and which bothered me
anything worth speaking about, WAS q
e square hit from Jackson's right, which
landed on the pit of my stomach, about
the twentieth round. The reports that
: hurt my hands while striking his head are
not correct. | did not hurt them by hitting
u Oh any pdItlCuiaE DldIS. Do1ItbIlllGS
O would miss the ribs and land on his arm
4 and Jackson's arms being particularly
hard it weakened my wrists. When | saw
10 that he was becoming used to nay bod,
Us blows | changed my tactics once in Il Will,
le and struck for his head. ! had to do this
re- to make him raise his guard. If 1 had no
d done 30, he would very soon have defended
le his stomach SO that ] could never hav
it reached it. IEoticed that every time HI
D. received a hit in the neighbochood of tin
l. belt he went away smiling, For a time hi
3, Inads me believe that it did not hurt him
re but / soon discovered that the laugh wa
in meaItto mislead me
e My left hand began to trouble me abou
tn tine thirty-fifth round, but my right stage,
i'll with me- all the time and | vas holding
back for the finish. l thought that as h
ay was on the long end of the betting ii wa
his place to bring the fight to a finish.
at was expecting him to do il and was read
z for it. | did not care if the fight lasted a
ne night. When he stopped leading ! sti
ul continued my defense. Jackson force
Id everything for thirtg-five rounds. l dil
es not, and did not intend to after that; | wa
ny inviting him to lick me. As be did not re
b. spond / said to myself: II will stand he1
u anyhow. After doing so we'll for fort
80 rounds will not change my taetics."
b. The last twenty rounds have been oalle
rs, a walking match. To anyone that know
II. nothing of fighting perhaps they wer'
but | had Il reason for doing rs | di'
My seconds old Inc thai Jackson was tire
n and his legs were giving away, and thu
~ they did not think he could stand on u
=. feet for another hour. | was as strong u
nay legs as at the start and my wind W;
perfect, so | could not sea the wisdom
forcing tho fight when | knew that II
or strongest point was in reserying myself.
have been strengthened in this opinic
ng since | heard that Jackson's legs failed hi
as he was going upstairs to his dressing
room.
When | saw it was a case of "horse al
horse" and that apparently neither OF
for was able to give e Knockout blow, l W
satisfied to stand there. AZ ] was undout
eddy in the best condition throughout,
stands to reason that had we been allow
to finish | ought to have won, and as
matter of fact, | believe | would have do
SO. When the referee called us up at I
end of the sixtieth round he said to us:
'Ho What do You intend to dor"
said, 81 am doing nv best"
ue. jackson snid, II am tired, and | am ia
ing chances"
Major Mclaughlin said: SIS there mn
thing the matter with your hands, Jimf"
III there is you don't tAink l would
BON fool enough to acknowledge 1t before Jac
SOM" | replied.
ain Then | callei the major aside as thong
wished to talk Of sansthlng else. My /