The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-04

N AGSH IL 10 CuSIOMAh1 Nv
~ begin a biography with the date Of
! birth. That is really a very important
svent in a mans life. and I don't mlad say
inR that on Sept. 1, 1892, | was Just twenty
az years old. ] staad six feet, ons and one.
half inches in my Stocking feet" a. w
put 1t out west, and ! am going to oonvincs
my Trends very SOON shat their confidsned
IN every inch Of me ID not misplaced. ]
don't moan by that that ] am certain OIL
whipping Sullivan. ! only want to say thai
feel - confident Is do my friends. and
that am going to fight the contest of my
life.
was born in tho atty whore the setting
sun glistsns through golden gates at q,
pretty a place as there 10 in the universe
San Francisco. My father is Patrick J.
Corbstt, a man about tifty-eight years Ole
and fully as tall As l am. He il straight al
an arrow and still = very strong and active
man. II was in 1854 that no came to San
Francisco from New Orleans, to which
place he 4 come from his Islsh homo al
Tuam. MY mother is still q young woman
and AS proud of all her boys and girls az
they are OF her. She was married to my
father in 1858, and the family consiats OF
mother n father, Frank. Harry. Thomas,
Joseph. Esther, Theresa. Kate, Mary and
myself. l am the third of the boys.
(, l received my education at Sacred Heart
college. from which institution / was grad
uated, and soon after, when about sixteen,
accepted . position in the Nevada bank.
Az fourteen ! did . great deal of boxing,
but it was always in q boyish, very amateur
ish way, but l repeatedly bested boys older
and larger Than myself.
After | went into the bank l took part in
many amateur club toul naments, almost
invariably meeting henvyweiRhts. although
at that time | Wac ha, dly a middIsveipht
a poo! seller. and finished him in two
,ounds. II was about this time that l
joined the, Olympic club. of which l later
became boxing instructor. My hrst fight of
any consequence was with lack Barke. "the
Irish lad" a man who had stood ~ before
The experience l had had in the amateur
ring Sc ved nae we'll in this fight, but my
failing to knock Burks out was due to nv
great carsfulress. I recognize now that
still Lacked that confidence which comes
with professional work. We fought eight
rounds to a draw.
next fought Joe Choynski and whipped
him in four rounds. All told. l have had
four goes" with Choynski, two of which
were during my amateur days md two in
the professional ring. whipped him, every
time. "'E "
My next fight was with Mike Brennan,
the Port Costa giant. He had fought forty
thought him q strong man. Think he out
weighed me twenty poun DO and over. but
three rounds sut1iced to knock him out.
My next fight was with Capt. James Daily,
and two rounds finished him. Frank Smith.
of Salt Lake, suooumbed to me in three
rounds.
As 1 recall it now my next fight was will
George Atkinson. who went into the ring
weighing 230 pounds. finished him in two
rounds, although l weighed myself only 165
pounds. then bested Frank Glover in
two rounds.
It was after this that I had my second
professional fight with Joe Choynski. Hs
weighed in At l73 and 1 at 1863. There was
big money up in the eight and both the
friends of Choynski and myself had a great
deal of money at stake. The fight occur sed
on a barge in the middleo of the sacramento
river, and, as is we'll known, was simply a
continuation of the contest that had been
stopped a week before by the authorities.
l broke both hands in tho third round, but
beyond that had hardly a soratch on my
body at tho end of the twenty seventh
round. when Jack Dempsey, who was back
of Choynski, threw up the sponge.
Shortly after that ! resumed my position
as instructor in the Olympic club, and left
1t to meet Jake kilrain before the Southern
Athletic club in a six round fight for points
for a purse of 81, SOC. l came out of that
contest without = scratch, and could easily
have finished kil1ain. The purse was
awarded me.
then started on my nrst sparring tour
and on my hrst visit AZ q professional to
Nav NnYk Harm haaNH n~r~sL 4
Catfrey in four rounds. and my friends at
once arranged a fight with Pete. jackson
for purse of $10.O 900. We fought sixty
one rounds. IA everybody knows, and l am
convinced. and 10 were all those At the
fight, that jackson WAS tired out and that
l had the contest won. Bat to my oonstsr-
nation and surprise it was declared a draw.
The decision was an outrageous one. unfair
and unjust to me, aud to the frienda who
backed me. 1t WAS really An unhsard-o
decision. We fought four hours. Jackson
had weighed in at 204 and I ut 178, and at
the end Jackson had Lost eight and one-hnlf
pounds in weight. j determined then never
to fight before that club again.
l then continued my sparring tour
through the east, Offering to stop anybody
in four rounds. For three weeks l met a
different man every night. They sooured
the country for strong amateurs and good
professionally. but | failed 10 find a man
WAC COuAo sp"Au w vi II HoAPul0sau tlHS.
Then l came to New York and met three
men in one night at the Madison Square
Garden. l finished William Spillings. of
Muldoon's combination, a heavy weight. in
hfty-fvs seconds; Bob" Coffee, a Phila-
delphis boy. in twenty seconds, and Joe
Lannou, Of Boston. another heavyweight,
in three Wounds. Then l went as far west
a. Chlifo rnis ON the tour, meeting and fin-
ishing at least twenty men.
l was very anxious to get a fight on with
Charley Mitchell At this time, but couldn't
draw him out.
Then came Sullivan's challenge, and. AZ l
would not admit the he is my superior, l
accepted the challenge. l feel az If | had
AN even chance, and II spleudid physical
condition, good hard work and ca, sful
training count for anything l will make u
good showing Ill the ring.
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