The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-03

mlddle TelSnt champion Oh Tie world,
met tonight before the Olympic Club,
OF this city, for purse Of $4,000, OF
which the loser gets 81 900.
The Olympic's had an arena which
seated 5000 people. 1t was fully tested
tonight to its fullest capacity. 1t was n
magnificent gathering. There werc
sporting men from England, Ireland,
and from every corner OF the United
States. Chicago and New York between
them had fully five hundred delegates.
There have been crowds around the
st. Charles hotel aud the pool rooms.
Betting has been free. Every rumor
has boon passed about with lightning
like rapidity. Every pugilist has had q
following. Prominent ones like Slavin
and Mitchell have had q mob at their
heels. The climax came when Fitzsim-
mons showed up this morning. He had
an army behind him. His fine condi-
ton was apparent to all who saw him.
Ills fine condition was apparent to all
who saw him. He laughed, joked and
chatted, but reirainedfrom any mention
OF the fight.
FITz IN GOOD SHAPE.
Fitzsimmons is over six feet tall and
when he trained for Dempsey, getting
down to l54 pounds, he was so thin that
he seemed liable to break into pieces at
any moment. This time, however,
without any weight limit, he has
trained up instead OF down, and has
grown as stout as man,of Fits build
can be imagined TO be. His broad
shoulders arc massed with muscles and
his long arms and long, thin legs have
actually graceful loins to them. The
face, TOO, is round and rosy, and alto.
gcther the New Zealander is long,
stronger and better than ever before
He weighed between l6S and l72 pounds
ut different portions OF his last work
days, and tonight was very near ITO
pounds. After he walked through the
crowd in the city his friends obtained
removed confidence, md many bets
were placed on him at even money.
Soon after his arrival Fitz went to the
house OF friend near the Olympic
Club and there spent most of the day
in rest, timing himself go as to got to
the arena shortly before the fight.
MAnER's APPEARANCE.
In accordance with the original pro-
grammo signed by Billy Madden and
tho other members OF Maher's cabinet,
tho Irishman was kept far from the
maddcncd crowd Dave Holland was
his constant attendant. At 4 o'clock he
ate dinner, and took no moro nourish-
ment until the tight. Maher was in
great form. Although not as tall rs
Fitzsimmons, he looked much stronger
and full OF vim and stamina. lie has
black hair, low brow, firm, broad
laws, square chin, and short, brown
nustaChe above pleasant mouth and a
fine SGT of.teeth. His chest and shoul-
ders, especially tho lattor, were OF true
heavy weight proportions, and driving
power was imposed all over them. His
arms, although long, wcre heavily mus
cled and big and broad OF bone, thekind
that could bc depended upon for hard
work. From the way tho Irishmau
spoke and acted he was very confident,
although not in happy mood.
There is n good deal OF viciousncss in
his disposition and it cropped out con-
tinually. He thought that Slavin and
Mitchell and all Of tho big pusilists
were anxious to have him whipped de-
spite their sweet words to tho con-
trary, but he said he would win. IIe
seemed eager ior tho hour OF the fight
and his talk was that he intended to
make short work OF the Now Zealander
if he could.
4 CONFIDENT MAN.
He refused several kind invitations to
sup after the show, intimating that he
intended 10 keep to himself, but ho had
private arrangement with Holland to
open bottle OF wine at hall past
o'clock provided the fight started at 0
o'clock. Holland was lmbued with all
OF Maher's confidence, and got away
from him long enough before the fight
to'place $1,000 upon tho result, being in
favor OF AIaher. There was one thing
that cast a gloom upon the Irish cham.
pion, and it was good deal i'll the na-
ture OF superstition. llo objected
strenuously to lighting OH Ash Wedncs-
day, and had used every effort to Sc.
euro some other date but without sue.
cess. Tho fact weighed on him little,
and his chagrin was dc opened because
he had forgotten TO 60 to church in the
morning Tho superstition increased
his yiciousncss, and boded i'll ior his
rival If the fierce giant could got his
battcring rams near the middle-weights S
body.
Il was arranged during the day that
Billy Madden and Gus ruthill would be