The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-30
GOVERNOR MITCHELL is HOT.
Declares the Prize Fight Will
Not Come Off.
he Scores the County 0mciais and Ao-
ouses Them of Aiding and Abettiny
tho Duval Athletic Club to Pull Off
the Match-MeanwhiIe Corbett and
Mitchell are Busily Fighting Each
Other With Their Tongues.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Dec. e9.-Goy-
ernor Mitchell, the anti-prize fight
executive Of Florida, hurled to-day an.
other bomb at the Duval Athletic Club,
the promoter of the proposed mill be-
tween Corbett and Mitchell.
The story goes that the governor is
exceedingly wroth at the course of the
Duval judicial authorities in arresting
Corbett and Mitchell. 1t is said that
the governor has been keeping the
wires hot ell day roasting Solicitor
Christie, of the county court, for his
action in the matter, charging that
Christie, and all the other judicial off,
GERS OF this county, are In collision
with the Duval Athletic Club and are
abstting the clubs efforts to pull off
the match, and that the arrests and
proposed test OF the law are not In good
faith.
Tho governor goes further, it is said,
and reiterates that the proposed fight is
in violation of the laws of the State and
asserts that it shall not come off unless
the supreme court decides that such
contests are legal. The judicial au thori.
ties OF this county whom, it is said, the
governor has attacked, refuse to either
denyi or affirm the current reports.
They admit that they have received
kilograms from the governor in regard
to the arrest of Corbeti and Mitchell
and the proposed test of the law, but
the nature Of the dispatches they refuse
to divulge.
The Southern Associated Press cor.
respondent, however, has it from out
side sources that tho tenor of the tele.
grams was such as has been described
and thai Governor Mitchell was
indignant at the collision OF tho
Duval county authorities with the pro-
motors of tho prize fight. At any ra to
| this has been q rather "blue" day for
the sports, and ttere is rather a
"shaky" feeling in regard to the pull
ing off OF the fight.
Tfte situation is about as follows:
Governor Mitchell and ATTORNEY Gen.
eral Lamar, the highest law officer in
the State assert that the proposed con-
test would violate the laws OF the
State; Bowden, of the athletic club, and
his lawyers say it would not. Governor
Mitchell was once on the supreme
bench, and it Is believed that he knows
as much about the laws of the State as
the attorneys for the club. It is also
believed that the opinion of ATTORNEY
General Lamar, that the proposed fight
would be illegal, was prepared after
consult ation with tho governor and
nom bers of the supreme court as to the
law in the case.
1t is significant in this connection
that Governor Mitchall says no decision
save that OF the supreme court will de-
ter him from his efforts to stop the
fight. Those close to the governor
believe that this declaration means
that the governor knows that the de
clslon OF supreme court will be against
the legality Of the contest
Several things have conspired to make
the governor very bitter in his opposi-
ton to the fight. One special dis
patch" sent out from Jacksonville has.
1t is said, cut him to the quick, and
hardened him in his determination that
no no smuggling match shall occur in
Florida. The especial" referred to
stated in substance that, while tho
governor was at Tampa for the holiday
certain parties who favored the fight
proposed to get him off on a camp hunt,
and mellow him. and jolly him" into
allowing the fight to come off.
1t was broadly intimated in tho dis
patch that good liquids and cigars would
play great part in the mellowing and
Jollying campaign against the governor
Naturally all these things have mad
dened the governor, and it is said that
the mention Of the word zig ht" acts on
him like the sight of red rag on a bull.
In confirmation of the above state
ment OF Governor Mitchell's attitude, a
dispatch just received from Tampa saws
that the governor stated this evening in
the most positive terms that "the fight
will not como off in Florida" He saws
that he has his plans for preventing the
light consummated and that at the pro-
per moment he will act. The proper
moment" is supposed to be. in the gov
ernor's opinion, when Mitchell and Cor
bett are about ready to face one another.
The governor is further quoted as say
ing II regard this proposed fight as an
oifense against the peace and dignity OF
the State and my determination to pre-
vent it is hxed.'
Meanwhile Corbett and Mitchell are
engaged in Singing Billingsgate at ono
another, to the great disgust of tho
public Corbett yesterday, in an inter-
view, called Mitchell "a convict and
sneak" and Mitchell replies to-day
applying similar choice epithets to
Corbett. II the promoters of the fight
should by any means succeed in pulling
off the contest despite the governor, and
Corbett and Mitchell fight half as we'll
with their fists as they do with their
tongues, the spectators will be sure to
receive good run for their money.
Score m he USIcvcta Ra,o