The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-29
FLORIDA'S LAW ON FIGHTS.
COTbett and Mitchell Arrested TO
Make a Test Case.

Both Give Bonds to Appear In Court
on Jan. 2-They Are Charged With
Attempting Uniawfully to Meet
Each Other to Engage In a Fight.
Mitchell Inclined to Kick at His
Arrest, but Pacifed by the Assur-
ance of the Directors of the Club.
Jacksonville, Fla, Dec. 2S.-Charles
Mitchell and James J. Corbett were ar
rested to-day, according toa prearranged
programme of the Duval Athletic Club, to
test the law in this state in reference to
glove contests.
Mitchell was arrested just after he
finished breakfast at the Everett hotel
this morning, but Corbett did not appear
in court until this afternoon, as he could
not reach the city from his training quar-
ters at Mayport at an earlier hour.
The affidavit was issued this morning
by County Judge Baker. II says that
Charles Mitchell and James j. Corbett
did, ON Dec. 27, agree to commit an Of
Tense prohibited by law, to wit: Did at
tempt unlawfully, by a previous appoint
ment, to meet each other with the inten-
tion of engaging in a fight.
| TIP WARRANT.
The warrant recites the substance of
| the affidavit, including the articles of
agreement alleged to have been signed by
the principals. These articles of agree
ment call for scientific glove contest
with gloves allowed by law, and also em-
power the referee of the contest to arrest
it when, in his opinion, it endangers life
or limb of the principals. The warrant
| concludes with the allegation that
Corbett and Mitchell are now trying
| to get together and carry out their inten-
| tlon TO light under the agreement. The
| judge commanded the arrest of both He
| did not, however, issue the warrants or
affidavit until County Solicitor J. b.
| Christie had passed upon them. Judge
| Christie passed upon both, and advised
the sheriff to go ahead and have the war
rants served. He first amended the affi-
davit before approving it.
| MITCHELL's ARRIVAL.
Mitchell, accompanied by his party, the
members of the Duval Athletic Club and
a number of local sports went to the court
room. 1t soon got noised abroad what
was up and the result was that the county
| judges room and the corridors of the court
house were filed with humanity, from
business men and gentlemanly sports TO
the rag-tag and bob-tail of the town.
The first thing that Mitchell did was to
look around over the room for Corbett.
| Not seeing him shade of disappoint-
ment spread over his face, and he asked
where he was. The members of the club
said: "Oh, he'll be here later on"
MITCHELL DIsTRUsTFUL.
He evidently did not like it bit, and
said that the arrest of him first looked as
| if he were being made monkey Of He
| would not have minded had he haan ar
| rested at the same time as the other man.
He was told, though-and found some
consolation in the fact-that the
warrant was a joint affair, in which
both he and Corbett were or
dered to be arrested and brought
before the court Once in the court
room the formal reading of the warrant
was gone through with. Deputy Sheriff
| Vinzan did the reading. He stood on
the inside and read while Mitchell looked
over his shoulder and followed him. The
| legal part of the warrant did not seem to
| interest Mitchell half as much as the ar
| ticles of agreement which they incorpor-
ated
MITCHELL CALLS A HALT.
When the deputy got down to, "Said
gloves to be furnished by James j. Cor
bett," Mitchell said, Hold on" He put
his finger on the place and was about to
make du ODJeCIiOu, Dub MI bOWueu JOlQ
him that was all right, so he simply
smiled, and the reading continued. After
the formalities of the arrest were gone
through with, a bond was made out
Mitchell binds himself in the sum of
81 500 to appear before the criminal court
on Jan. 2. His sureties are Messrs. Rich
ardson and Bowden, both of the athletic
club.
AFRAID OF THE BOND.
The Englishman pondered over the
bond some time, and asked if it was going
to cost him anything. He said he would not
put his name to it If there was one dollar
of expense. He would 90 to jail first and
fight his own case. He didn't wish to
appear as if he invited this arrest.
A. w. Cockrell, Jr., of the firm of
Cockrell & Son, who was present, as
sured him that the club was bearing the
expense, and that it had retained ample
counsel to conduct the whole affair; also
that Corbett had to go through the same
programme. Then Mitchell sat down
and put his name on the bond.
ooRBETT COMES TO COURT.
During the afternoon Corbett and his
party reached the city from Mayport.
Corbett Immediately proceeded to the
courthouse and went through the same
formalities regarding the bond as
Mitchell did in the morning
During the Corbett hearing, Solicitor
Christie expressed doubt whether the
articles of agreement, which were lncor-
porated in the warrant on which the men
were arrested, were identical with the
original articles. The solicitor seemed to
think that the clause giving the referee
power to stop the contest when, in his
(the referees) opinion. it endangers life
or limb, was an afterthought.
CoRBETT SAYS IT CAN'T BE BRUTAL.
Corbett explained to the solicitor that
even II this clause had been added to the
original articles of agreement it cut no
figure, as 1t was impossible for the pro-
posed contest to become brutal, so long as
the rules governing such contests were
enforced.
Corbett then affixed his name to the
bond requiring him, under penalty of
81 500, to appear in the criminal court
Jan. 2, and answer the charges set forth
in the warrant His sureties, as in the
case of Mitchell, were Messrs. Bowden
and Richardson, of the athletic club.
Friends of both Corbett and Mitchell,
especially of the latter, treated the whole
proceeding as a huge joke.
A TICKLER FOR CoRBETT.
They jollied him about the prospect of
being locked up, and one of the party