Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-30
OPPOSING THE FIGHT,
The Governor of Florida Promises to
Keep Mitchell and COrbett Apart.


The managers of the Duval Athletic Club
at Jacksonville, Fla, are in a state of pam
ic. The arrest of Corbett and Mitchell was
designed to define the law and get decla-
ration from Judge Baker of the county
court that the proposed match, as describ-
ed in the articles of agreement, would not
be an illegal act.
Governor Mitchell refuses either to coun-
tenance the proceedings while they pend or
to respect the decision of the court when
1t is rendered This is what he said:
Il shall not be garroted by any county
or circuit courts decision. There are seven
courts in the state, and each one may give
a different judgment. If the case is sub
mitted to the supreme court, as a last re-
sort. and if the court decides that l have
no authority to prevent the fight will be
governed by it, but will not be governed
by the decision of any other court in the
state"
The governor is exceedingly wroth at the
course OF the Duval county judicial authori-
ties in arresting Corbett and Mitchell 1t
is said that the governor has been keeping
the wires hot roasting Solicitor Christie of
the county court for his action in the mat
ter, charging that Christie and all the other
judicial officers of the county are in collu-
SION with the Duval Athletic Club, and are
abetting the clubs efforts to pull off the
match, and that the arrests and proposed
test OF the law are not in good faith.
The judicial authorities of the county
refuse to either deny or affirm the current
reports. They admit that they have re-
ceived kilograms from the governor in re-
gard to the arrests of Corbett and Mitchell
and the proposed test of the law, but the
nature Of the dispatches they refuse to d.
vulge.
Al any rate. yesterday was rather
blue" day for the sports and there was a
feeling ri fn fhsa ont
come.
The situation is about as follows:
Governor Mitchell and Attorney General
Lamar, the highest law officer of the state
assert that the proposed contest will violate
the laws of the state; Bowden of the ath-
letic club and his lawyers say that it will
not.
Governor Mitchell was once on the SILL
preme bench, and 1t is believed that he
knows as much about the laws of the state
as the attorneys for the club. 1t is also be-
neved that the opinion of Attorney General
Lamar that the proposed fight would be IL
legal was prepared after a consultation
with the governor and members of the su-
preme court as to the law in the case.
IT Is significant In this connection that
Governor Mitchell says no decision save
that of the supreme court will deter him
from mis- efforts to stop the fight Those
close to the governor believe that this decla-
ration means that the governor knows
that the decision of the supreme court will
be against the legality of the contest
An Unwise Beast.
Several things have conspired to make
the governor very bitter in his opposition
to the fight. One special dispatch" sent
out from Jacksonville has, it is said, cut
him to the quick and hardened him in his
determination that no smuggling match shall
occur In Florida. The special referred to
stated, in substance. that while the gov
ernor was at Tampa for the holidays GER
tain parties who favored the fight proposed
to get him off on camp hunt and mellow
him and jolly him" into allowing the fight
to come off. 1t was broadly intimated in
the dispatch that good liquids and cigars
would play a great part in the mellowing
ana 1ollylng campaign against the governor
Naturally. all these things have madden
ed the governor, and 1t is said that to men,
ton the word fight" acts on him like the
sight OF a red rag on a bull.
In confirmation of the above statements
of Governor Mitchelrs attitude a dispatch
just received from Tampa says that the
governor stated last evening in the most
positive terms that 1.-The fight will not come
OF in Florida" He says that he has his
plans for preventing the fight consummat-
ed. and that at the proper moment he will
act.
The proper moment" is supposed to be-
in the governors opinion. when Mitchell
and Corbett are about ready to face each
other. The governor is further quoted
as saying: Il regard this proposed fight as
an offense against the peace and dignity of
the state, and my determination to prevent
it is fixed"
Meanwhile Corbett and Mitchell are en-
gagged in singing billingsgate at each 9TH
er, to the great disgust of the public Cor
bett, In an interview. called Mitchell "a con-
Wet and sneak" and Mitchell replies, ap-
plying similar choice epithets to Corbett.
A Morning Fight Planned.
1t has been decided to have the fight take
place at IL O'CLOCK in the morning instead
of night. Arrangements for electric light
ing at night could not be made.