The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-09
THE FIGHT WILL COME OFF.
Duyal Athletic Club Throws Down the
Gage OF Battle.

Duyal Athletic Club Throws Down the
Gage OF Battle.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Jan. S-The
Duval Athletic Club this afternoon
threw down the gage of battle to Gov
ernor Mitchell and the State authori-
ties. 1t announced that it proposed to
bring about the prize fight between
Corbett and Mitchell despite the Op
position OF tho governor and despite the
opinion Of Attorney General Lamar
that the fight would be violation of
the laws of Florida.
AS will be seen from the statement by
the club, words are not in the least
minced. The club people seem to think
that they have the law on their side,
and that Governor Mitchell is acting in
a tyrannical and extra-judicial manner
and they say so in plain words.
The statement Of the club, which will
BIO found below, was called forth by tho
following letter from Attorney General
Lamar, of Florida, to the Chicago Inter
Ocean and published in that paper this
morning:
Your favor OF the 22d instant at
hand. Therein you request that give
you some reliable information upon the
probability of the Corbett. Mitchell
prize fight taking p ace in Florida You
intimate that you desire this for the
guidance OF sports now looking to
ward this State. Governor Mitchell has
declared emphatically that ne would
use all the power at his command to
prevent the Corbett Mitchell fight As
you know him and the old Hickory
qualities of the governor, this declara-
tion itself settles it that there will be
no fight unless the prize fighters can, at
the last moment, evade the authorities
"The law in this State Is ample co
prevent the fight and punish the fighters
should they succeed in having the mill.
The governor is charged by the consti-
tuition with seeing that the laws are
faithfully executed and in carrying out
such commands he can use the civil and
military authority of the State. If it
becomes necessary he will use the latter
as we'll as the former, but at present
l think he deems the civil authorities
ample to cope with prize fighting. You
may safely say to the readers of tho
Inter-Ocaan that the Corbett Mitchell
prize fight cannot be pulled off" in
Florida in the year 1894. This letter is
triple extra official in language and
general scope, but you asked for in
formation and it is given. Very truly
yours. w. B. LAMAR,
Attorney General
AS will be seen the attorney general
is very positive that the fight viii not
be pulled oT' in Florida, but the at
torney generals positive odict against
the tight is met by a positive statement
from the club that the contest will occur
nd occur in Florida at that.
Here is what the club says in reply to
the attorney general:
Attorney General Lamar, speaking
for himself and the governor, having
declared in a letter to the Inter Ocean
OF Chicago that the Corbott-M Mitchell
contest will not take place in Florida,
1T IS proper that we inform the public
that neither the attorney general nor
the governor possess any judicial power
and TO add that tho States officers,
acting under the direction of the execu-
tive, have refused TO allow any judicial
determination by the courts of tho law,
which, it is claimed, the contest will
violate and TO that end have caused the
prosecution originated for the porp SO
OF testing the law to be dismissed
And further that the executive Of the
State, possessing tho constitutional
prerogative of asking tho opinion of the
highest judicial tribunal of the State
as TO the construc ton of the statute,
which was declined, the public is hereby
assured that the contest will take place
as advertised.
That no plans have been formed or
steps taken, and none will be by either
the governor or tho attorney general, to
stop the contest, and tickets can bs
bought with the confidence thatit will
take place under tho contract as signed
'HARRY MASON,
president, for the Duval Club"