Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-18
ICON" RI0RDAN DIES
FltzsimmonS's Sparins Partner Sue
cunts to His Injuries.
MEYER RECLAIMED CONSCIOUSNESS.
Blow-He IL BaiIed TO Answer
for Granddaughter.

SYRACUSE, ". Y, November 17.-Pugi-
list Riordan died at $3.50 this morning from
the effects of the injuries sustained while
sparring with FItzsimmons last night.
An autopsy was held on Rlordan's body
| at II a. NJ. The certificate issued gives
| the cause OF death as "hemorrhage within
the cranial cavity. causing compression
| of the brain"
Riordan was found TO be in perfect
health. DR.. y. NJ Totman, who con-
Quoted the autopsy. says that Riordan
must have been struck a terrific blow on
the chin, which communicated directly
with the base Of the brain. The depres-
| sion on the right side of the brain was
very deep. and remained for half an
hour after the cl0t was removed.
| Fitzsimmons was taken before County
Judge Northrup to-day, and he was bailed
| in $4,000 to answer the charge Of man
| slaughter in the first degree. In the court
room F.tzsimmons eaid he would not have
| killed Riordan for sl,Wo,W0, ana theh
broke down In tears.
| WHAT FITZ. SAYS ABOUT 1T.
| The fatality which occurred in Jacobs's
| Theatre, In this city, last evening, and
which resulted in the death Of Con
Riordan five hours after receiving a
blow from Bob Fitzsmmons In n
| sparrng exhibition. is the second
| sparring fatality in this city within two
years
| "Yank" Sullivan brought the news or
his sparring partners death to f1tzsim-
mons.
| "AIy God! You don't mean to tell me
| Connie is dead" said the pugilst. Il cam
| not believe II. / did not hit him haru
enough to injure child"
| Fitzsimmons was completely broken up
| over the occurrence. He did not sleep
| at all last night, and refused to eat any
| thing this morning.
| you can have anything in the word
| Won want. Fitz., If you will only ask for
| IT," said the officer in charge OK the
| police-station.
THAT'S the way they all treat me-
you're very kind" was Bobs reply.
| To a. reporter FitZsimmons said: DO
| Won suppose | would strike my sparring
| partner with any force? ] knew no hau
been drinking hard. but did not know h'
was in such u condition. Invariably when
1 spared with him. he turned blue arouIl'
| the mouth, and it was sign for me "
let I'D. | never struck him nara. Last
night / noticed after tho first exchange Oh
| blows that he was not right. Inc dow
,hotI delivered that caused the trouble
| was az light as / could make 1t. merely
slapping him with the back Of my hand'
| He fen down. and then rose ana stag
| qered around J put my arm around MN
TO assist him off the stage.
| 'yyhep he fell headlong I thought ne
was taking, and was thoroughly disgust
ed because somebody in the house. thinK'
| ing II was fake. Kissed me. was
| never Kissed before. | began TO coinpre-
| bend n few minutes later That something
| WAS wrong with my sparring partner
| and / was Mortified TO ma MN etlii u,'-
| conscious | attributed this 10 his drunk
| on condition. and thought he would re-
| vive from the stupor in "A few minutes
| "I have known this man for eigh'
| wears. and he was always hard drlnker'
| Being in poor condition, ! presume ne
| had some heart difficulty that brought on
! tho disaster.
NOT IN ANY FEAR.
at am not fearful of my position
! Everybody in the Opera-House was aware
| that the blows which l struck Riordan
| were light AZ j could possibly make them
| Naturally II makes my blood run coiu
| when L think of the condition OF my
| friend: not because i have any fear oil
| mans death laid at my door.
| Captain Glori, Fitzsimmonss manager
| said: "Riordan had been drinking heavily
/ for months. / advised him several days
| ago to stop drinking and go 10 work and
| train. He promised me he would, ana yes
| terday started oct and walked ten miles
| causing swelling of the feet. He was ac
| customed to fortify himself with whiskeS
! before his performance each evening, ahc
4 IL, .xsfY La 70
| amount as he felt more than usually ou
| Of sorts. / am convinced that had WI
| known more Of Comics condition w
| would never have let him go on the stage.
| "Joe" Dunfee. who boxed with f1tZsim
| mons last night after the mishap TO RIOT
dan, is the man who knocked out Dan
| Donovan at Maple Bay, near this city
about eighteen months ago. Donovan dice
under similar circumstances as ala Rlor
dan last night. F. Jay Donohue, who die
in New York yesterday, was the refere'
i'm the Dunfee-Donovan fight
RIORDAN'S CAREER.
| Con. Rlordan was born in Melbourne
| Australia, and was 81 years OLD. lie wa
| 8 feet 1lih inches in height and weighed
| in fighting condition, 100 pounds. Whel
| no was % wears old he made his frs
| appearance as a boxer, and soon afte
| fought a six-round draw with Marti
| Costello in San Francisco, the police STOP
| ming the contest in the sixth round. Ill
| next bout was with Max Feurner, IN
| Swede. and he beat him In eightee
| rounds. lie then returned 70 AustraIi
| and met Billy cole at Melbourne ana DE
| feated him in eight seconds, the shortes
fight on record. He next defeated Georg
| Bloomfield I'm three rounds. George l|anl
| don i'm three rounds, young wilson In NV
rounds. II. Gowan In five rounds, an
Tom Frake twice, In three and fou
rounds. respectively. After returning I
America Joe McAuliffe endeavored to sto
| Rlordan at San Francisco on August j
1888. and the contest ended In -four
round draw. At the Golden Gate Athleti
Club of san Francisco he met Australia
: Billy Smith. and was defeated by him
eighteen rounds. He was then engage
by Peter Jackson as a sparring partne
and went to England with him, but 500
| returned to this country. Later he wa
matched by the Ormond Club, OF London
10 meet Jack Slavin. and on June ?. lSs
he was beaten by him in nineteen rounds
Since that time he has not engaged In an
: pugilistic contests.