Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-26

PETER JACKSON'S POWERFUL BACK.
fornian wanted no more of it. He even
went so far as to peremptorily refuse to go
on with match which his hacker, Phil
Dwyer, had entered into with "Parson"
Davies on behalf of Choynski.
The victory over Choynski was Corbett's
entering wedge to fame. Note his marvel
Gus good fortune from that date. First he
meets poor old Jake Kilran at New Or
leans in a six round bout for S., 900. Kilrain
was suffering from a chronic malady and
had not recovered from the fearful beating
John L. Sullivan had administered to him
short time before. OF course Corbett won.
That victory served as a further herald to
renown. Corbett journeys north, and to
keep his hand in engages in limited con-
test with Dominick Mccartney in Brook
Ign. Mccartney had once bested Charley
Mitchell and stood up eight rounds before
John l.. Sullivan without being indicted
into state of somnolent quietude. Nc
Catfrey had been in physicians hands for
a long time, was pudgy and clumsy in
movement and VIGOROUSLY unfit for con-
test of any kind. Naturally the Califor-
Man whipped him with scarcely an effort
Now we come to the only time in which
Corbett ever made what sportsmen call a
dangerous match and one in which he in
vited a Waterloo. That was the famous
one with Peter jackson. The young Cali
fornian was getting near the top of the lad
der then, and despite the advice of friends
he resolved to "chance it" and give Peter
battle and get a step higher. Here again
his Clevelandlike luck stood him in good
stead. Jackson sprained his right leg
short time before the battle, and after fight
ing for an hour or more that leg gave way
and was practically useless. Corbett dis
played great generalship and kept out of
harms way. The result was a draw of 81
rounds after four hours and four minutes
of fighting.
That battle afforded Corbett the oppor
tunity of lifetime, and he was not the
man to neglect it. 1t put him in the cham
pionship class, and he went cunning for
champions, not for sturdy, youthful, ag
gressive fellows of the Frank P. Slavin or
even Joe Goddard order, but for champions
who were either broken down by dissipa-
ton or disease, or both, although they did
not know it Ga champion never dOes). John
l.. Sullivan or Charley Mitchell would do
to a nicely, but Slavin and Goddard must
be avoided--at least until their strength
had been sapped by dissipation or other
wise. To Jackson's opportunities for an
other battle Corbett turned deaf ear He
wanted no such game until it had been
thoroughly seasoned. "I'll take ON Sulli-
laugh, to Macon Mccormick, land after
that Jackson can be accommodated. Mean
while Peter won't be growing any younger
or any BETTER and the big Californian
chuckled complacently over what he rightly
adjudged to be an exhibition of cunning.
1t is an English maxim that a match well
made is half won. Corbett can give the
foreigners cards and spades at that game
and beat them out. That was demonstrate
ed in his two greatest matches-those with
Sullivan and Mitchell. He would not have
any part of either of the Australian giants,
Slavin or Goddard, while they We're still
unbeaten men, rugged and strong, but he
was open for John L. Sullivan and Charley
Mitchell at any time. These two men he
finally caught in his web. Sullivan was
the first victim. He was utterly broken
down by his numerous excuses, slow,
clumsy and unwieldy. Besides he was a
prematurely old man, fat gray and griz-
Zled He had been ut deaths door a few
years before with typhoid fever, pneumo-
mia, liver, kidney and even heart troubles.
His legs, too, were subject to paralysis and
liable to give way at any moment In fact,
they did after an hours use at the battle
In New Orleans. What credit is Corbett
entitled to for whipping such mani
Looking into the question fairly and with
out bias, what credit should be given to our
champion for defeating MITCHELL COrbett
was six years younger than the English
man, lowered over him by five inches and
outweighed him by nearly 40 pounds. 1t
was a giant heavyweight going against q
middleweight. What credit would Sullf-
van have received had he defeated, when in
his prime, Jack Dempsey or In Blanche,
1.-THE Mariner" Yet that is just bout what
Corbett did in crushing Middleweight
Mitchell, who tipped the beam at just 15415
pounds. Besides Mitchell, by reason of his
years and his social indulgences, was not as
speedy or as strong as when he met John L.
Sullivan IL years ago in Madison Square
Garden or six years ago at Chantilly, France.
.Corbett's next battle will. however, prove
whether or not he is the great world heater
his friends claim he is. fn June next he
meets Peter jackson, and that contest will
be for the worlds championship. Corbets
!. ~ not the champion pugiilse Of the werid.