The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-06
NAY FIGHT ON ANASTASIA.
The Judge Of That Circuit Looked on
as Friendly.

BE Is Quoted as Having Expressed
the Belief That the Laws of the State
do Not Prohibit the Fight-Sheriff
Broward ofDuval County Announces
That he Will do His Duty-The Club
Virtually Doing no Work on the
Arena at Jacksonville.
Jacksonville, Fla, Jan. 5.-The Duval
Athletic Club ran against another snag
to-day in Sheriff Broward, of this county.
The club has been claiming all along that
despite Gov. Mitchelrs opposition, the
fight would occur In Jacksonville, because
the officials of the city and county would
not interfere as long as the courts had
not passed on the Florida law in regard
to prize fights. Sheriff Broward. to-day,
in an interview with the southern Asso-
ciated Press correspondent, declared
that the club people were mistaken
if they thought that he would stand
quietly by and allow the fight to occur in
Duval county. II tell you," said the
sheriff, "that the fight will not take
place in Duval county if can stop it, and
L think, can get men enough to assist me
in preventing it. do not believe the men
wanting the fight will attempt to have it
when 1 tell them my intentions. am
not acting for friends or enemies in this
matter, but officially under orders"
NOTED FOR his BRAVERY.
Sheriff Broward is noted for his firm
ness and bravery, and no one doubts that
he means TO stop the fight. He is a man
of wonderful nerve, and would not hesi-
20 "a 70 In 8 1. l.
He stood of a mob at the county jail a
year or so ago, and it is well known that
if the athletic club attempts TO bring
about the match publicly in this county
in defiance of Sheriff Broward, there will
be trouble.
The sheriff will use greater efforts to
stop the fight than he probably otherwise
would, owing to the fact that Governor
Mitchell is inimical to him and would
Jump at any opportunity to remove him
from office. The sheriff knows this,
wants to hold his office, and therefore is
not likely to give the governor an oppor.
tunity to accuse him of failing to do his
duty in the matter of stopping the fight.
THE CLUB STILL CONFIDENT.
In spite of all these things, however,
the members of the club are talking as
confidently as ever of their ability to
bring the match to a successful issue.
They say that their lawyers tell them to
go ahead, as the proposed fight will not
violate any Florida statute, and they
say they are going ahead. The man
ayers say that work is being
pushed on the arena, and that strong
pressure is being brought to bear on the
governor to cause him to let up in his
opposition 1t may be true that the club
managers have brought pressure to bear
on the governor, but 1t would seem that
nothing has been accomplished
TELEGRAM FROM THE GOVERNOR.
The governor is as determined as ever,
as the following telegram, read to-day TO
the Florida conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church south, in session at Pa
latka, Fla, shows:
Tallahassee, Fla. Jan. 5.-Rev. J. c. Sale
and w. w. Tomkies, committee: Please pre-
sent to the conference my heartfelt thanks
nouneing the brutal Corbett- Mitchell prize
fight. ] shall endeavor to do my duty in the
premises. H L. MITCHELL,
Governor OF Florida.
1t is needless 10 ay,that this telegram
was heartily cheered by the ministers.
Many people believe that the stand taken
by the Methodist conference has given the
club the blaekest eye up TO date, for the
ministers gathered at Palat5a represent
fully one-half of the population of ofFlorida.
NO WORK ON THE ARENA.
The club people talk good deal about
pushing work on the arena, but the fact
seems to be that they are simply building
high fence around an acre or two of
ground. They say that they will nO@roof
the enclosure, and that seats will be put
in later.
The truth is. as has been stated in these
dispatches, that there is a very general
belief that the club has given up all hope
of having public contest and is now en-
gagged in perfGcting arrangementsrto con
summate the match in the woods. Man
ager Bowden, of the club, denies the
story about having taken steps to charter
trains out of Jacksonville for twenty four
hours beforeian after the contest, but Mr..
Bowden, of course, would not let the pub
lie into the clubs arrangements, and, in
spite of his denials, it is believed that the
train story Is straight.
MAY FIGHT on ANAsTAsIA.
It was reported to-day that the club
would probably select Anastasia Island
opposite st. Augustine, where Mitchell is
now training as the scene of the contest
This island Is in st. Johns county, and the
amended articles of agreement provide
that the contest shall occur in either ST.
Johns or Duval county The belief that
the club has Anastasia Island In view as
the place for the consummation of the
contest is strengthened by the fact that
Judge M X. Cooper. who presides over
the judicial circuit in which the island is
located. has shown disposition to defy
Gov, Mitchel's wishes in regard to the
fight
In an interview Judge Cooper Is quoted
as saying, that, should the club people
decide to have the contest in this tSt.
Johns county, and should Gov Mitchell
order me TO take action, should ask for
information authorizing the same, as at
present. know Of no law of the state
prohibiting glove contests"
The club, it is said, is banking on this
statement from Judge Cooper, and the
general impression is that, II the contest
occurs at all, it will occur on Anastasia
Island.
THE IsLAND VERY ACCESSIBLE.
The island is very accessible and would
be a fine place for the fight, but Gov
Mitchell has shown himself so resource
full in baking the club up to date that it
is very probable that he will find some
way Of interfering, even If the club at
tempts TO bring of the mill on the sea-
girt island.
To the Southern Associated Press cor
respondent, tonight, Manager Bowden