The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-12
FIGHTING ON PAPER
The Duval Athletic Club Talks
Back to Governor Mitchell.
Why the Prize Fight Managers Did Not
Go Into the Supreme COurt-State-
ment from Mr.. BOwden.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Jan. 1.-THE Du-
val Athletic Club to-day made another
statement to the public, the first part of
which is devoted to a history of the Duval
Club, and the proposed Corbett-Mitchell
glove contest. A new and interesting part
of the statement embodies a letter to Gov
ernor Mitchell. 1t is as follows:
Dear Sir-I notice from the newspapers
that you are credited with having said that
the plan of proceedings instituted against
Ccrbett and Mitchell was a collusive one
between those interested in the contest and
the officers in this county. You will re-
member that l made this suggestion TO you
during my conference in Tallahassee, to
which you demurred. but that you after
wards told me to go back to Jacksonville,
consult my attorneys. and bring any legal
proceedings that would convince you that
the contest we propose to have was not
an illegal one. You remember. you further
told me that IL was not a personal matter
with you to stop this proposed contest,
but as the executive, 1t was your duty 50
TO do. as long as you felt that 1t was
violation Of the laws.
Now, Governor wish to say that as far
as the collision Is concerned, your officers
here are just as innocent as you are your
self. Our object in bringing this test was
were not violating the law There is no man
in this State who would so further 10 live
within the laws, and who would quicker as
sist you and your officers in maintaining
law than myself, and l assure you most
positively that, should Judge Call decide
this habeas corpus against u.s. 1 shall take
my hands off and have nothing further to do
with the affair. In drawing up the warrant
upon which these men were arrested in
as possible, and to cover all the law under
the statute and otherwise in order to fully
test the case.
Governor, you also remember that I'm
before the Supreme Court I objected for
the reason that we could not fully argue
and TO ask the Supreme Court If prize
fights were unlawful would be to simply
receive the answer yes We do not pro-
pose to have prize fight or anything like
tracts, ETC., have been with the one OBJ
ject-to eliminate everything pertaining to
contest pure and simple. Another reason
that / did not like to bring this matter be-
fore the Supreme Court was that upon my
arrival home from Tallahassee L was told
by one Of your closest friends that in con-
versation with you upon this subject
you have waved your hands towards
the Supreme Court chambers and said you
had ali agreed that ii was against the law.
Further. Mr.. Dexter Hunter, who visited
Tallahassee in opposition TO this affair, came
back to Jacksonville and said that one of
the. judges OF the Supreme Court giving
his name) had given his congratulations
to Mayor Fletcher for the position he had
me that should / have gone before the Su-
prene Court under the circumstances, with
out an opportunity of laying our side of
the question fully before il, being convinced,
as we were, that we had been prejudiced
beforehand. IL would simply have been folly
on our part. Yours truly,
~. Z. T. BOWDEN."
The statement continues: while this let
ter was in transit we were awaiting a reply
from the Governor, which reply the Gov
ernor was assured would be confidential,
the county solicitor took advantage of our
liberality of not pushing the ha5eas corpus
proceedings, and nolle pressed the case
against Corbett and Mitchell, thus depriv-
ing us of the adjudication of the highest
court open to us. Thereupon we sent a
telegram to Governor Mitchell, asking him
to submit the matter. as promised our rep
resentatiVe to the Supreme Court, which
he refused TO do" The club then makes
public the announcement that the fight
will come off, the Governors assertion not
WithStanding.