The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-26
RICHMOND. VA. FRIDAY JANUARY e6. 1894

himself, and It is said that the proceed
lngs are OF q friendly character. brought
for the purpose Of thoroughly TESTING the
application OF the statute.
Crincl.e he Champion.
There was a good deal Of harsh criticlsm
passed upon Corbett by many Of the high
class sporting men and spectators at the
fight on account OF his losing his head
in the second round and making such
savage efforts 10 strike Mitchell while
he was down. Scores Of the spectators
are positive that C0rbett struck the Eng
lshman while the latter lay doubled up
on The floor al his feet anG some of those
who ioet money expressed indignation at
the failure Of Referee Kelly 10 call 1t a
"fOnl" The referee did not call IL, how
/ ever and ne says that Corbeit did not
strike a foui blow az an or IN any manner
foul his opponent.
Referring TO this incident OF the Hght
Corbet said 10 the Southern Associated
Press agent tonight. 81 did not strike
Mitchell a foul blow az an. Tn fact, /
ala not bit him an AN during thls collapse
Of his I'm the second round. But. had
seen ft to have done SO, the blow would
not have been q foul one. for Micneii
knees were not upon the floor, and he was
not. therefore. Knocked down, as ithtns
men understand IL. lie had been knockef
down. but was up Off his hnces-i nct
. both Of them. at least one. Huf under-
stand that Mitchell is perfectly eausiled.
and do not see why any question should
ha raised about the circumsiaac .e noa
But. as far rs that goes Mitchell had
already fouled nae hy following roe INTO
my corner and hitting me on my necN
after the gong had sounded at the ond OF
the first round So. if there was any loul-
ing at all he did H."
No FOUL BLOW.
Col. j. y. Hopkins. the Weil-known au-
: thority i'm sporting matters. was seen al
his hotel after tine fight. and said he was
sitting within fifteen feet of CorDeti ana
Mitchell when the incident occurred in
the second round and that he saw no foul
/ blow struck There is mo doubt hc add-
od "but that COrbett tried % hit Mitchell.
but he did not ] saw every movement of
C0rbett and ne made nO loul Whatever
Al. Smith was playing same OF pool at
the Windsor Hotel when the southern AS
ISOLATED Press representative questioned
him about the matter. His reply Was.
There was nothing about that incident in
the second round which could have at all
changed the result of the fshl Everybody
who saw It and knows anything about
such matters VIII ten you the same
thing"
As for Mitchell himself ha says Of the
]
; fouled or not. All know is that if Corheit
had not been better nan than myself
, with his fists / should not have been
= / knocked down by him. and consequently
! 1 should not have been in "a position 10
= be fOuled by him DO you See what /
mean2 I'm not kicking bit or claiming
Il; anything. so Corbett and everybody else
I, who won or lost ON the iight ought not
: | 10 complain"
r To the Police Cazsiie.
e VIM. +. Harding, the sporting editor
s of the Police Gazette, sent the t1howins
) In regard To the COfbelt-Mitchell lIsht
{ to Richard Is Fox: The night between
, Corbett and Mitchell was a great disap-
e pointment To those who journeyed l,2y
miles TO witness the contest, for they
! expected 10 see a more pr1tracted strus-
q gle and witness the English champion
b give the American champion a closer run
2 for the $4,000 and the many bets pending
5 on the result Corbett proved that he
is a wonderful fighter with gloves and
he outclassed Mitchell just like Bob Fitz-
. simmons outclassed Jack Dempsey. when
they fought for $4,000 and the middle
weight championship of the world at New
, Orleans.
Corbett has greatly Improved since he
/ defeated John l.. Sullivan on September
{ 2, lS92, at New Orielns for 5000 and
ihe championship OF the world, and Mitch
| ell~llas grown stale and lacks the stamina
ana hitting power which he demonstrated
81 that ne possessed when ne fought John l..
Sullivan on March 10. 1855 for 5000 al
! Aproment. France and defeated Jcm Niece
at Glasgow, Scotland in 1870. Corbett Is
{ the greatest pugilst mat America has ever
had during the past three decades, barring
none of the many champions The only
pugihst who would stand an outside
chance of winning with COrbett would De
Bob. tltzsimmons and his chances would
only be "a little better than Altchens
In regard 10 the alleged questionable
decision of the referee upon the incident
in the second round, while there might
have been foul, as far as the seconds
entering the ring goes. which Is an in
fringement Of the rules. there was no
malicious foui which would i'm the spirit
Oi lair play justify a referee IN disQuali-
flying Corbett The position of referee
is an unthankful ofiice-a position which
few will accept simply because few who
witness prize-ring encounters are Versed
in the rules. and when "a referee uses
sound judgment and decides fair the
masses believe it Is unfair.
In Favor of Mitchell.
one thing must be said i'm favor of
Mitchell. lie came to America TO meet
tliN -AiNAiiN iNaAllllpus III ."'t''t'.'
every obligation, proving that his courage
could not be questioned, and when fairly
beaten he honestly acknowledged defeat
and shook hands with his conqueror
And this last statement of Harding IS
correct. The incident occurred az the
courthouse. after the two men had fixed
up their bail bonds. Corbett stepped over
10 where Mitchell was standing and said
as he extended his hand to the battered
and bruised Bfitsher: "Mr. Mitchell l
have heard of some of the kind things
that YOU have said of me since We left
the ring to-day. and I want 10 thank YOU
and 10 say that | believe you 10 Doe a
gentleman and a true sportsman. bear
You no ll-wiil. and / think We ought TO
be friends"
Mitchell spoke a few words in reply.
IN which ne compmented tho Californian
on his prowess, and then Corbett ana
Billy Thompson made up by shaking
hands heartily.
At the Everett Hotel tonight Enly
Thompson denied the story that Mitchell
had offered his hand 10 Corbett when
they met in the ring, and that Corbctt
had refused it, 1t Is customary OF
course" said Thompson, FOR the two
contestants to shake hands, but in this
instance neither man made any move
ment in that direction. / wish 10 deny
the report that Mitchell had applied u
vile epithet TO COrbett few seconds
before the alleged foul. No word was
spoken by either man, and Cofbett