The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-31
WANTS THE BELT
SMITH, "THE WICHITA TRAMP" IN
sIsTs ON MEETING CORBETT.
Local Sports Want the Fight in
Wichita A Plan Formed to
Raise Bonus Of $4,000.
Smith Says He Can Do
Corbett Quickly.

| The rising pugilIst spent lew hours Il
the city on his return from Jacksonville
Florida
yes" said friend, "and Wichita viii
be the battle ground" You may laug
at the idea said he continuing, ''but
know what am talking about"
That's right" said Smith. 81 thinl
Wichita will be the next battle ground
and and the Peerless Princess will b.
strictly in it,
"Wbat Napoleon are you going to pla!
Wellington TOP"
II am after the biggest game there is.
want the championship, and before my
dukes Jim Corbett must defend his rep
utation and the belt"
Have you challenged him?"
81 challenged him at the ringside al
Jacksonville, and he must fight"
"But ne has Pete jackson yet to dis
pose Of"
jackson will never fight him. Jackson
| is sick man and cannot come to time
with Corbett."
''Do you think Corbett will accept your
challenger"
''He must or yield the belt. 1 am now 60
| ing to Denver and upon reaching there my
hacker will forward $4,000 to the Police
Gazette with formal challenge. If be
| does not accept it will be declared the
! champion"
you saw Corbett fight. what can he
| do,''
Il can knock him out in fifteen rounds.
| easy. If l were in MitchelPs place in the
ring at Jacksonville should knock him in
the second round l saw an open
ing in that round that a good fighter
| could go in and put the champion to
sleep"
"What was the weak points you OBJ
served?"
''fhat, sir. is my secret. / am going to
fight that man and don't propose to in
form him as to his defects in science"
Couldn't Mitchell give him a better
fight than he did?"
'.No. Mitchell was much lighter than
Corbett and in no condition. Besides Cor
rounds when both parties clinched
Corbett stuck his elbow purposely
against MitchelPs windpipe. threw him
down and then belted him one on the face.
No, the fight was against Mitchell in
many ways and he couldn't win it,"
Smith is in excellent condition for a
fight and he is aching for a match with
Corbett. He is an ambitious pugilist and
there is no doubt but what his star is on
the ascendant. He is rapidly becoming a
favorite with the sports, most of WHOM,
have q strong faith in his ability as a
boxer as we'll as his fighting nerve.
Smith is now called Denver Smith,"
his original nickname was the "Wichlta
| Tramp" He came to Wichita about eight
years ago in hard luck, and it is pretty
well authenticated fact that he shoveled
suow in Ed Wallis premises for a little
helping hand. Since then he has worked
his way up in the pugilistic world.
Ever since it became probable that
Smith and Corbett would fight; and in
view of Smiths preference to fight
either in Kansas or Colorado
the Wichita citizens of sporting DISPOSE
tion have been getting together and cam
vassing the possibility of securing the
fight for this place.
The result is that they can.
There are two things necessary; one is
to raise money enough as an inducement
and the other is to keep the militia off.
The latter can be fixed. At least there are
some assurances to that effect.
The money can be raised without much
trouble, comparatively speaking.
One man made happy suggestion,
and that is to issue private souvenir coins
to pass current only in Wichita. The man
in question is we'll known fnancier.
The idea is have combination
Of well known capitalists issue
these coins and back them with their
name and credit. The coin is to be made
of aluminium with relief of Corbett Oh
one side and Smith on the other, and to be
issued IN 50-cent and dollar pieces. These
coins would be expected to pass current in
Wichita, but to be redeemable until ninety
days after the fight is over. 1t is expected
that at least SIC, 900 worth of these coins
would never be redeemed; that they
would be held as souvenirs of the
fight, thus leaving the actual cost
of the fight $40. 600. This is small sum for
such fight, and there is no doubt but
what the price of tickets would doubly
cover that amount, besides the other rev.
enue that would accrue.
1t has also been suggested to get up q
stock company as they practically did at
Jacksonville Jacksonville is much
smaller city than Wichita, and the profits
of the Duval club were simply enormous
notwithstanding their expense. Besides,
that the sporting disposition of the people
of that part of the south is not half 50
kneen as the disposition of the western
people.
"If common everyday circus brings
over $4,000 to Wichita in so cent pieces,
why wouldn't prize fight OF national ini-
portance bring four times that muchf" is
the way one local sport puts it.
The fight, if arranged. will probably be
fought here.