Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-01-31
HOW MITCHELL WAS BEATEN.
He Was Quick and Scientific, but No
Match for the Big Pugilist
from California.
by Telegraph to the New York Herald


JACKSONVILLE, Fla, Jan. %, 1894
When Referee Kelly called time the
word seemed to act upon the doughty
little Euglisbman like an electric shock.
He stepped forward from. his corner,
holding his guard high and sparring as
prettily as if this were an exhibition
| set-to. Before he made two strides the
big Californian was upon him. Some
how Corbett advanced to the English
man S corner without seeming to half
| try He held his guard low and drlfted
nearer and nearer. apparently without
effort. He tented again and again,
but Mitchell would not be drawn into
the risk of leading He broke ground
and ran away to the left. Go where he
would there doomed the big man above
him. Unless appearances were very
deceptive Mitchell weighed fully
twenty pounds less than the champion.
But this does not express the difference
between them The Californian WAS
fully four and half inches taller than
the Briton. He did not keep his feet
so far apart and therefore looked even
taller Mitchell was very wary. His
face expressed intense application to
particularly worrisome problem. He
i tented rapidly in order to coax Corbett
to lead at him. The big man simply
refused. He smiled with grim humor
at Mitchell's attempt to draw him out
1t was wicked and wintry smile, and
it deepened the puzzled frown on
Charley's brown forehead.
Remembering how gayly Mitchell
had chaffed and bantered John L. Sui
Ivan during their famous battle at
| Chantilly in 1883 | expected rare treat
| on fbic noca sion Rnt if was not tO no
Mitchell was too busy looking for the
safety of his head to bother with sar-
casm or repartee. Corbett always
seemed to be en- the very point of
laun ching a blow at him, yet the blow
was never started. Mitchell for the
second time darted out of the corner
into which his adversary had pinned
| him. There was some cheering as
| COrbett flew after him.
| you haven't got old John l.. in
front of you now !" yelled man from
the bleaching boards, but he failed to
state whether this rude remark was
addressed to Mitchell or Corbett.
The second change of base brought
Mitchell over close to where L was
sitting. He seemed in distress. His
chest.was rising and falling rapidly
He painted. His lips seemed parched,
for he kept mcistening them continu-
ally When he had had fun enough
chasing Mitchell around the ring Cor
bett suddenly darted his left fist at
Mitchell's mouth. His feints had been
straight as piston rods, but when he
actually delivered the blow he half
swung it. Mitchell took no chances
He cleverly ducked out of harms way,
and running in under Corbett's guard
threw both arms around his waist
Before the referee could call Break
Corbett had thrown away the little
man and stood feinting at him again.
MITCHELL COULDN'T LAND.
The picture that the two gladiators
presented now was intensely interest
ing. Mitchell faced me, his counte-
nance tensely drawn as he again
studied the man before him. | had a
back view of Corbett. Every muscle
in his body was in full play under his
smooth white skin. His nerves seemed
quivering 1t was not necessary to see
his face to know that here was a de-
stoyer awaiting only the proper mo
ment to'leap upon and crush his vic
tim. Suddenly Mitchell bends forward
and thrusts his left fist at the pit OF
Corbrtts stomach The champion
guards the blow with his right fore
arm. Up comes the Englishman' S
head, and he follows with right hand
drive at the point of the jaw. Corbett
guards this, too, with his omnipresent
right arm. Mitchell jumps away back
ward out of distance, looking more sur
prised than ever. The long, low, duck
ing lead at the body has been, bither-
to, one of his favorite attacks. He
landed it on John l.. Sullivan almost
as often as he choose, but Corbett
threw off the blow and laughed at it.
Still Corbett's failure to hit a counter
or even a return blow was encouraging:
so quickly shifting his ground the
Englishman tried for Corbetts short
ribs with the right fist. The champion
gave ground so swiftly that the glove
barely reached his body.
MITCHELL TRIES AGAIN.
With pleasant smile Mitchell tried
the trick again, and with the same
result Next he drove his left fist at
the mark, " or pit of the stomach, but
the Californian guarded it easily. This
angered the little fellow, for he ran in,
swinging his right for the chin, but
landed it On Corbett's shoulder and
quickly clinched.
| The champion thrust lis left fore
arm under Mitchell's chin at the mo-
ment he closed in. Now he thrust
Mitchell violently away with move
ment of the left arm and drove his
head backward with the palm of his
right hand. Rapidly following his
punch Oh the mouth that drove him
still further away. Bot the champion
was careful He waited a moment,
then tried the left again at the head
Mitchell ducked under it and ran
away Just then Timekeeper CARR
son whacked the gong, signifying the
end of the round.
CORBETT CONFIDENT.
Mitchell, looking relieved, walked to
his corner and sat down. He wiped his
mouth with his righe hand. His
seconds worked over him vigorously,
sponging, rubbing and tanning him.
Corbett's seconds were working hard,
too. He talked earnestly with De-
laney. I've got him measured right
now and I'm going at him." the cham
pion remarked as he left his corner for
the second round. Mitchells face did
not show mark. Corbett was upon
him in a moment. Feinting swift and
straight for a few seconds he suddenly
half swung his left fist and landed it on
| Mitchell's cheek. Mitchell replied with
one of his ducking leads for the
mark" but the champion stepped
backward and the blow fell short once
more. Corbett half swung his left fist
on the Englishmans right cheek,
Mitchell rushed in to try rally at half
arm work, but Corbett drove him back
with hard right hand drive in the
short ribs. Charley ran away and his
relentless enemy kept boring in upon
him.
In Corbett's corner Mitchell turned,
sadly mixed up. The punishment he
received had Jolted him a great DEAL
He was in such a hurry to hit Corbett
that his left foot slid out in front of
him and he almost fell. Recovering
himself he tried again, this time an at
tempt to get over the champion guard
for the face, but missed completely
He clinched and would have wrestled,
but Corbett thrust him away gently
but firmly, like a big schoolmastel
struggling with a fractions boy. Now
Corbett missed one of his short left
hand swings at the head, but jabbed
| l. l. ,;~.I, Get 81 81