The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-29
THEY FIGHT ON PAPER.
Fitzsimmons and Corbett Getting at
Each Other in Print.


PORTLAND. Me-. Sept 2S.-James J. Cor
bett was seen by an Associated Press re-
porter in his dressing room tonight and in
answer to a query on the subject Corbett
handed the newspaper man a copy Of a let
ter mailed to Bob FitZsimmons this even
lug.
PORTLAND. Me-, Sept. %, 1894 q
Bob FitEsimmoDs:
DEAR SIR:-I have read in the morning
paper your very amusing challenge TO me.
You say the Olympic club offers n purses
Well, maybe they do but [ have never
heard from them as yet. You put $1,000
in the Olympic clubs hands. Why don't
you put il up in some newspaper office, or
some aplace where a man can see it, or
is the Olympic club backing you? How
ever. that is neither here nor there [
suppose you are afraid that if you put the
money up in any other place besides the
olympic club some one else might cover
Il. 1t Is not necessary for me TO give a re-
ply to your challenge, because you are
well aware that l will not accept it, unless
you prove yourself "A champion heavy
weight and not Il 'niddleweight.' / must
acknowledge that as 'middleweight'
you have no equal, but all you ever did in
the heavyweight class was TO defeat
Peter Maher and Joe Choynski, two sec
ond class heavyweights. Since then both
these men have been defeated by Joe God
dard of Australia, another second class
heavyweight.
'No one knows this better than you.
suppose you think the public will say,
you're very brave man to challenge me
and fight me- Why shouldn't you do so
1t is just like buying lottery ticket to
win $1,000 for 81. All you have to lose is
81, and it is the same Case in fighting me.
If defeated you of course you would say,
kha nI1f, heat I L., lc,l
weight just as when L beat Sullivan it
was said, he is an old man. and Mitchell,
he was light fellow; he was too small
Now, Mr.. FitZsimmons, if you really
in your heart want TO fight for the cham
pionship of the world, you certainly. if
you are on the level, want TO prove yourself
a champion heavyweight and not a middl-
weight. All you have to do in the world
to fight me for the cham pionshiD is to
prove to me ana the world that YOU are
capable of defeating any heavyweight out
sioP of me.
You say ] promised to give YOU a
match if you defeated Choyuske, Creedon.
w hen you say that you know you lie. l |
never even noticed you and don't |
intend to unless you prove yourself "A
champion heavyweight You want to |
jump over the heads Of all these other |
peopl. and take the dying chance with me, |
but | will you. Steve ODounell, my
present sparrlng partner, an uudefeated |
man, has ten Thousand $4,000 dollars |
{ hat he can defeat you. He will box YOU
from one round to a finish for fun or for /
money. Now. how can you expect me to |
recognize you when this man stands ready |
with money behind him to prove to the |
world tnat he is your superior? IL |
yH:. will only meet him and |
defeat him | will accept an offer |
of twenty-five thousand dollars |
(s25 O0O) from the Olympic club and Will |
give you all the fight you want If you |
want TO fight me this is the only way you |
can ever get ms to make match with YOU, |
Tor there is no power on earth that will !
make ME notice you until you have /
defeated Steve O'Donuell and any further 1
talk from you | will consider simply a /
bluff. put myself on record in black and /
white, that If you defeat O'Donnell, L will |
fight you for the championship of the /
world aud all the money yen like This is /
positively my ultimatum. Yours truly,
JAMES ]. CORBETT, /
Champion of the w orld.