The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-29
Corbett Makes Fun of Bob's Ability and
Then Offers TO Fight Him If He
Will Defeat Steve ODonnen.
LATTER ISSUES A CHALLENGE
And Puts Up $1,000 As Evidence
that He Really Means Business.
Fitzsimmons Reported to BE Angry
Dan Creedon's Story of the Fight at
New 0rleans-Alleged Foul Blow.

PORTLAND, Me, Sept. 2S--Pugilist Cor
bett was indignant to-day when shown a
dispatch sent out by John L. Sullivan last
night accusing him of beating about the
bush. Corbett said, in substance: These
people do not cut any ice with me- Sulli-
van had always more mouth than courage.
He is a gutter from the word go. and /
do not want to have anything 10 do with
him. He is out of it. but there is one
thing: If / ever meet Fitzsimmons in the
ring / will make better fight than Sulli-
did with me- OF course. Jake kilrain.
Sullivan and jackson are sore, and know
Ii, but that does not make any difference
to me. The Olympic Club does not want a
fight; IL wants to make money out OF me.
Now 1 am not inclined to let il until have
proof that Fitzsimmons is somewhere in
my class, and this he can demonstrate by
knocking out O'Donnell. / am making
good money now, and am not taking any
risks to please any number OF soreheads."
Corbett became excited as he talked. and
plainly showed that he is deeply touched by
the various stories which have been circu-
lated within the past few hours. Tonight
Corbett sent the following letter to Fftz-
simmons:
Dear Sir-I have read in this mornings
papers your very amusing challenge to me-
You say that the Olympic Club offers a
purse. Well, maybe they do, but 1 have
$4,000 in the Olympic Clubs hands. Why
don't you put il up in some newspaper Of
flee, or some place where a man can sea
II; or is the Olympic Club backing ycu?
However that's neither here nor there. /
suppose you are afraid 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
reply TO your challenge, because you are
well aware that i Will not accept Ii unless
you prove yourself champion heavy
weight and rot middle weight i must
acknowledge that as a middle weight you
have no equal, but all you ever did in the
Maher and Joe Choynski, two second-class
heavy weights since both of these men
have been defeated by Joe Goddard, of Aus
traIia, another second-class heavy weight.
No one knows this better than You.
IL suppose you think that the public will
think shlna S you're t very b brave ,sa man to Shal
so? 1t is just like buying lottery ticket
to win 5000 for 81. All you have to lose
is 81. and il is the same case In fighting
me- If / defeated you, of course, you
would say: He ought TO beat me; am
only middle weight Just as when beat
Sullivan il 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 beart want to fight for the cham
pionship OF the world you certainly. IL you
ara on the level, want to prove yourself
champion neaVy Welgnt, ana not mid-
die weight. All you have to do in the world
to fight me for the championship is to
prove to me and the world that you are
! capable of defeating any middle weight out
| side of me- You say that I promised TO
| give you a match If you defeated Choynsh
| or Creedon. When you say that you know
| ti,a. you he- L never even noticed you,
| and don't intend to unless you prove your
| self a champion heavy weight You want
| 20 Jump over the heads of all these other
people and take that dying chance with
me. but L will fool YOU Steve ODonnell,
my present sparring partner, an unde-
| feated man, has $4,000 that he can defeat
you. He will box you from one round "a
| a finish. for fun or for money.
Now. how can you expect me to recog-
nize you when this man stands ready with
| money behind him TO prove to the world
| that he is your superior? IL you will only
| meet him and defeat him will accept an
| offer of $4,000 from the Olympic Club.
| and / will give you all the tight you want.
| If you want TO fight me this Is the only
way you can ever get me to make matcn
| with you. for there Is no power on earth
| that will make me notice you until you
| have defeated Steve O'Donnell, and any
| further talk from you VIII consider sim
| ply put down as a bluff. j put myself on
/ record I'm black and white that IL you de-
| feat ODonnen / will fight you FOR the
/ championship of the world and all the
| money you like. This is positively my ulti-
ha'ui''- JAMES ]. CoRBETT,
"Champion OF the World"