The Indianapolis journal., 1894-02-01
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
''ParsOn" Davies and Gov. Mat
thewS'S Mutual Admiration.
Rather Striking Coincidence i'm the
Parsons" Call and that $4,000
Offer of the ROby Club,

men IN the sporting WOrlQ. he Is a past
master of the urbane art of diplomacy. and
in his call on Governor Matthews yester-
day he made a striking impression. Ii Is
broadly limited that the Parsons visit to
the gubernatorial chambers and the offer
of the Roby club to give the State $4,000
for the privilege of hanging up a purse of
$4,000 and having the Corbett-Jackson fight
in Indiana was a remarkable coincidence
The 'Parson'' owns no stock in the Roby
club, and could hardly be credited with
being an agent for that institution, but he
did want the fight to come off in Indiana
most awfully, and it would not be like
"Parson'' Davies to leave a stone unturned
to secure this end. Whether or not it was
his object to learn if any dick
er with the Governor were pos
sible can only be. conjectured. At
any rate they discussed the matter and
before leaving the city last night Mr..
Davies said he was satisfied the battle
could never take place in Indiana
'T had a desire to meet Governor Mat
thews," he said, land our interview was
not altogether talk sporting matters.
1 was struck with the affable, dignified
bearing Of your executive. He is not a
man of narrow views by any means.
found he takes considerable interst in ath-
leJlcS, anu L De1leNe ne WOulQ ENJOY seeing
a scientific exhibition of the manly art of
Delsart (ahemD given by two such masters
as Mr.. Jackson and Mr.. Corbett, provid-
ing, of course, his position were different.
But the Governor is bound to enforce the
laws of his State as he interprets them.
/ am satisfied he could not let the fight
come off at Roby, and that settles 1t.
told him his word was sufficient with me:
and that he might rest assured / would
tax take rfo no part in arranging meeting for TO.
he does regarding the law
Mr.. Davies now thinks most favorably
OF the offer from the Washington Athletic
Club, of Tacoma, and wired them to send
on their representative for a joint confer
ence with him and Braoy Corbetts man.
West Superior has not rt ached Mr.. Davies.
He said it was barely possible that the
fight might take place l. London, and he
has written to Lord Lonsdale on. the sub
ject Lonsdale is one of the most liberal
patrons of .pugilism in England, and is a
personal person friend Ter OF the Parson, who has
his old estate at Lother, Scotland. 1.-The
NATIONAL Athletic Club of London" said
Mr.. Davies, is a swell affair The arena is
small, however and the affair would be
witnessed only by the nobility, perhaps. If
a sufficient purse We're offered would be
willing TO go there. will accept the best
offer, and the location will be settled as
soon as possible"
Speaking of the merits of the two men,
Mr.. Davies says he believes they are even
ly matched. "Corbett is a brilliant man In
action" said he, while Jackson is more
uelDSTdlS. II Il ulQ not tnlnk JACKSON
stands a fair chance of winning, 1 would
not have put up the second forfeit money.
Both men have great science, but Jack
sons is more the science born of a fight
ing instinct, while Corbett's is cultivated
art L saw the fight at Jacksonville and
am willing to back my man, and you know
L was never on a loser in my life
Made n smash" on the Governor.
The Governor was very favorably i'm
pressed with the Parsons advantages of
speech and person. He regards this fa-
nous sporting character far more favor
ably, In fact than he ever thought he could
member of the short-haired fraternity
though he suspects the "Parson'' is decid-
edly an exception and regrets that a man
of such agreeable personality should not
have sought some other means of liveli-
hood. "He told me-" said the Governor
last night, that when he found an execu-
tive as determinedly opposed as 1 evidently
was 10 pugiliStic encounters taking place
within the borders of a State, all he could
do was to raise his hat and bow himself
edly as possible And he could certainly do
il with the air of a Chesterfield. He is the
furthest removed from my idea of sport
ing man of anything imaginable"
A Denial of the Hammond Story.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
HAMMOND, Ind, Jan. 31.-A dispatch
from here published this morning stated
that a secret conference was held at
Crown Point last Monday night, at which
it was decided to make a bid for the Cor
bett-Jackson prizefight and offer a purse of
$4,000 to the contestants, together with
$4,000 to the State for the privilege. The
facts are that no such meeting was held
The good citizens of this county will see
that the fight does not come off at Roby
or Crown Point, as reported. They say
that Lake countys fair name has suffered
enough from the invasion of the lawless
element of Chicago and the outside world
and that if the fight be announced TO be
pulled off within it's borders Governor Mat
thews will not be asked to call on the mil
tia to stop 1t, but that the local authori-
ties will be amply backed to suppress it,
The February term of the Lake Circuit
Court will convene next Monday, and at
this time the Roby prizefight cases will be
called up for trial. 1t is reported that all
the dyefendants except Costello will be in
attendance, and 1t will probably take two
weeks to try the cases.