Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-11-22
FIrX IL OUT ON BAIL.
Completely Broken Down by Con
Riardan's Death-FilZ Denies lie
Hit Him Hard.

SYRACUSE, y. y, Nov. 17-Bob
Fitzsimmons, who gave Con Riordan
a fatal blow last night, vas released
from jail this afternoon on $4,000
bail. EitzSimmons was arraigned
in the police court at II O'Clock on
a charge of manslaughter in the first
degree. When he appeared before
Judge Northrup for bail it was dis
covered that his attorney, Charles J.
Ide, had failed to waive examination
in his hehalf. This formality was
necessary before he could be released,
and be was locked in the court
house cells until the police justice
could be found.
An autopsy was held on Riordan's
remains. The certificate issued gives
as the cause of death ''hemorrhage
within the craniai cavity, causing
compression of the brain" Rior,
dan vas found to be in perfect
health. DIR. ID. NJ. Totman, who
conducted the autopsy, says tina:
Riordan must have been struck d
terrific blow on the chin, which
communicated direct with the base
of the brain. The depression Uf the
right side of the brain was very deep
and remained for half an hour after
the cl0t was removed.
"Yank" Sullivan brought the
news of his sparring partners death
to Fitzsimmons.
my God! you don't mean to tell
ne that Connie is dead" said the
pugilist. 81 cannot believe it. !
did not bit him hard enough to in.
lure a child"
Fitzsimmons was completely brok-
en- up over the affair. He did not
sleep at all last night and refused to
this morning.
tIII TELLS HIS STORY.
To a reporter, Fitzslmmons said:
"Do you suppose I would strike
my sparring partner with any force?
| knew he had been drinking hard,
but did not know he was in such a
condition. Invariably when l spar
red with him he turned blue around
the mouth, and it was a sign for me
to let up. | never struck him hard.
Last night [ noticed after the
first exchange OF blows that he was
not right. The blow that | deliv-
cred that caused the trouble was
light as | could make it, merely
slapping him with the back of my
hand. He fell down, then roGe and
staggered around. l put my arm
around him to assist him off of the
stage.
''When he fell headlong Thought
be was taxing, and was thoroughly
disguised because somebody in the
house, thinking it was a fake, Kissed
me-. | was never Kissed before. |
began to comprehend a few minutes
later that something was wrong with
my sparring partner, and was hor-
ritied to find him still unconscious.
| attributed this to his drunken
condition and thought he would re-
viye from the stupor in a few min
utes.
81 have known this man for eight
years, and he was always a hard
drinker. Being in poor condition,
| presume he had some heart diff
Guilty that brought on the disaster.
| am not fearful of my position.
Everybody in the opera house was
aware that the blows which [ struck
were light rs | could possibly make
them. Naturally it makes my
blood run cold when think of the
condition of my friend, not because
| have any fear of the result to me,
but | do not want that mans death
laid at my door"
Captain Glori, Fitz-immnns' man
ager, said:
"Rigrdan had been drinking heay-
lily for months. | advised him sew
eral days ago to stop drinking and
go to work and train. He promised
he would, and started out and walk
ed about ten days, causing swelling
OF the feet. He was accustomed to
fortiiy himself with whisky before
his performance each evening and
last night he probably took an extra
large amount, as he felt more than
usually out of sorts. [ am convinced
that had we known more of his con-
dition We would never had let him
go on the stage"
Joe Dunfee, who boxed with Fitz-
simmons last night after the mishap
to Riordan, is the man who knock
ed out "Dan'' Donovan at Maple
Bay, near this city, about eighteen
months ago. Donovan died under
similar circumstances as did Riordan
last night. P. J. Donovan, who died
in New York yesterday, was the
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