The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-26
HISTORY oFTHl FIGHT.
Tho Outcome of Tho Downfnl OF sullivan


HISTORY oFTHE FIGHT.
The Outcome of thu Downfall of Sullivan.
The Jacksonville Experiences.
Tho Corbett.Mitchell fight Is logically
tho outcome Of tho downfall OF the
twelve ycara idol OF tho pugilistlc world.
Mitchell had fought n draw with suIli-
van whom Sullivan was in his prime.
Before Mitchell and Corbctt mot each
other in tho ring, Mitchell, e1uallywlth
tho Sun Francisco boy, WINS n formidable
claimant for tho laurels which Corbo.t
wresIed from tho pride OF Boston In
Now Orleans q year ago. Whom Corbett
was proclaimed tho champion hc had TO
fuce 4 torrent OF challenges.
1t was apublIc cry that CorbOtt should
moot tho handsome English lad fret and
the conviction settled itsclf in Corbntt'a
mind that fight with Mitchell would
DO war to the knife was inevitable, a
long prOludc OF cross.ilring In tho prcss
ultimately brought tho nun together.
An agreement wRs prepared carly Inst
summer and the month OF December &C.
lected for tho date. Tho articles Of
agreement included stake OF $4,000
each, to DO posted by. the mon and mn
invitation to the then thrco leading
clubs in America 10 bid against each
other for tho honor OF the battle ground.
Even before tho match was niude Mitch
ell had aigncd promise with Charley
Noel to give Now Orleans tho prefer
ence. but fighting got black eye In the
Crescent City by the Hall-Fitzqimmons
fiasco and Coney Island was left to
wrestle with Roby for the consent Of the
fighters.
Judge Newton came out victor in tho
competition but prize lighting became
an issue in Now York politics. Mayor
Body signed tho death warrant OF
Coney Island. toby had a pyrotech-
mic career and Governor Mathews pre-
pared shroud for the club and It's
hackers, and Mitchell and Corbctt
turned their eyes southwark for money
and battle ground. They dickersl
with the Olympic Club Of Now Or
leans, made their demands decisive aud
finally lost the opportunity to fight
without annoyance and with police pro-
toction. Then from among mass of
otfera the pugilists picked out the one
from Jacksonville for serious considera-
ton. ASP
THE JACKSONVILLE EXPERIENCE.
j. E. T. Bowden, ono of Jacksonville's
first citizens, was east when the death
knell of Coney Island was sounded. He
rushed back here, consulted tho Flori-
da statutes. found no prohibition
against boxing contests, sounded the
oldest and best aud most influential cit
liens and found backing on both sides
and tho Duval Athletic Club was born.
Then tho commissioner OF the club
went east. met the backera of tho pugi-
lists, talked business to them and OBJ
tanned their signatures to articles of
agreement. Under tho agreement tho
club offered purse OF 10000 and ac-
coded to demand of the pugilists for
$1,000 to cover training and incidental
expenses. The Coney Islands original
offer was $40, 900 for tho fight. Executive
interference sliced the purse in two.
Alter making the match the Duvnl
Club proceeded to advertise it broad
cast. Then kilograms began to pour
into Jacksonville protesting against tho
contest. Governor Mitchell was driven
to action. He ranged himself in stern
opposition. The impolitic management
hero bid open defiance 10 the authori-
ties, and then commenced the long
newspaper warfare between Jackson
vile and his excelloucy, eliminating in
tho marshalling of tho troops here and
the institution Of tho action for an In.
junction. The club won the legal tiff
the state gracefully yielding, and the
most interesting match which pugilistic
history records were permitted to pro.
coed to its finale. The fight. today was
under bloomsbury rules with five ounce
gloves, With q referee selected by the
club and with no limit to the number
Of rounds. 15
TIE TRAINING QUARTERS.
Corbetts training was done Mt May.
port a small! fishing station unknown
to the world at largo until the advent
OF the pugilist and his party, and cit.
uatedabout twenty miles from Jackson
Villo and seven from Pablo Beach, the
summer resort of Floridans. The ham
lot of Mayport is but struggling one,
possessed OF few, if any, natural attrac-
tons, but spot well fitted for the pur-
pose OF pugilist'a training quarters
The Atlantic stretches out its broad
bosom to tho eastward, leaving broad
and unbroken beach OF firm white sand
and tho wide river St. Johns courses
past it to the west. OF the few cottages
oil which tho hamlet can boast tho Cor
bctt party secured four, and under their
roofs and on tho broad firm beach tho
champion took his daily practice at
boxing, wrestling and running.
With Corbett have been Billy Do
laney, his trainer; the trainer who
made him fit to whip Sullivan; John
McVey, tho wrestler; Dan Creedon, tho
Australian aspirant for Fitzsimmons'
scalp; Prof. John Donaldson, Now
York's expert boxing instructor; Tom
Tracy; W. A. Brady, Corbctts manager,
and kid" Eagan, private secretary to
the pugilist. Corbett has trained hard
and faithfully every day since he ar
rived in Florida, and his appearance
prior to his departure from his quarters
fully justified the assertion OF himself
and his friends that he was fit to do
battle for anything within the gift of
man. Tt
MIrcuELL's TRAINING.
Mitchell, tho English pugilias, was in
| one sense more fortunate than hfu an