The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-21
IT WILL TAKE PLACE
No Doubt About the Mitchell
Corbett Fight Coming Off.
Another Statement from the Managers
of the Contest Reiterating Pre-
viOus Claims.
PLACE OF MEETING SECRET
Betting Largely i'm Favor of the
American Champion.
Visit to the Englishman's Quarters
Weights of the COntestants-"Bat"
MastersOn's Views.


fight between Corbett and Mitchell will
take place within thirty miles of this city
next Thursday, so the Duval Athletic Club
reiterated to-day, and that there might be
no doubt in any ones mind the club tonight
submitted to the press the following:
"Will the gentlemen of the press kindly
say to the world through their respective
papers tonight as strongly as they can
express it that the Corbett-Mitchell con-
test is beyond the doubtful state. 1t
will certainly take place on Jan. %. The
club does not care to issue this as a mani
festo because it has duplicated the state
ment several times. 1t does not care to
nauseate the public with further repeti-
tionS."
The members composing the corpo-
Individually and collectively they
insis that no power on earth
can stay the MILL unless it be one of the
principals to the engagement Owing to
the secret operations essential to the eva
sion of Governor Mitchell and his military
forces, but little of a reassuring character
can be given for publication. President
Mason contends that two men only will
know the spot where the ring is to be
pitched until they get there. One of these
men, Manager Bowden, will take up his
position in the cab of the engine when it
leaves the local depot Thursday morning,
and the engineers instructions will be to
come to a halt wherever Bowden orders
The demand made by Mitchell that he be
given information as to where the contest
is to be pulled off by Tuesday morning will
probably be denied him. If he is told any
thing at all, it Will very likely be point
far removed from the scene of the contem-
plated action.
HOW THE BETTING GOES.
CAP Smith, the New York sporting
man, hacker of prize fighters and billiard
ists tonight "called down. in a heated
argument, J. H. Edwards, theatrical man
ager, to whom Mitchell is under contract
for a starring tour after the fight Ed
wards came into the billiard parIor of the
Windsor shortly after dinner, and, making
a seat in a party made up of Smith, Col.
John z. Hopkins, Fred Taral and several
others, began TO talk of Corbetts insin-
cerity. Smith is IA quiet sort of a man,
who needs whole lot of prodding be-
fore he makes any retorts When Ed
wards had exhausted his stock of in
vective he finished by charging bad faith
and bluffs to all OF Corbett's friends and
hackers.
This was more than the docile Smith could
stand. He walked over 10 Edwards and
said: Il came down here TO do some bet
| ting on Corbett, and / have never yet been
accused of bluffing When Mitchell agreed
to fight Corbett he did so because he
| thought he had an even chance to win
| This should govern the betting. L will wave
| it, however, and will bet you any part of
| $4,000 that Corbett wins. and will lay down
| s. for every 81 you want to bet"
Edwards hemmed and hawed about for n
| moment, and, failing to elicit definite
| answer from him, Smith went on LAS IL
| further inducement, and to indicate that
| the blufing is on the other side, L will go a
| bit further with you. L will make you per-
| sOnally a present of suit of clothes for
| every $500 you bet against 81 600"
| None of these propositions were accepted
| There could be mustered right now on Cor
| bett. at odds of two to one, close to a
quarter of a million dollars. The Dwyer
| brothers will stand tap and their two
exchequers alone would equal the amount
indicated. Ar Smith Will bet $4,000 IL
pressed; Butch Thompson half that
| on the Californian and Colonel Hopkins as
| much, if not more. The paucity of Mitchell
laying of wagers. Ike Thompson. the book
| maker is the only one of the lot of big
betterss with fancy for Mitchell. He has
offered to bet sls.OOO against $4,000 that the
| Englishman wins the battle, but has placed
| no money on him.
| Harry Stedeker, the New York bookmak K
| er, opened a pool room tonight i'm the Globe
| saloon. Auction pools were sold, but the
betting was very slow. Mitchell was gener-
| $50. Nothing better than this was secured
| up to a late hour.
| MITCHELL'S WEIGHT
| All manner of talk has been indulged in
of late as to the weight of Mitchell. A re-
porter was to-day taken to the quarters
| Of the Britisher on Anastasia Island by
Bat Masterson and saw Mitchell mount
| the scales and weigh himself. Mitchell had
just finished his morning exercise which
| consisted of a twelve-mile rum wrestling
] bouts with Fogarty, Hall and O'Donnell,
and light work with the punching bag.
| When he mounted the scales, after remoV-
| ing his clothes, he belied the claims which
variously had his weight at from 1s5 TO
| ia pounds. His hitherto prominent paunch
| had completely left him. His limbs were
| trained down finely. The muscles of his
| back stood out in ridges across an expanse
| which had been thinned down to the ribs.
The fiaOby neck and double chin were
| gone, and all in all, he looked no more
like the Mitchell familiar to theater audi
ences than if there was no affinity be-
| tween the two. He was "A bit backward
| about adjusting the weights on the bar in
the presence of the reporter. He cogi-
tated a moment and then, with swagger
along until the weight came to perfect
balance. There is the weight" said
Mitchell, and the reporter, bending over
saw that the beam registered 162 pounds
| When Mitchell had been dressed he opened
| a package OF mail matter and, reading as
he went along, sauntered up to the main
| cottage 70 dinner. After the meal he talked
| freely of the coming MILL but, through the
entire colloquy. evinced a marked lack
| OF faith in the ability of the club to make
| good its end of the contract. He intimated
that If the fight did not take place tbs
| blame would rest on the shoulders Of the
| club or the Corbett end of the compact
He accused the Duval corporation of act
ing in bad faith, of showing the utmost
attention to Corbetts every wish and com
pletely ignoring him in the matter
II was given out to-day that Corbett will
enter the ring on Thursday weighing near
| 195 pounds.
Honest" John Kelley, the referee, ar.
rived from New York this afternoon. Be
fore he r6->hed the city the Corbett people
following in the wake of the Mitchell party
made formal demand on the club thai
the purse be turned over To Kelley and tho
Professionally indorsed check he made i'm
peratlve. At the close of the conferenc,
the Corbett party announced that full salts
faction had been given, and this would In
dicate that Kelley is to transfer to his owr
| account In trust to the winner the 500 90.
which the check calls Tor
| There is talk to-day OF an appeal by IN,
club To a federal court. asking Tor an in
junction restraining the sheriff from in
terfering with the contest. one Of IN,
| clubs members Is a nonresident of IN,
L Of