Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-11-20
A BATTLE ROYAL.
The Governor Of Texas Against
the Sports and the Courts.
notwithstanding the Recent Decision Gov.
Culberson Is Determined to Pre-
vent the Corbett-Fitzsimmons
Fight-How He will Do 1t.

The sporting world at the present
time has it's attention directed toward
Texas. In view of the decision the
other day by Chief Justice j. M. Hurt,
of the Texas court of criminal appeals,
in the habeas corpus hearing of Jesse
Clark, charged with prize fighting, and
which was really a test case to pave the
way for the Observation-Disclosures prize
fight. that the act in the penal code
was wholly imperative, President Dan
A. Stuart, of the Florida Athletic club,
and manager of the coming champion
ship fight, and all other sports through
out the country, think the great mill is
coming off as advertised October 81 at
Dallas. Gov. Culberson is as positive it
will not, and it is evident he willignore
the judicial opinion and prevent the
fight. How he expects to do this will
appear later.
President Stuart, in his comments on
the decision of the court, said:
The decision, of course, makes US feel good,
but 1T was not a surprise, as / had the assur-
ance Of my lawyers all along there was no law
against prize fighting, except the civil statute
levytng an occupation tax of $500 for each
Eight 1t was never my intention to oppose
the law or to defy the authorities. II it had
been decided there was q law against fighting
was prepared to pull of the fight near Col
bert'S Ferry, in the Choctlw Nation. We will
now double the forces on the building and en-
deavor to have it completed by October Is, or
the goth at the latest"
In evidence of his confidence that he
will be able to engineer the big fight
successfully, and hat it will come off
as arranged, President Stuart has put
200 mechanics and laborers at work on
the arena where the prize fight is to
take place. The contractors say the
building will be completed by October
30. Besides the contests between James
j. Corbett and Robert Fitzsimmons, on
October 81, Steve O'Donnell and Peter
Maher are to meet in the ring on No
vember l, and Billy Smith and Tommy
Ryan on November 2.
While the case, which has just been
decided by the court of criminal APP
peals, was being considered Gov. Gull
berson was not idle. He had more
than half expected an adverse opinion,
and to be prepared for it and be able
to continue his fight against the hold
ing of the prize fights in Texas he has
been looking up Gov. Ross action on
the Sullivan-Kilrain fight which he
prevented coming off in Texas, but
was unable to find the records, which
have been misplaced. He was fur
nished with an official copy of Ross
order to the sheriff, wherein he cites
laws still in force and commands him
to enforce them. Gov. Culberson has
had several copies Of the order made.
Texas has a ranger force controlled
and governed by special laws, and they
can be ordered anywhere in the state
by the governor without military red
tape regulations, and their special
province is to prevent infraction o.
laws. Culberson will probably use this
force.
Gov. Ross directed sheriffs to call on
the military if necessary, and Culber-
sons actions Enthusiastically indicate
that he will do the same and prevent
the fight at all hazards.