The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-31

GU ny tne Lrue-DOrn sports.
During the morning news from the Aus
trallan's party was a scarce commodity;
but after dinner, when a dispatch from
The United Press announced that the
party was then between Marshall and
Texarkana, and that Sheriff Houpt of Hot
Springs with his package of friendly war
rants" in his inside coat pocket was its
privileged guest, the spirits of the mem
bers of the Hot Springs Athletic Club, and
OF the visiting sports, who by this time
had made quite a respectable crowd,
scared high and JOY was unconfined
But as on every day for week or more
past their jubilation was short-lived and
the numerous takers who pestered every
body who would listen to them with the
story of how "They had said so all along"
IN reference to Fitzsimmons being on the
ground, ceased suddenly.
a private dispatch came with the infor-
nation that Fitzsimmons had given the
Hot Springs Sheriff the go-by, preferring
to entrust himself to the care and pro-
lection of the officers from Little Rock.
This was at first received with incredulity.
both by many of the friends of Corbett and
by the Fitzsimmons following, but when
1t was confirmed by later advices to other
parties, there was weeping and wailing and
gnashlng of teeth, and the folks who have
been persistently declaring that the Kan
garoo was buffer and would not be seen
tomorrow within good many miles of
this place were able to raise their voices
high and find none to contradict them.
Naturally enough the members of the
local athletic association, which is practi-
pqilU tho citizanS1 bo
ones most disturbed by this unexpected
eleventh hour addition to the ten days
record of comics and complications. When
those rendezvoused as usual at the Airing
ton Hotel at night there was an anxious
look on their faces, for the first time since
the proposition to bring the fighters here
was mooted, they were inclined to be con-
siderably reserved and uncommunicative.
After views and opinions appeared to have
been freely exchanged one of the principal
members of the club was asked what steps
would be taken TO meet the latest emer-
gency. To this he replied:
1--WE are in quandary. 1t is hard to be-
lieve that Fitzsimmons has played Us
false. Our latest information is to the
effect that Sheriff Houpt was also arrested,
and if that is the case then it would appear
that he was overpowered by superior num-
bers and had to give way to the Pulaski
County officers and their Miller County
contingent.
"At any rate we shall do nothing definite
in the case until we know what actually
transpired at Hope, or wherever the arrest
took place. We had a special train wait
ing at that place, and expected the entire
party here this evening without molesta-
tlou. If Fltzsimmons and Julian are
blameless in the matter of course we will
see to it that bonds are furnished at the
hearing tomorrow in Little Rock, but if,
on the other hand, 1t is shown that they
deliberately tried to do Us up, well then"
And here the speaker turned on his heel as
though the prospect of a committal of the
puglllst and his manager would not be
particularly distasteful to himself or his
colleagues.
Naturally the news was received with
satisfaction in the Corbett camp. What
the champion himself thought or said on
the subject is known only to himself or
Brady, and the latter individual alone of
the crowd in the rotunda knew where his
principal was housed, even the cham pions s
brother being kept in the dark on this
particular point.
John Donaldson, Steve ODonnelI, Billy
Delaney, and the other well-known pugi.
lists who have been assisting in getting
Corbett into condition, together with
scores of local and visiting fraternity, con-
graduated each other upon the fact that
they had insisted from the start that
Julian was simply engaged in big bluffing
act and had no intention at the time he
off Hot 1or
Fitzsimmons to the city. Defenders of
the latter were few and far between.
As for Manager Brady, his set teeth and
lips, and a wicked look in his eyes,
showed that he was mad through and
through. Three times had the cham pion
overruled his proposition to pull up stakes
and go East, and thrice as many times had
Corbett declared that he would wait till
October 81 and take his opponent at his
wo1d. The date was but few hours off
and the prospects that Corbett's belief in
the good faith of Fitzsimmons would be
realized were simmer than ever. When
at length his equanimity had been re-
stored he said to the representative of the
United Press:
lit IS to be hoped that the country will
understand that we have acted in good
faith and with honesty from the start
We brought Corbett into the country
weeks ago, when we were under no COM
pulsion to do so, and we have allowed him
to be dragged from court to court and SUBJ
lected to numerous inconvenience, to say
nothing OF the interruption to continuous
training in our efforts to make good our
word to the people of this city. TO all the
appeals to come here that have been sent
to Fltzslmmons during the past ten days
by Mayor Waters, by President Babcock of
the club and by ourselves, there has been
but one stereotyped response: 4 will be in
Hot Springs on October 81
"Does it look tonight as If he will be
here? Does it look as if his failure to be
here can be attributed to misadventures?