The morning call., 1895-01-08
MATS LAST COMBAT.
The MiIIWaIPs Jap Proved a
Desperate.
lib ONCE FOUGHT In A DUEL,
When He Took Unfair Advantage Of
His Adversary.
THE MURDERED FIGHTERS EG0TlSh.
A Sketch That POrtrays a Few Char.
aeteriStieS of the Nature OF
a Japanese.
THE MURDERED FIGHTERS EGOTISM.

No Jap ever doubted Inc ngntlDg ABILITY
of Mats. All Yokohama knew the stou
| little brown sailor as a man OF bitter tenn
ner and still more bitter reseDtments
| ANYTHING from knife to spear shat
suited the seaman, and that is why be
was known as "bad man" among his
yellow-skinned shipmates.
But fighting men always meet their
Waterloo sooner or later. Jonn L.. Sullivan
was outgeneraled by jim Corbett, and a
good many people think Corbett will be
yanouished by Fitzsimmons. Mats had
what we call in America the ''swell head. y
If he had been in the habit of wearing a
stiff hat he would surely have enlarged
the rim of his headgear. He was proud Of
his CORY achievements, was Mas.
The story of how Mats fought his last
fight was published in yesterdays CALL.
The inside history OF the bad mans
life had not been disclosed at that time,
and it was not known that Mats was an
individual who went over the world with
a chip of hoastfulness on his shoulder
that stuck out like balloon jib on crack
Yacht, and that he always used his ego
tism as a rudder to steer him into some
kind of trouble.
In Yokohama some years ago Mats
fought a duel with knives with a cele-
brated cutthroat of his own nationality.
The latter did not get square deal.
Mats, during truce, cut his adversary's
throat and then went around blowing
about the deed.
Since the murder referred to occurred
Mats has been In any number of brawls.
Nearly every time he has come out victor,
and this had made him over-confdenf.
The murdered japanese desperate
shipped on the British bark Millwall with
number of his countrymen. He ap-
peared TO be quiet and mannerly when he
applied for a berth, and be was given
job Immediately.
When the Mllwall got out to sea the
Mikado's men we're in constant trouble
with Mats. The ''hard man" was a
gambler and had more luck than a boy
with a rabbits foot. He won everything
in sight and had just about made arrange
ments to open a forecastle pawnshOp for
the benefit of those who wanted to borrow
money from him when the trouble came
that ended in his death.
Mats wrestled With one Of his shipmates
one day, and, 10 and behold he was de-
ieated. 1t was stunning blow TO the
champion. The japanese characteristic,
inconsistency, began 10 show itself in the
dispositions OF the late hero's friends. 1t
was DOLlc6dDle bUdt MAILS Hdu iuSJ prestige
among those who were at first inclined TO
look upon him as remarkable and fasciD-
ating cOngOmeratIon of man and devil.
He became plain, easily defeated Mats, a
creature whom every diminntive rope
spiicer of the forward house looked upon
as good thing" in 3 combat.
Mats brooded over the insults that were
being hea ped upon him. On the day he
was first struck by the boatswan he had
about made up mis- mind TO get revenge on
some one. He jumped the Jap Orge, and
then the bOatSwalD struck him with a
brOOmhandle.
Mats released his grip on Orge, grasped
a Delaying pin and made at the boatswain.
The latter seized a pin also and bloody
contest ensued. My, but Mats did fight!
He was in the battle to kill too, for he
aimed crushing blows at the boatswain's
head. failed TO plant them and in return
received thwacks that would have smashed
in the skull of any ordinary human being.
Down he sank uuon the deck, blood
strea ming from dozen cuts, and while he
lay prostrated the cruel little brown men
gathered about him and struck at him
with sticks and pieces of iron.
Tie captain and the white mates of the
Millwall rushed to the rescue, hauled Mats
INTO the apprentices quarters and exam
ined his wounds. "He will die" said the
skiorer. "No, he lives and is coming to
RAPIDLY" replied the first mate.
Sure enough Mats got better. Within
twenty-four hours he was around The
decks as well as ever, apparently, save for
a few scars and ugly unhealed wounds on
his face and forehead.
Yes, Mats had made bis last fight. butt be
was game. He determined not to have it
said when he got back to Yokohama that
Joe Mats, the famous ''hard man." had
made his last stand.
On The night OF Novemb Der 81 he sneaked
into the forecastle with a keen knife in his
hand. He aimed it at what he thought
was the spot over the boatsWain's heart,
but his blade pierced the mans arm in
stead. Orge got stab also. Then Mats
shouted like a demon and threw himself
against the deckhouse wall. He stood
glarng at the crowd that gathered in The
uncertain light, his bloody steel pointed
aggressively toward the grumbIng crew.
Suddenly the would-be assassin was struck
down. Aniron belaying-pin thrown at his
head mad struck the mark, maxi an ugly
cut, from which the blood flowed freely
Another and another blow followed I'm il
the Jap desperate fell lifeless to the decks.
Not satisfied with having beaten all
signs Of existence out of Mats body. the
crew hammered his inanimate corpse until
it was mere quivering mass of flesh.
So much for the japanese nature and so
much for Mats last fight.