The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-29
Copyright, l895


pugilist Of the world. by virtue of James
j. Corbetts polite surrender Of the title,
Peter Maher is a gutter" in other
words, coward. is being discussed in a
quiet way by sportsmen throughout the
land. Some openly aver. while others as
positively assert that he is a veritable
Ajax. who does not even fear the light
ming. II he is a GUTTER he is the first
champion in fistic art who ever was. The
handsome young Irishman has a long and
honorable list of victories to his credit
but there are two dark blots upon his
escutcheon, his defeats by Bob Fitzsim-
mons at New Orleans in 1892, and by Joe
Goddard at COney Island a year later. 1t
is openly acknowledged by Makers best
friends that he did quit in the twelfth
round with Fitzsimmons. 1t is also as
serted that he showed the white feather
with Goddard, and gave uD the battle at
the expiration of the third round when
he had abundant strength to go on. In
both contests Maher looked like a sure
winner when the tide turned.
The following opinions by five of the
most expert judges of pugiistic merit in
the country cannot fail to be of absorbing
interest to the public:
The heroic sentiment that there never
was a coward where the shamrock grew"
is, think, beiied in the case of Peter Ma
her. mOy be mistaken and if so l am will
ing TO retract. With my own eyes, how
ever 1 saw Maher deliberately lay
down on two occasions. The first was at
Now Orleans with Bob Fitzsimmons in
l692; the second, about fourteen months
later, with Joe Goddard at Coney Island.
At New Orleans he said to Fitzsimmons,
within the hearing of fifty people, in the
eleventh round don't knock me out,
III quit He did quit. in the next
rodnd. At Coney Island he quit with
Joe Goddard In the third round. when he
almost had the Australian dead to the
world. He didn't speak this time: he
simply lay on the ground alternately
squirting at Referee John L. Eckhart
and the ferOcious Australian who stood
in the middle of the ring waiting for him
to arise, Peter had sufficiency, how
ever, and would not get up.
lay no store by Makers defeat Of
o Donnell The latter is the rankest
counterfeit that ever stepped over a rope
He is worse than Jem Smith of England
Scientists say that experience in any
field of action oVercomes timidity, and
Makers admirers argue that Peters vic
tories viii implant courage in his bosom
in further contests. For the sake of many
OF my acquaintance / hope it may be So
l am something of a skeptc, however
and believe that a hero, soldier, or fight
er, is born. not made. Such man was
gallant Jack Dempsey, who faced tina T.
giant freak, Bob FitzsimmOns. when he
knew he was going to certain defeat. He
stayed with Fitz, too, one round longer
than big Peter did. And note the differ
ence. Don't knock me out, I'll quit"
cried Maher. Il can't quit; you'll have
to knock me out: l would do it to you ii
l could" was brave Jack Dempsey's re-
ply to the Australians plea TO stop and
take a thousand dollars for so doing. Jack
was nearly butchered, but the lions
heart was there. Death was preferable
to defeat
If Maher meets and defeats such rock
ribbed, iron-soaied warriors as Joe God
dard, Paddy SlaVln, and Joe Choynski,
will believe that courage like wine i'm
The next championship battle will. I
think, be between Joe Goddard and the
new champion. Joe has just won the
thoroughly regained his old form He
will be hot foot after Maher, and as the
latter promised him battle for the ask
meet expect to see Goddard win, as be-
fore, after bruising contest;
I don't say Peter Maher is a gutter, as
some people do impugn no mans cour-
age. What chastity is to a woman
heart, is to a fighter. To say that he
lacks this quality is to put dagger in
his reputation. Unquestionably Maher is
a great fighter. How great, I wish he
would give me a chance to find out. 1
have challenged him to battle, and he
cannot ignore that challenge on the score
that l am a defeated man. 1 have been
conquered by two men, and so has he.
Jim Corbett and Joe Goddard did the
trick for me in the hardest of hard bat
ties. 1 have, however, always been will
ing and anxious to meet them again.
Fitzsimmons and Goddard defeated Ma
her, so there we are on par. They may
want a fight with Peter--I know Goddard
will-but 1 claim first call, as l was first
in the field to challenge.
/ don't take much stock in Makers de-
feat of O'Donnell. The latter appeared
like a dead man the moment he got in
the ring. His undetermined skill appear
ed to have vanished. How he could pos
sibly have let Maher cross him with a
right-hander early in the conflict and
put him out, passes my comprehension.
If Maher would try that with me ri
promise to jolt his head and neck for him.
A dummy, not to say a clever man, ought
to have been able 70 stop Makers rush
with a straight left-hander or step out
of harms way.
If NIaher will accept my challenge I
promise the public fight and not fiasco.
If / win, 1 will fight any man in the
world whether he be red black, or white.
Bes sides Corbett, who says he has retired,
there are four men who can give Maher
all the fight he wants. These are Joe
Goddard, Paddy Slavin Gf restored to
health, Bob Fitzsimmons and your
humble servant. It will depend upon Ma
her between whom the next champion
ship battle is fought. He will pick from
one of these four men. hope he will
take me on.
pfon Corbett had no more right to hand
over the title to him than 1 have to deed
away to q friend house of which have
only a lease. He could only retire and let
the belt and title be fought for The press
and public, however, seem inclined to be-
stow the title on Peter, so we will let it
60 at that. He will have to fight for it
anyway, so it is all the same in the end.
Joseph B. Choynski.
1t is not fair to call Maher a gutter.
His actions don't prove it. He has fought
something like thirty battles and was only
whipped twice-and this when he was a
mere broth of a boy" Then he was
affiicted with what Billy Madden fifty
called stage fright, knew little of the
game, and was entirely out of condition.
Besides he had only a little while come
over from Ireland where he probably did
not get meat more than once a week.
Poor people over there generally live on
potatoes, or "spuds," as they call them,
milk, butter and eggs. This is good stuff
to make you fat, but it doesn't give either
strength, wind or endurance. Animals
that eat meat, like lions and tigers. are
far stronger and pluckier than those that
eat hay, oats and such fodder Well,
Peter gets three square meals a day now,
with sirloin, chops or porterhouses at
every one of them. Besides. he is a mighty
clever boxer now, and veteran in ring
tactics Anybody who goes up against
him for a good thing under the idea that
he will quit will get badly left. ] think
Peter now can whip any OF them. He
will have plenty of Tight on his hands
anyhow, for the next year, as Choynski
and Slayin are already after him. and