The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-08
To Pull Off the Corbett-Fitz-
simmons Fight
NO OTHER PLACE AVAILABLE
Governor AItgeId Sits Down Upon the
Island Proposition
And the Government VIII See That the
Indians Are Not Brutalized by
Such a Sight
Associated Press Special Wire.

LII, OCts f.-OOV. AIT
geld, when asked what course he would
take in case an attempt was made to pull
off the Corbett-Fitzsimmo mons fight on an
island in the Illinois river near Henry,
Illinois, said:
81 do not know ~here the island is nor
do L know of any prospective prize fight,
but if it is on Illinois soil we will do all
in our power to prevent any prize fight
taking place there. The enforcement of
the law rests primarily with the local au-
thor;ties. but if it becomes necessary for
the state to take hand in the matter,
1 will make every effort to prevent the
fight"
Further than the above he would say
nothing.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7.-Commiss ssoner
of Indian Affairs Browning has taken
prompt and decisive steps to prevent the
Corbett-F irzsimmons prize fight in In
dian Terriotry. He has prepared letter
of instructions to Agent Wisdom at Mus
cogee, I. T., directing him to see the
laws enforced and TO eject forcibly any
intruders who enter the Indian Territory
for the purpose of creating disturbance
or engaging in anything that may be det-
rimental to the Indians. The commits.
soner says the statutes are ample to pre-
vent the fight. The agent will have at
his back not only the Indian police but
all the United States troops necessary to
eject the fighters.
The following is the letter of instruc-
tions which Commissioner Browning has
addressed to Agent d. M. Wisdom at
Muskogee
1t is stated in the press dispatches of
yesterday and this morning that arrange
ments are being made ,or have been COM
pleted by parties Interested to have
prize fight between Corbett and Fitzsim-
mons to come off in the Chiokasaw ma
tion, the plan being TO pay into the
treasury of the Chickasaw nation the sum
of $500, in consideration of which the
fighters are to be adopted into the nation
with q view to defeating the authority
OF this department to prevent such fight
ing.
1t would be. in Sthe opinion of this
office, a great detriment to the peace and
welfare Of the Indians of the Indian ter
ritory to permit a prizc fight to take
place within that territory, and you are
therefore Instructed to use every precau-
ton necessary to prevent any one from
entering the Cbickasaw nation or any
other nation in the Indian territory and
under you charge for the purpose of hav
ing said fight come off in that territory.
You will advise the governors of the
various nations in the Indian territory
that this Office will not permit prize
fight to take place within your lurisdlc-
ton, and you will call upon the United
States marshal, and if necessary, report
to this office, and troops will be furnished
you to prevent the fight.
Section 2149 of the revised statutes au"
thorizes and requires me with the ap-
proval of the secretary of the interior to
remove from the limits OF any Indian
reservation any person found thereon
without auth ority of the law, or whose
presence .here would be in my opinion
detrimental to the psace and welfare of
the Indians.
In the United States VS.. Crook it was
held that the com missioner of In dian
affairs had authority unter the section
above cited to rem owe an Indian from
Is have said, it would be, in my
opinion, decidedly detrimental to the
peacs and welfare of the Indians to per-
nit anyone to enter the Chickasaw leser-
vation, whether he be a citizen OF that
nation or not. for the purpose OF carry
ing on prize fight and the whole force
of this government that can be brought
to bear will be exerted to prevent the
same; and you are instructed TO keep
this office constantly advised in order
that proper steps may be taken IN time to
prevent the fight in case an effort should
be made to pull it off, in the Indian
Territory.
You will make these instructions pub
lie that the people interested in this fight
may be advised of what the government
interds to do in the premises II called
upon to act.
Commissioner Browning was asked il
the admission OF Corbett, Fitzsimmons
and others connected with the fight that
citizenship IN one of the tribes would
make any difference in the authority of
the government and he said it would
not change the condition in the least.
The government has the power to expel
a full blooded Indian if the welfare of the
Indians requires it.
1.-The United States marshals or the In
dian agent and his police, backed up by
the United States troops. can remove the
fe hters and keep them uut. 1t is not
case where the fight might take place,
but fighters can be called upon as to
whether they have violated the law. Ihe
government need not wait for the affair to
progress that far even. The principals
and others connected with the fight will
be unceremonlously hustled Off the In
dian lands. on the ground that they are
iutruders whose presence is undesirable.
If they make any complaint about 1T the
court will have to determine the rights OF
the matter, but the probabilities are the
power of the United States government
will be broadly interpreted
LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Oct. THE
possibility OF the t-Fitzsimmons
contest peing brought off at Hot Springs
was the subject of much discussion in
Little Rock today. 1t has all along beeh
we'll known that II ot Springs was anx-
ious 10 have the big fight and the henetit
20 be derived from it. The press OF that
city has been outspoken in favor of it.
Just what steps have been taken by inter-
ested parties 20 bring the contest to Hot
Springs is not known, but it was asserted
here today by people who piofessed to
know what they were talking about tnat
the contest will positively take place at
the Arkansas resort. This assertion
finds many believers in the face of the
fact that prize fighting in Arkansas is a
misdemeanor punishable by a fine not
exceeding S25O0 for every participant.
DALLAS, Oct. 7.-Martin Julian. rep
resenting Bob Fitzsimmons. and William
A. Brady for james J. Corhett arrived
here tor light. Only Joe Vendig is lacking
to make up the quorum to settle the Sc
lection of tne battle-ground
He will be in from New York tomor-
row. If possible, all the preliminaries
will be arranged tomorrow night, but
more than likely they will not be until
Wednesday Gets were freely aCce pted to-