The herald., 1896-12-04


matter that will require some little
consideration.
JULIAN'S STATEMENT
Martin Julian. Fitzsimmons' manager
has made a statement to the Associated
Press in which he says: about 6:3(
o'clock last night | vas told by three
prominent men that Wyatt carp. the
man selected TO referee the fight. was
crooked, and with him in the ring, Fitz-
simmons would stand - show. These
men We're Riley Grammar, the race track
plunger: Nose Gunst San Francisco po-
lice commissioner. and known all over
the world as square sporting man. and
Tom James, formerly purser of an Aus
tralian steamer and the man who
brought Fitzsmmons to America These
men said they were certain that Fitz-
simmons would not get square deal.
They said the change in the betting
showed that something was wrong. AS
soon as it became known that carp was
I to be the referee, Sharkey money ap
peared in unlimited quantities. carp
fellows the races for a living and is in
innate with Dan Lynch, Sharkey's back
er. Early in the day when we met to Sc
lect referee, Lynch would not agree
! to any of the men whose names I men
toned. | then asked him to name
man, and he declined. saying he pre-
-ferred to leave it to the National club.
| The club officials selected carp and al
though l knew nothing about the mar.
l thought he must he all right. When
was told that carp was crooked. |
| took Fitzsimmons to the pavilion at
o'clock instead of 9, as | first intended.
! saw Groom and Gibbs and told them
| plainly that Fitzsimmons would not go
| into the ring if carp was to be referee
and ] told them why. I offered to take
any other man in town except carp and
although there was still plenty of time
| to make selection. nothing was done.
| Finally when the big fight was called.
| | made the announcement from the ring
| charging that carp had been fixed. The
| big crowd was impatient of delay and
hissed ana hooted me. I saw that it
would not do to take Bob from the ring.
If l had the crowd would have mobbed
us We finally decided to go ahead and
do the best we could in spite of the ref
cree. Ii was owing to Bob's distrust of
carp that he fought so fairly and SO
cautiously He knew that he must take
no chances and he did not. When carp
saw that Sharkey was gone. he called
the foul and Sharkey pretended to be
hurt. 1t was a arranged scheme
Nose Gunst, in an interview. said he
cid not have a dollar bet on the fight
except $40 that Fitzsimmons would win
in four rounds.
Il lost that fair enough" said Gunst
but if there was a foul blow struck |
did not see it and don't like the decis-
ion. The statement made, though, that
/ warned Fitzsimmons that carp was
programmed to decide against him is a
mistake, A half dozen people, however,
reputable men. all of them. warned me
that this was the arrangement and,
thinking that | had been betting heaV-
lily. told me to get my money off of Fitz-
simmons and to drop in behind Sharkey
Who told them | don't know. What first
attracted my attention was the
| change that took place in the betting
yesterday afternoon, when it began to
get around that carp was to be referee.
The adds had been As to 100. and the
first thing we %new they were SO to 100
! | hear that Sharkeys end went even
| higher. Why? That's what [ can't an
| swer But it looks queer
AS I said before. didn't see any foul
blow struck, and did see the fight"
Riley Grammar when interviewed said:
Yes. did advise Fitzsimmons to be on
his guard. The betting operations as
sumed such proportions yesterday after
noon that ! felt convinced something
was wrong. Up to noon the odds had
been in favor of Ftzsimmons at about
the right price. 4 and 3 to l. but when
after that time nothing was seen but
Sharlley money. which was offered at
any price, and when l could find abso-
!utely no one who would take bet on
Fitzsimmons at even money, | felt sure
something must be wrong. Ordinarily
| would have bet $4,000 or $4,000 on that
fight, but ! felt so convinced that things
We're crooked that | Immediately tried
to hedge $1,000 bet on Fitzsimmons.
which was all | had Wagered which |
was not successful in doing. | immedi-
ately hunted up Fitzsimmons and COM
municated to him my suspicious. I told
him I knew nothing definite, but | told
him I thought it was a remarkable thing
when on Tuesday it was impossible to
bet money on Sharkey at 4 to /. il looked
queer to see at least $4,000 go begging
yesterday at odds of even money on the
sailor. l watched The fight from begin
ming to end. | cannot say too much in
praise Of ttzsinmons' work. and / con-
fidently assert that the blow which
Sharkey claims is a foul was above the
belt and fair in every respect"
SUIT BEGUN.
Late this afternoon Bob Fitzsimmon;
through his attorney, commenced suit
in the superior court to restrain the
Anglo California bank from paving
Sharley the $4,000 purse awarded the
sailor by Referee carp Fitzsimmong
charges conspiracy between Sharkey.
the National Athletic club and others,
whose names are not given. to award
Sharkey the purse under any circum-
stances. Fitzsimmons alleges that be-
fore carp was selected as referee this
agreement was made, and that had he
known of it. he would have refused to
, enter the ring. He therefore prays that.
as he "di-comfited' SharlSey, so that the
latter was unable to proceed. and on ac-
count of the alleged conspiracy. the
Anglo California bank. Tom Sharkev.
Daniel T.vrch Iofc Dna apl Io;ol,au.,