Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-22

| thuse VINO hau the beN view OF the shor
mill were the villagers and persons fo
miles around who have been looking for q
for week or more. They were perched OF
the clins n the Texas side OF the river ant
had bird's-eye view OF the arena beneath
and they cheered at the knockout more
loudly than those close at the ring side
The village Of Langtry has one saloon
the Jersey Lny-and about fifty residents
! N Is 3S9 miles from FL Paso and 23i from
San Antonio. Del Rio is sixty-four miles
away. special train from Del Rio and
Eagle Pass brought 115. which, with those
from Tl Paso. were all there about the
| ringside. No more perfect place for a fight
| without interference could be devised. II Is
! all but inaccessible, aud from the Mexican
side cannot be reached except by coming up
or down the stream for a long distance.
Once the banks we're reached the troops
c'uld fire from the cliffs upon those who
might be beneath. Two hundred Mexican
| troops were at Eagle Pass ready to move
upon advice Of the governor OF Coahuiia, In
which state the fight took place, but II would
have taken them two days forcsd marching
to reach the spot Of the fight. The weather
was threatening, and just as the train pulled
| into Langtry the dr-ps began to fall. Light
rain fell until Just before the men entered
the ring, when is practically ceased, but
came again in occasional spurts.
The general opinion among the sporting
men who witnessed the fight was that II was
a most brilliant and unqualified victory for
in as good condition as the Australian but
he could not have been outfought so quickly
no matter what his condition had been had
he not been badly outclassed in point OF
skill. The general feeling was that Fitz-
simmons is fully capable Of giving Corbett or
any other man on earth a desperately hard
fight at any time. No weights were an
nounced at the ring side, but Fitzsimmons
weighed 165 and Maher about $50. The
crowd disappeared from Langtry almost as
quickly as 1t had come and 1t was not in
the neighborhood over two and one-haf
hours all told. The westbound regular train
for El Paso was held until O'clock and
when It left carried with 1t the pugilists and
nearly every person who had come down
to see the fight. The one special train from
Eagle Pass started on it's homeward way at
the same time and the great fight was over
and done.
HISTORY OF THE MATCH.
NEW YORK, Feb. 2l.-Fitzsmmons and
Maher we're matched in this city December
s. 1895. After the Hot Springs fasco Dan
Stuart went back to Dallas and thought the
matter all over. He had not given up the
idea of bringing the men together. He looked
for another place where a battle might be
brought of and found 1t near Ell Pasc Tex.
He secured Fitzs!mmons' agreement to
fight for big purse and then came north
to look up Corbett On arriving in this
city he learned of Maher's victory over
O'Donnell and of Corbett's transfer of the
championship. Maher was then substituted
with Fitzsimmons' consent. Stuart then ar
ranged for other battles, intending to have
a fstic carnival on a large scale. In ALL
six battles were to have been fought.
Maher went to Las Cruces, Mexican town
about fifty miles from El Paso, and Fitz-
simmons located in Juarez, right across the
Rio Grande from Ell Paso. Both went into
active training. In time the other pugists
arrived and matters looked rosy for the sue
cess Of Stuart's plans. Stuart had not di-
vulged the place where the fights were to
take place. however. but insisted that they
should be held without interference and
without brakng any laws. In Washington
a few days ago a bill was passed prohibiting
prize fighting in any Of the territories of
the United States. This barred Stuart from
New Mexico and was the first Of his troubles.
Then Mexico declared against the fights and
troops were called out to enforce the law.
Texas rangers were on hand to see that the
fights did not take place in their state.
Through it all Stuart steadily maintained
that the fights would take place Finally
Maher's eyes became swollen and infamed
from dust which had fallen into them from
the ceiling of his training quarters after
dislodgement by a foot ball. He could not
fight February ID, according to articles Of
agreement, and a postponement was made
until last Monday, and on that day further
postponement until today was arranged.
Stuart then declared all the other battles
off and devoted his entire time and attention
to the big fight.
RECORD OF THE MEN.
CHICAGO, Feb. 21.-Peter Maher was born |
in Galway. Ireland. March 16, 1869, and IS
s feet 11N inches tall. His first public en-
was with Martin O'Hara. whom he |
defeated in two rounds in 1885. He beat |
Tim O'Dougherty in three rounds and boxed |
a four-round draw with Robert Ha +, an ana
teur champion Of England, and knocked out |
John Seean in five rounds He won John |
L. Sullivans competition in Dublin, de- |
featng Jack Wallis, Tom Walters and Larry |
Drew in three round bouts. He met Peter |
in Dublin in 1889. They were to have |
boxed four rounds. but Maher only boxed |
two. He knocked out ALI Bowman in six
rounds and Gus Lambert In one round. He |
arrived in New York October 7, 1891, and
in one. Jack Fallon in two and Jack Smith
and Sailor Brown in one round each on the
same evening. Beat Joe Godfrey in one
round in 1892 and scored victory over
Val Flood. Maher beaten by Ftzsim
mons at New Orleans. but since then has
knocked out Coffee Cooler" Craig and Steve
He has never whipped a really
arst class man. One of his worst exhibit
tions was with Joe Goddard before the Coney
Island Athletic club, December 8, 1892, Joe
knocking him out in three rounds.
Robert Fitzsimmons was born in Cornwall,
England. June 4, 1862. His height is 8 feet
l1& inches His first fighting was done in
New Zealand in 1880. when he won the ANA
eur championship by defeating five men in
tournament managed by Jem Mace: one
# his opponents on this occasion was Herbert
Slade. His more noted fights were as fol-
ows: With jim Hall, at Sydney, February
, 1890, four rounds, lost; with Jack Dempsey.
It New Orleans, January a. 1891, thirteen
'ounds. won: with Peter Maher. at New Or
cans, March 2, 1892, twelve rounds, won;
With Joe Godfrey, Philadelphia. May 7. 1892,
me round. won: with Jim Hall. at New Or
cans. March s, 1S93 four rounds. won; with
oe Choynski at Boston, June II, 1894, five
ounds draw; with Dan Creedon, at New
orleans, September 26. 1894. won.
,oRBETT CHALLENGES THE WINNER. ,
CHICAGO, Feb. 21.-James j. Corbett was 1
ut riding when the news Of Maher's defeat r
vas received in Chicago, but an Assoc ated ,
ress man met him Immediately on his re-
urn and notified him Of the event.
"Do you challenge the winner?" was 7
sked.
II do" said Mr.. Corbett. "for $40 900 or !
ny sum he may name. but there must be }
o long winded talk about 1t. He must \
ONE and make his match here In Chicago I
a business fashion and it must be done at Il
nee. This means business. l am right here $
nd Mr.. Fitzsimmons can reach me any |
III ha ntg 70 I htSip ,.,ill