Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-25
CORBEIT
Accepts the BOlingbrOke
Clubs Offer
TO FIGHT non FrrzsIMMoNs ron A
PURSE OF $4,000 AND Ex-
PENsp MONEY.
WILL HAVE TO FIGHT
coRBETr SAYS TITzsIMMoNs WILL
HAVE TO MEET HIM.
Yarns About oorbctrs Dissipation
All nunc"mbc-As strong and
WILL HAVE TO FIGHT
coRnErr SAYS FIrzsmMoNs WILL
HAVE TO MEET HIM.

Clevelend, Ohio. Feb. 2l.--James j.
Corbett was shown an Associated Press
dispatch from London this morning
stating that the Bolingbroke club OF
that city would give a purse OF $4,000
aud $500 each expenses Tor match
between himself aud FitZslmmuns. Cor
bctt read the dispatch earetuny and
said,
u viii accept. The Associated Press
may state that II the DUhngbroRs Clue
Will forward the articles OF agreement
l Will sign them without delay.
"As to the blum made by that second.
rater Slavin. who has been defeated
about fifty times, more or less, | shall
pay no attention to him. In fact | VIII
listen to no proposition from now on
except one that win result In hight be-
tween Fltzsimmons and myself. He Ia
the man the people want me to meet,
and he is the only man l am after. /
VIII deposit ms much money as he Ro-
lingbroke club desires as n guarantee
of my sincerity IN this matter and
shall anxiously await some further
word from the officers of that organt-
cation"
Corbett added:
MARK what | say; that man F'itz-
simmons will never meet me. He In
simply blufling for the sake OF the little
huNeltlStiutnt ne expects 10 Wuhc out
OF IT, | will fight II Fltzsimmons gives
me a chance. He VIII not accept my
challenge because he does not want to,
but the public Will force him into It
eventually.
81 don't know what Fitzsimmons'
plan for the future is, but wherever he
goes | will 20 mud he will finally have
10 meet me There viii he no nukcs
then. You can bet on that I am not
particular about money for match.
want to beat this initiation whether
there II u cent IN II or not My forfeit
money OF $1,000 Is UP In Chicago and It
will stay up until F'itssimmons covers
1t,
"There Is whole lot OF gossip In
circulation" continued Corbett, about
my condition l am ma good MS ever l
was and could get into as good con-
ditiun as ! was In any fight ever had.
Yarns about my dissipation and marks
OF II being left on me are all buncombe.
You can see for yourself that l am look
Ing pretty good for u man that will
never fight again"
Corbett certainly does look 10 be In
good condition. HIS color is good, his
eyes are bright and he seems TO he m
active as ever, Ir reference to the Lon
don cablegram. In which II was stated
that the London National Sporting club
would offer n purse for a match be-
tween Cnrbett and Fitzsimmons pro-
vided the former would apologize for
his utterances concerning the club. Corr
bett said this evening.
"If Fltzslmmons viii agree TO meet
me before the National Sporting club
will make ample apology to that or
gnnlzatlon. although ! do not think ]
have ever done or said anything for
which ] should apologize. However.
I am determined TO leave nothing un-
done In the effort TO bring about
contest with Fitzsimmons. There Is
one proviso, however-and that IL that
the referee phall he nm American. I
stand ready to close up my show on
two weeks notice and will go into &C
tive training tust as soon as articles
are signed for the fight.
There are some people who right
from the start of my career In the ring
abused and doubted me. The same peo-
pie are the ones who are sneerinR at
my present standing challenge TO fight
Flizslmmons and say that Will never
fight"