The San Francisco call., 1896-11-10
How the Cornishman Hood.
winked the Sports of
This City.
THE SAILOR VERY sANGUlNE
Hall in a Prearranged Fight the Only
Man Who Ever Defeated the
Lanky Fitz.


weight pugilist of the coast and of Uncle
Sans navy, has but meager chance OF
whipping Bob Fitzsimmons, the elon-
gated champion middle-weight fighter of
the world.
1t cannot be gaiusaid that Sharkey has
proven himself a man of extraordinary
vitality and one who is capable OF taking
hard punching without fiinching. In his
contest with Corbett he received some
heavy blows in face and body during the
first and second rounds OF the bout which,
with the exception of one powerful upper
cut that almost closed one Of his eyes, he
did not seem 10 notice.
Corbett is not what is commonly termed
q "knocker-o out" and he proved it conclu-
sively in his last battle in this City. Con-
sequently, no just comparison can be
drawn when figuring upon the sailors
chances with tltZsimmons, from -he mere
fact that he held his gspund against an
extremely clever pugilist.N
Fitzsimmons, although in the same class
with Corbett, has an altogether different
method of fighting. His record will prove
that he is az 'knocker-out," or, in other
words man who has made short work OF
his opponents. Corbett, on the other
hand. relied solely on his remarkable
cleverness and ability to 60 long distance
10 WIN him victory. The only battle of
short duration he succeeded in winning
against man of reputation was tie one
he engaged in with Charley Mitchell, who
at The time of the encounter was but
mere shadow OF his former self.
Fitzsimmons is unquestionaby re-
markable man; in fact, more remarka bic
being, pugilisticaliy speaking. is unknown
10 the history of the ring. He commenced
as n middle weight, and at the time when
hox a a0Id daAl lxy yruV1 nrf1if har
gilistic ranks he whaled many good men
who were rated as being pretty hard nuts
TO crack. Finding that more money could
be made in hammering puGilistic asplra-
tions out of would-be fighters than in
hammering shoes on the feet of horses. he
turned his muscular back upon the forge
and went forth into the world in quest of
money and fame, both of which he ex-
pected to attain by the power OF his fists
That he was successful goes without
saying. He not only whipped the great
est of middle-weights, but the scalps of
many heavy weight celebrities now dangle
from his belt, and still he is looking for
more worlds to conquer.
His record can show but one blemsh.
Just previous to his departure from Aus
1ralia TO this country he met Jim Hall, on
February 10, 1890, in Sydney, and was
defeated in four rounds. FitZsimmons
subsequently acknowledged to some of the
officers of the old California Athletic
Club that the fight was prearranged af-
fair, and that he agreed to lose to Hall for
certain consideration, because he needed
money badly.
Jimmy Carroll, who is now in training
for teR-round contest wi4l Jack McAu-
life, under the auspices of The st. Georges
Club, was an instructor at the California
Club when FitZsimmons landed in this
City. With the exception of few direct
ors OF the old club, 10 whom Captain
Morse. the then very popular officer OF the
Australian liner Alameda, related nice
things concerning the pugilistic career OF
the invader from the land of the Golden
Fleece, the members and the critics on
pugihsm paid little or no attention to the
young man of fiaxen hair and iqueun
construction.
Artful jimmy somehow ''smelt mice"
and he soon had elongated Robert under
his wing. But Jimmy kept his council to
himself, and "FitZ" was not long breath
ing the pure atmosphere of The Pacific,
when he was matched 10 fight Billy Nc
Carthy, who at that time was considered
as being a hard man to whip, Carroll
handled his prize cleverly, and the few
sports who were in the swim had many
good laugh to themselves after noting the
expressions OF disgust that invariably ap-
peared on Jimmy's face when he Joined
the crowd. after putting his charge
through q little private exercise with the
success, but he never lost an opportunity
to inform the sports at large that he was
afraid Mccarthy was too husky a chap for
his man Bob. Poor Billy Mccarthy, who
was one OF the most honest fighters that
ever entered ring, was but toy In the
hands of the Cornishman.
The contest took place on the evening
of May 20, 1890, and Mccarthy went to
roost in the ninth round. Carroll and his
friends scooped in nice penny on the re-
suit. The lanky lad IRON far-away Aus
tralia was now looked upon by all local
aspirants to the middle-weighI champion
ship as dangerous customer, and as a re-
suit Fifty had to look for new fields to
conquer.
He journeyed toward the rising sun
and secured several small contracts in the
East. His fights of note were: George
one round at Philadelphia, Pa, on Nav I.
1892
1t will be remembered by many men,
bers of the old California Club that
Godfrey made formidable stand against
Peter Jackson when the latter was in his
tremendous beating. acknowledged his de-
feat in the nineteenth round by throwing
up both hands.
June 2s, 1890, he whipped Arthur Up
ham in New Orleans in five rounds, and on
January IA, 1891, he conquered Jack
DeIupSey III Thirteen TCuHuS.t SPECTATORS OF
the battle state that the Cornishman could
have easily whipped 1.-The Nonpareil" in
quicker time.
Peter Maher, the, Irish cham pion heavy
weight, met and was defeated hg Fitzsim-
mons in twelve rounds at the Olympic Club,
New Orleans, March 2. 1892 Fitz met Jim
Hall again and whipped him in four rounds
at New Orleans on March 8, 1893. He
fought Joe Choynski on June IL, 1894. at
Boston. and had administered to the Cali
tornian such terrible drubbing that the
police interfered, and the fight ended in
the fifth round. The referee declared it a
draw. He next met Dan Creedon in New
Orleans, on Septem Der g. 1894, and Daniel
was put to sleep in the second round The
second contest between Fitzsimmons and
Peter Maher, which was fought on Mexi-
can soil, is still fresh in the minds OF the
lovers of fisticuffs. Maher was knocked
out alter lighting thirty seconds. but he
attributes his defeat to his poor eyesight.
which was then greatly impaired.
Sharkey, the muscular sailor pugilist
WHO will be the next man TO engage in
passage-at-arms with Fitz, has record OF