San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-12-03
C0RBETT CHALLENGES.
TELEGRAPHS HIS WILLINGNESS TO
MEET sHARKBY.
The Referee in Last Nights Fight Says
He Plainly Saw Pitz Foul the
Sailor Boy Several Times.

New York, Dec. 3.-At the conclus-
ion of the Sharkey- Fitzsimmons fight
in San Francisco last night, Jas. J.
Corbett telegraphed Sharkey as fol-
lows: Il am very sorry that Fitz-
simmons foul tactics in that contest
with you prevented you getting the
decision over him in full ten-round
contest without foul. | am ready
10 meet you on or before January /,
1897
San Francisco, Dec. 3.-Referee
carp, whose decision in the Sharkey-
FitZsimmons fight caused an indig-
nant demonstration from the crowd
at the ring-side last night, stated this
morning that when he decided the
contest in favor of Sharkey he did so
because he believed Fitzsimmons de-
liberaetly fouled him, and under the
rules the sailor was entitled to the de-
cision. He would have been willing
to allow half the fouls, that is, fouls
that might be considered partly acct
dental, to pass by with only a repri-
mand but in such case as this he
could only do his duty. He said:
There is one thing l regret. L
should nave given Sharkey the fight
earlier in the contest. In the fourth
round l think it was, Fitzs;nnons
landed Il left handed blow and return
ell with his elbow, cutting Sharkey's
eye brow open. The sailor should
have had the fight then. The foul
hlnu i'm fhn AtDhfh
Oy me. Fitzsimmons smashed with
his right on Sharkcy's shoulder and
then With an upper cut with his left
ne struck the sailor below the belt.
Sharkcy was iean;g over aud the
blow Knocked HIM down. 1t was
clearly foul and before the sailor
moved ] mentioned that the fight wss
over. The first blow was on the neck
ana believe tie second was intended
Tor an upper cut lat it struck foul.
No man until now has ever questioned
MY honor l have teen in many MA
ces and in peculia' situations, but nc
one ever said uI.:! last night that /
was guilty of d;shonorable act and
viii repeat thA. / decided in all
fairness and with all iudgment that
was AZ true as my eye-sight ! saw
foul blow"
Fits mmons said aficr the fi..ht:
carp knows and so does Sharkey
mat i id not lit tSe sailor where
they say l did. My left hand landed
straight in his stomach where had a
right 10 hit him and no other place.
His going down and grooming was all
part OK the gaTc. There was no
need for me to foul him because I
had him whipped any way"
"As l telegraphed Dan Stuart last
night. am willing 20 meet both Shar-
Key and Corbett in the same ring any
night Stuart wants to pull the fight
on. will say ohc thing for Cor.
bert and that is that don't blame him
for saving that nc WAS robbed on. of
III" Jackson fight in this town. No
pugilist can get a square deal from
the thieves who handle the fighting
IN this city and it Is sale to Let that
the last tight San Francisco will ever
sec was pulled Off las. night"
SHARE ey had this 10 say:
Il am certain thl.I'!tzsimmons fonl.
Ell inc deliberately to save himself
from defeat. 1t was getting too plain
10 Dim that L was gaining in strCpgtlI
While he was going down hill. so 10
speak, and rather 'han be KIN ,Cked
out he thought he would lose the
fight Gil foul. Had he not delivered
that nasty blow hich crippled me, l
would nave certainly finished him in
that round, the eighth I believe It was.
l am sorry the question of supremacy
was not settled on is merits, rather
than in this way. l can beat FirZ-
simmons and 1 would far rather ave
knocb,d him out than win the purse
ON a foul. I don't think he will be
anxious to meet me again, however,
but IL he does, well, / am open to all
engagements. I am in the boxing
business as a profession. 1 intend
to win the worlds championship If
the decision in this contest has not
sIready given me the right to that IL
tie. I am not going to pose as a
taking fighter. If anybody wants
TO meet me they will always find me
waiting"