The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-19
FITz IN A FOOLISH FRENZY.
MAHER SURE To FIND HIM 4 HOT
ONE H HE RACKS HIS DRAGGING.

The Australian Again Charges That
Maher Has No Intention of Meet
ing Him I'm the RinE-The Latter's
Manager willing to Back His De-
niRl of Che Charge With His Money.
Both SIuggers Again in Training.
El Paso. Tex, Feb. 1S.-Interest in the
possible meeting of Maher and Fitzslm-
mons on Friday has about petered out. The
throngs that blockaded Il Pa
so street from store front to
curb have gradually dwindled to
complete disappearance, and the
groups that are occasionally encountered
on the cross thoroughfares are composed
in the main of Mexicans from Juarez or
ruraliues from the surrounding country
The headquarters, too, are deserted and
need only streamer of crepe on the
door to complete their funeral aspect.
The feeling is next door to general that
something will again happen to keep the
men from entering the ring. Taken alto
gether never has a worlds championship
pugilistic contest been Immediately preced-
ed by such an utter lack of enthusiasm or
eXhilaraton.
Fitz took his daily spin to the town
ON his wheel this morning. Julian had
preceded him on an international line
mule car. Opposite the federal building
the Cornishman encountered Stakeholder
Tom O'Rourke of Boston. The latter
rallied Fitzsimmons pleasantly on his spec
tacular play Of yesterday and suggested
that he look in better temper. Fitz re-
sponded that he meant every word he had
uttered, and he regarded his opponent
as stiff and yellow dog and was sat
! isfed that he had no intention of fighting
on Friday The Boston man offered TO
bet a twenty that Fitz was away off,
and the latter replied with a sneer that
he was not in the habit of betting less
! than Il hundred
ORourke who was by this time nettled.
/ pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills,
| ana suggested that it be made thousand.
] Willing titz assented and the two men
| hustled across the street TO headquarters
! where Julian was holding the fort soli
/ tary and alone.
Gimme some money Julian" said Fitz.
Give me Wad of it,.
what for?' nouchalantly asked the
manager
u have bet !O'Rourl5e a thousand that
'StifL Maher won't fight" was the re
| ply. Give me roll.
Not ON your life," was the manager 5
! answer Il have no money to be stalking
| you on such fool plays. Keep yourself
| quiet and your mouth shut" ana with this
| he hustled the fighter out of the back door
| while o Rourke, who had been an amused
! listener went Whistltng down the street.
| Eitz took four hours exercise at his Jau-
| reZ quarters this afternoon, boxing with
| McCOv, the local heavyweight, wrestling
/ with Jack Stelzener, of St, Louis and
| punching the bag. There is no question
| that he IS in magnificent fetter while his
! temper toward Maher is decidedly ugly.
| Everything indicates that he will put up
| the fight of his life if the opportunity is
| offered three days hence.
| The companies of state rangers, twenty
| four men all told, still remain in the city,
! a
| dence about the streets as they were last
week. Adjutant Mabry held a consulta-
tion this afternoon with Capts. Mcdonald
] and Bell and later said that the rangers
| would remain here until the fight mana-
! gers had gone out of business.
A semi-oflicial statement given out from
| headquarters to-day says in part: mo
one should think that the Fitz- -Maher fight
| Will not take place simply because the
| lesser fights have been declared off. The
| fact Of the matter is that Stuart has been
/ placed in a better position to pull off the
! big fight since the little events are out
! OF the way than he was before. There Is
no need for the visitors that remain to
fear Interference. The ring is well locar-
ed and the conditions are such that no
one will be arrested or molested. This
much can be stated absolutely, telegrams
and assertions to the contrary notwitn-
standing"
Spider Kelly, who came down from
Las, cruces to-day, says that Maher
walked twelve miles yesterday and after
ward took two hours exercise indoors
I
| no question of his being fit for the ring
Friday.
Fitz received to-day a dispatch dated at
Chicago and reading as follows: "To Rob-
ert Fitzsimmons: Reading in to-night's
papers that you said l was cur; the first
time l see you | viii make you take it
back as L did before. (Signed) J. J. Cor
bett"
After making the air sulphurous for
a while, Ftz turned the message over to
Julian, who promptly filed the following
reply: u. j. Corbett, Chicago: All right
chapple, get ready; put yourself in better
condition than you We're in Hot Springs
and get down here. Fitz win put you out
of existence the day after he puts AIaher
among the has-beens. (Signed) Martin
l~Julian."
A story was going the rounds of the
resorts this morning that the fight man
ayers have received an intimation from
a source near to the state of Chihuahua
authorities that there need not be any
apprehension concerning Interference with
the affair on Friday next, provided the
spot selected is not within forty miles of
Juarez, up or down the Rio Grande on.
adjacent to a village or hamlet AT head
quarters the usual policy of refusing either
to confirm or deny current rumors still
being resorted to, but color is given to
the report from the fact that Gov. Ahu-
mazda and two members of his staff were
| for two hours yesterday afternoon the
guests of Fitzsimmons.
TROY'S FATAL FIRE