The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-31
CORBETT WRITES AS IF CRAZY.
OFFERS FITzsIMMONs $1,000 TO
FIGHT HIM.

One thousand Dollars TO he Present.
ed Him the Day He signs Articles
of Agreement and 1000 More the
Moment He Enters the Ring-Upon
Completion of the Tenth Round
COrbett VIII Give Him $1,000 More
IL Fitz Is StiH Indicated, ana
Upon Defeating Him VIII Give
Him $4,000 More.
Cincinnati. o., Dec. S0--James j. Corhett
to-day gave to the Times-star for publi-
cation his challenge to fight Robert ].
Fitzsimmons, as follows
Robert J. Fitzsimmons. champion of
the world; Your published declaration, MIR.
Fitzsimmons, that you intend re-enterins
the ring, pleases me more than l can at
present express to you, for l know that
the public esteems me to be the only can
didate for the honors you thus place with
In reach
Il am sorry. however, TO note that in
wording this declaration you give me the
impression that since we last met you
have become unwisely fOrgetful.
For instance, you say that before can
claim a return match with you, l must
prove myself to be worthy Of IT, You
certainly intended this as a joke for no
one in the world knows my ability better
than yourself. You cannot so soon have
forgotten your remark to me at Carson
just after the battle. 'Jim,' you said in
your simple, earnest way, I will never
fight again. You've given me a bloody
good licking.
You, the winner. uttered these words
with face and body so battered as to leave
no doubt of your sincerity. while I, the
loser. listened with never brulse or
scratch from head to foot which could
contradict you.
us this consistent with your now re-
questing me to go prove myself to be a
worthy opponent?
You will find the confidence of the pub
lie In my ability to entertain you still un-
shaken. You will find that the public will
insist upon you recognizing my claim
that you must meet me again. But surely
you have been misrepresented. l refuse
to credit you with the lame memory brok-
en- judgment, poor taste and entire un-
truthfulness which the printed remarks
alleged to have been made by you would
imply prefer to think that those who
have entered the ring with me We're men,
honest, brave and incapable of the vulgar
lying and cowardly language in which the
newspaper version of your remarks was
couched.
However well l know that the great
journals try to be. and usually are, ac-
curate TO the letter in reporting utterances
MADE by important men upon important
subjects, / prefer to believe that I'm this
case grave error has been made some-
how, somewhere, and for a purpose not
worthy of one who wishes to be consid-
cred above contempt.
What the public expects from me is
to maintain the manly dignity OF the ring
and not be brawler nor a shifty evader
of the honest principles which govern hon
est men when adjusting their respective
merits.
This is all / have to say.
But this is what propose to do:
The day we sign articles / will give
you $1,000 in recognition of your courtesy
The moment you enter the ring, ready
to offer me battle I will give you a sec-
ond thousand dollars in token of my pleas
ure.
Upon the completion of the tenth
round, If you are still undefeated, 1 will
give you a third $l,000 as souvenir Of
my surprise.
Upon defeating you, no matter in what
round. / win give you 5000 sxnore. as a
reminder that | am not an ungenerous
foe.
"On the other hand, should you again
defeat me, / promise, IL still able to move,
TO place my hat upon my head and then,
removing 1t in your honor, to proclaim you
in frank and unmstakable terms TO be
my superior. and state that l then and
there quit forever all possible claim to
the championship of the world.
Let further remarks on this subject be
made by 1000 clean honestly earned Amer
lean dollars, given me by the public that
believes in me. l have this day forward
ed these to Will J. Davis of Chicago in
testimony that / mean every word that /
have herein spoken. James j. Corbett
Champion of America"
Cincinnati, Dec 30, 1897