Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-21
LINE FROM SIOUX CITY.
Something About Corbctts Fights
with Shnrkey and Jackson.

A IN FRoM sIoUx CITY,
Something About Corbctt's Fights
with Shnrkcy and Jackson.
SIOUX CITY, Feb. 1S.-To the Sporting
Editor of The Bee: Have you considered
carefully what Corbett has to say in regard
to Fitzsimmons? He has contended all the
time that he has a soft thing with Fitz-
simmons and has been telling us how easily
he would defeat him., etc. Now see what
he says about studying Fitz' methods care
fully for the last thres years; notice the
number of trainers he has around him trying
to put him in the best possible shape. Ii
Fitz is so dead easy, why is 1t that he has
studied his way of lighting for the last
three years, and why is 1t he has got all
the trainers he can get, including all of
Fitz' old trainers and seconds. to give him
pointers? He has White. Fitz' old-time sec
Ond. and Carroll is giving Jim all kinds of
pointers, so a friend tells me who lives in
Frisco. You will see Carroll in Corbetts
corner when the fight comes of. My occu-
patton Is that of commercial drummer and
| cover the country from Chicago to the Pa
ciic coast. l hear many claim that Fitz
showed the white feather when he did not
meet Corbett at Hot Springs, Ark. that nc
ran into the shoriff's hands to evade Cor
bett. That is all rot.
How YVES 1t when Fltz challenged Corbett?
Didn't Corbett tell him 10 first defeat Dan
Creedon end then he, CCrbett, would give
him a show? FNtz beat Creelon and called
Corbett to time on his promise to meet him.
Corbett then put up Maher; Fitz beat Maher
and called Corbett again. Then Corbett
wanted Fitz to defeat O'DonnGll, but the
press of the country howled so that Corbett
had TO come to time. 1t looked as If CCrbett
Gid not want any of Fltz's game at that time
by trying to place between him and Fitz
n,nthnr man EfAy lyAA,t Epn,'-fAu thAp,
down right along, however, ana calling Cor
bett to time. | am not posted in regard
to uhe Hot Springs deal. 1t may be that
Iritz was afraid to meet Corbett at that time,
but | can't see Why he should have been.
Corbett, from what a friend writes to me
from Frisco. is not looking as wei as he
did when he was on The coast before, but
he and Brady own the PRESS cut there and
keep the papers full Of all kinds of gossip.
Fitz has to take his chances in this line.
We hear a lot about Cor6ett and his good
condition, examination by physicians, etc.
However, | have reason TO think that he will
BIO in but little better fix than he was the
day he met Sharkey.
was present and saw that fight, and it is
but fair to say this for both men, that Cor
b2tt did his best to put Sharkey cut in
The inst three rounds, and did 90 up one side
but his blows did not phase Sharkey. 1t
was like hitting a BRICK wall. Everybody
spoke about Corbett's blows being weak, and
that he could not knock Sharkey down in a
month. He hit many times with the glove
open. Sharkey did violate the rules by
clinching in, the first two rounds, but Cor
bett with all his swifthess OF foot could not
keep him away; he was like a baby in
Sharkey's grip. lie could no more throw
off tran he could throw Off a ton Of
shot. In the third. and fourth rounds 1t
was CcTbett that wanted to clinch-het com
+. IT l. -. t.tp = L fl .-.-l
He was badly windad. In the fourth round
5harkey saw that he was winded and he
went in to finish him. Corbett came up
with his mouth open, and Sharkey went at
him., but Corbett clinched and held on like
grim death. He was all but gone. They
broke, as per orders, and Corbett clincho1
again, and then nodded his head to either
his seconds or the police, l don't know
which, but every one noticed it. 1t was all
he could do to stand up. The captain of the
police then spoke up and time was called.
That is all that saved Corbett. Another
round. and he could not have stood up. His
friends in Frisco told him that he had
gone back, and the match with Sharkey
was made to show his friends that he had
not. He did his best to get in shape and he
trained faithfully for a month. He YVES in
fair locking condition, and did his best to
show that he had not gone back, but made
4 most miserable failure.
II fllZSlIlInOnS mas courage anu keeps MS
head he will win with COrbstt easily. SOme
question his courage. l often hear the
point argued that If he gets the gaff in the
first part Of the match that he will weaken.
[ have never seen him and don't know how
that would be. | have seen CCrbett in his
fights with Sullivan. Mitchell and Jackson.
as well as his fasco with Sharkey. Sulli-
van was dead on his feet and it wG5 like
hitting a brick house to hit him, Old
man Mitchell had besn in the game twelve
years, and was a middlewelght. Jackson
YVES crippled so badly that for thirty rounds
ne could hardly get out of his corner, yet
Ccrbett did not have the courage to 30 In
and finish him. JacksOn's ankle was as
large as his thigh the very time he put it
through the ropes. Corbett hit Jackson, but
his blows lacked 1tcam, and that WIS when
Ccrbett was in his prime. He is not the
Corbelt today by half that he was the day
he faced Jackson.
Now, Sandy, we all watch The Bee up
here closely to get the news Of the fight. 1t
will be impossible for me to go to this
mill, the first of Importance l have missed
for years. However, | take as much inter
est in it as If | could. Hope you will keep
us posted through the columns of The
Bee, as you always do. Mr.. Grlswold, we
all shall watch The Bee carefully, as we
know that you are the man who can give
us a line of this kind as we'll as any man in
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