Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-12-26

Position.
Cincinnati, Ohio, December 3d.
James ]. Corbett to-day gave to the
Times-Star for publication his chal-
lenge to fight Robert j. Fitzsimmons as
follows:
Robert J. Fitzsimmons, Champion Of
the World:
Your published declaration, Mr. Fitz-
simmons, that you intend re-entering
the ring pleases me more than I can at
present express to you, for know that
the public esteem me to be the only
candidate for the honors you thus place
within reach.
I 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 l
can claim a return match with you, l
must prove myself to be worthy of it..
You certainly intended this as joke,
for no one in the world knows my abil-
ity better than yourself. You can not
so soon have forgotten your remark to
me at Carson, just after the battle.
"Jim," you said in your simple, earn
est way, "Ill never fight again. You've
given me bloody good licking"
= 1+% thcS0
with your face and body so battered, to
leave no doubt Of your sincerity, while
I, the loser, listened with never a bruise
or scratch from head to foot which
could contradict you.
Is this consistent with your now re-
questing me to go prove myself to be a
worthy opponent? You will find the
confidence of the public in my ability
to entertain you still mistaken. You
will ind that the public will insist upon
your recognition of my claim that you
must meet me again.
But surely you have been misrepre-
scented. refuse to credit you with the
lame memory, broken judgment, poor
taste and entire untruthfulness which
the printed remark alleged to have been
made by you would imply. prefer to
think that those who have entered the
ring with me were men, honest, brave
and incapable Of the vulgar, lying and
cowardly language in which the news
paper version Of your remarks were
couched However well [ know that
the great journals try to be, and usual
ly are, accurate TO the letter in report
ing utterances made by important men
upon such important subjects, I prefer
to believe that in this case a grave error
has been made somehow, somewhere
and for a purpose not worthy of one
who wishes to be considered above con-
tempt.
What the public expects from me is
to maintain the manly dignity Of the
ring and not be hrawler nor a shifty
evader Of the honest principles which
govern honest men when adjusting
their respective merits.
This is all I have to say.
But this is what I propose to do:
The Cay we sign articles [ will give
you $1,000 in recognition of your cour-
tesy.
The moment. you enter the ring ready
to offer me battle, I will give you Sec
ond thousand dollars in token Of my
pleasure.
Upon the completion Of the tenth
round, if you are still undefeated, will
give you third thousand dollars as
souvenir of my surprise.
Upon defeating ne, no matter in
what round, will give you two thou
sand dollars more as reminder that I
am not an ungenerous foe.
On the other hand, should you again
defeat me, I promise, if still able to
move, to place my hat upon my head
and then removing it in your honor, to
proclaim you in frank and unmistak-
able terms to be my superior and state
that I then and there quit forever all
possible claim to the championship Of
the world.
Let further remarks on this subject
be made by one thousand clean, honest
ly earned American dollars. given me
by the public that believes in me. I
have this day forwarded these to Will
J. Davis, Of Chicago, in testimony that
mean every word l have herein
spoken.
(Signed) JAMES ]. CORBETT,
Champion of America.
Cincinnati, 0, December 80, 1897.
ANOTHER JLTTMATUM
NEW YORK. December 30.-Tom