The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1897-03-24
4 NEW CHAMPION.
Fitzsilnmons Whips Corbett With Il Blow
Over tho Heart.

clear SKY atu III valley o,UOO 1eet
above the sea, circlcd by snow-capped
mountains which glistcncd in the
bright sunlight, making Il picture
such as was never seen before on an
occasion Of the kind, James j. Cor
bett went down to defeat today be-
fore Robert Fitzsimmons, who be-
came the champion heavyweight
pugilist Of bhe world.
The victory was not gained with
out a struggle; in fact, victory did
not seem possible for Fitzsimmons
unril the last moment of the battle,
when he gave every Indication of
slowly going to pieces, yet delivered
a blow in vital part and followed it
with two others which sent the Cal
ifornian to the floor with the agony
of pain and despair imprinted on his
face and unable to rise within the
limit which would save him.
When the defeated champion final
" arose with the assistance Of his at
tendants and recovered sufficiently
from his dazed condition to realize
the calamity that had bcfallen him,
he broke out with all the fury Of an
enraged animal and, discarding all
the rules Wl.ieh govern the art Of
which he is a disciple, rushed at his
victorious opponent and made a vain
struggle to beat him over the ropes,
only desisting when his seconds and
friends forced him away. And then
the new champion was borne to
his dressing room amid the cheers
of the 5000 people who were in the
arena, accompanied by his seconds
and trainers and also by his wife who
had watched the contest from a posi-
tion within u few feet Of the ring
sidc,. and who had taken in every
detail, even at the time when it
seemed that her husband would be
knocked nscnsiblc at hef feet.
1t was a great contest, but not
Withstanding the cheers for the vic
tor the majority Of those who wit
messed it could not but feel {, sense Of
disappointment at the result, be-
lieving as they did. that victory was
taken from Corbctt at Il moment
when he seemed sure Of gaining it
himself.
The contest was accompanied by
the usual delays which attend such
affairs, due largely to a wait for the
hour when the sunlight would be the
brightest, SO that the new electrical
device, the vitascopc, which was To-
Gated at the ringsidc, would be able
to obtain the best results in taking
an actual living picture Of the fight.
For two hours before the men en-
tered the ring the crowds gathered
in the arena, a temporary structure
of large dimensions, having a can
vass covered ring in the center, with
row after row 'of plain board seats
rising from each side with no cover
but the clear blue sky above.
1t was q moment after the noon
hour when the principals and their
seconds appeared aud both were
greeted with great cheering. Geo.
Silor,. the referee, arranged the few
preliminarics in Il short time, and
about 1910 O'Clock the battle COM
menccd. Little was accomplished by
either Of the men in the first round,
but in the next few rounds Corbctt
had every advantage. In the fifth
round he punished FitZsimmons Sc
vcrely, battcring him on the body
and face until the blood strcamcd
down his face and he finally sank to
his knees to avoid further punish
ment, remaining there until nearly
all the allotted time had expired when
he arose and succeeded in continuing
the contest for the few remaining
seconds OF the round. Nearly all the
spectators thought the end was at
hand then, but the Australian raj
lied and fought q game battle for
nearly eight rounds more, though
there were several occasions during
that time when Corbctt seemed tt
have him going, lie did land a nun,
Der of blows on Curbett and they
we're hard, toor but they seemed tC
have but little effect on him.
At the opening or the 14th and
last round Corbett looked the win.
ner. Though somewhat tired, he
was still strong and was displaying
more science and continued to pounC
the Australian and keep up the flow
Of the stream of blows, and thcr
came the final blow and the end
The blow which ended the fight was
a left hand punch, delivered just be
low the heart. 1t was all the moro
effective for the reason that Corbct1
was leaning backward when it came
1t caught him on the tcnscly-draWf
muscles just above the spleen anC
must have caused the most intense
agony. Corbctt was more unconsci
Gus from pain than from the force 0
the blow. AS he was writhing an(
groycling on the floor his face pre-
scntcd the most ghastly appearance
imaginable. No man in last dcatt
struggle could have Mortified th'
spectators more, and his agonizin!
cries of pain could be heard above
the cheers for the victor, and thct
followed the widest scene Of the day
when he arose to his feet and will
all the strength he had left rushc(
at his opponent and tried to tnisl
the contest. Those nearest the rins
jumped over the ropes in spite Of al
the efforts of the police to proven
them, and in a moment the entire
enclosure was filled with bowling
shouting mob, and the noise ant
confusion were SO great that TIN
referee was hardly able to announc'
his decision, awarding the battle tt