The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-12
TomIinson HaII-The VeriscOpe.


With a majority of newspaper readers the
idea of a prize fight is that of absolute bru-
taity but it is the exception which proves
the rule, as the veriscope pictures of the
Corbett-Fitzsimmon contest, which open
a weeks engagement at Tomlinson Hall to-
morrow night will show. There is not
sound to be heard save from the audience,
though the people at the ringside wave
their hats and arms and dance around as
the fortune of their particular favorite is
on the ascendency or on the decline. The
history of the veriscope views in other cit
les has shown that the audience at times
is wrought up to a high pitch of excitement
and the spectators almost hold their breath
while Dan A. Stuart's big machine projects
the counterfeit of the pugilstic battle, blow
for blow, parry for parry, counter for coun-
ter and round for round on the great
screen. The pictures, a moving, animated,
life-like sequence, are thrown on the screen
at the rate of forty-three per second. In
New York and Chicago quite the correct
thing during the engagement of this mar
vel of modern photography were verscope
parties often composed largely of the most
polite women of society, in evening dress,
with their escorts a new thing in matters
which appertain to the prize ring.
Some idea of the enormity of the enter
prise which made the perpetuaton of the
battle of the century a. possibility, may
be CLEANED from the fact that these veri-
scope pictures, and there are 2 1-3 miles of
them, show absolutely everything that hap
pened in the ring at Carson City. They are
so life-like that the perspiration on the
bodies of these two gladiators CLEANS on
shoulders and biceps like Kimberley gems in
able in the second round. 1t is rarely that
horror is ever depicted so intensely as in
the pictures Of Corbett taken after the
lanky one from Cornwall found Judgement
for his hammer-lke fist on COrbettS solar
plexuS. Corbett falls to his knee, with his
agonized and pain-racked face full in the
focus of the camera He realizes that in
that one left-handed punch, money, glory,
fame, alteration and adulation are divorced
from him forever. 1t would have been emil
nently merciful if that cruel left had forced
twenty-four inches above the place
to the jaw it would have brought with
it Inconsistencies, and thus would have
Eumanely saved the pompadoured cham
pion the ordeal of hearing himself counted
out. The projected pictures show Corbett in
agony of despair, conscious of his waning
fortunes, but unable to circumvent the con-
dition of affairs. After the solar plexus blow
is landed the Californian slowly but surely
falls to his hands and knees, and, falling,
receives WHdl appears 10 De d StCOHu DlOW
from Fitzsimmons's left, which gave rise
and apparent justification to the claim of
foul set up by Delany before his principal
had yet been counted out.
Despite press reports to the contrary, 1t
was FitZsimmons's fight after the sixth
round. The handsome Californian, with a
strength born of desperation, really whips
himself In his heroic effort to whip F1tz-
simmons in the sixth round. He had nus
banded his strength as long as he could,
exhauSting 1t all in that terrific onslaught
in round six. From this point on the views
show that his blows lack steam and he
moves about the ring as though his feet
were incased in divers shoes. In the fatal
fourteenth when the Knockout is deliv-
cred, the ex-champion sinks to the stage
like an oak tree shvered by blast from
above. The agony seen on his face is
eyes and mouth agape he drags himself to
the ropes beyond. Laboredly he lifts HIM
self to his feet and, after a moments rest,
rusheS across the rOped Enclosure at his
vanquisher. The scene which enSues beg
CARS description. In an instant the inclos-
of both mems adherents. They ready
for any kind of a game. Fitzsimmons had
won fairly and Squareiy, and the men
whose money and SympathieS had been
pinned on the new champion were prepared
TO defend him at any cost. Wyatt carp, Bat
Masterson, Jack McAuliff, Tom Sharkey
and others of the pugilistic fraternity
backed up by Pinkerton operatives rush
into the ring at the command of Dan Stuart
TO quell the riot which seems unavoidable.
All who have seen the views in the large
cities say there is nothing in the pictures
which can give the slightest offense to
women who are curious TO know what
prize fight resembles. There will be daily
matinees at II a. m. and 2:S0 p. m. all week.