The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-03-17
DAN sTlHRTs EFFORTS
The Moving Spirit in Bringing
the Fighters Together.
HOW THE FIGHT ORIGINATED
He Conceived the Idea Nearly Three
Years Ago-The History of the
Fight at little Rock-The Diff
culttes He Has Overcome His
Losses in the Past.

Perhaps no event of the present decade
has aroused as much general interest as
the affair now taking place in the sage
brush country. The election of u President
stirred the public mind and aroused ex-
element, but hardly less intense is the
feeling that has prevailed since it BECAME
definitely settled that Corbett and Fitz-
simmons would meet in the roped arena and
decide the question Of supremacy between
them.
There has been no limitation To this in
terest so far AZ the fferent classes OF the
population are concerned. The lawyer and
the laborer, the physician, and the pea SAINT
of the field the mighty and the mendicant,
poet and philosopher. high and low, no
matter what their station aud calling in
life, have unwittingly, if not purposely,
become interested, in small or large de-
gree, in the outcome of the fistic affray.
This i not strange after all the centuries
have left human nature very much the
same To some extent the innate savagery
that encouraged and even compelled glad
iatorial combats to thedeat h in the coliseum
at Rome, turks in the blood today, az
probably will continue to exist until the
advent of the millennium promised ny OPP
tiInists, when the lion and the laIub will
lie down together and men and nations
shall go to war no more.
Public interest has been conferred in a
meeting between Corbett and FitzsimmoDs
since the fall of 1895, and was considera-
bly, heightened and increased by their sec
ond matching and failure TO come together
in the ring in the contest agreed upon for
September ~, 1896. The particulars of
the failure to bring the fight off in either
Texas or Arkansas are yet fresh in the
mind of the public.
And perhaps, the difference of opinion
as to the ability and supremacy of the two
men would have never been settled had it
not been for the indomitable will and fixed
purpose of Dan Stuart, the Texan, WHO
has all of the nerve and determination Of
that Inflated band who preferred To die
in the Alamo rather than surrender.
Bafiled, vexed and thwarted, Stuart
never weakened. and really his energy and
grit won him friends from among those who
deprecated his business and his intealons.
AS he has been the moving spirit i'll bring
IL
will prove interesting at this time to re-
peat here what he has said about matching
t he men:
1T was two years ago last April when
conceived the idea of matching Corbett
and Fitzsimmons. Previous to that had nc
interest in puglism further than being d
SPECTATOR 1t appeared To me that the laws,
as they existed at that time in Texas, adj
mitted of glove contests, and | took the
matter up purely as business proposition.
/ was aware of the trouble experienced by
the Florida Athletic Club in bringing off
the Corbett- Mitchell battle in Florida, and
AS a precaution had the Texas statute in
terpreted by prominent lawyers. The re-
suit being satisfactory, | madea dicker with
the Florida Athletic Club, assuming the
presidency of the organization, and the
clubs Headquarters were transferred to
Dallas. 1t is common property now.
After having the stability of the Texas law
bearing on boxing passed upon favorably
by the court of last resort, Gov. Culberson
called a special session of the Legislature
and at once law was enacted which pre-
vented me from bringing Corbett and Fitz-
simmons together at Dallas on October 81,
1895.
The scene shifts to Hot Springs, Ark,
and in that state Gov. Clarke proved so I'M
kind that he match fell through. After the
Little Rock disaster Corbett and Fitzsim-
mons and myself went our several ways
my eSperienees in and around FL Paso
are also pretty well known to the public
We had the Maher- Fitzsimmo fight down
Langtry way, and when it was over l
was anxious to match Corbett and Fitz-