The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-31
ME-. corhett,s omoinl chnIlenre

Cincinnati, o., Dec. 30.--James ].
Corbett to-day gave to the Tlmes-star
for publication his challenge to fight
Robert j. Fitzsimmons, aa follows;
Robert j. Fitzsimmons, Champion OF
the World:
Your published declaration, Mr..
Fitzsmmons. that you intend re-enter-
ing the ring, pleases me more than !
can at present express to you, for I
know that the public esteems me to be
the only candidate for the honors you
thus place within reach.
Il am sorry, however, to note that in
the wording Of this declaration you give
me the impression that since we last
met you have become forgetful. For
instance, you say that before I can
claim a return match with you, must
prove myself to be worthy of it. You
certainly intended it as joke, for no
one in the world knows my ability bet
ter than yourself. You cannot so soon
have forgotten your remark to me at
Carson, just after the battle. 'Jim,
you said, in your simple, earnest way,
IN never fight again. You've given
me bloody good licking
You, the winner, uttered these words
with face and body so battered as to
leave no doubt of your sincerity, while
/, the loser, listened with never a
bruise or scratch from head to foot
which could contradict you.
rs this consistent with your now re-
questing me to prove myself to be a
worthy opponent? You will find the
confidence of the public in my ability
mi CT
who find that the public will insist upon
your recognizing my claim that you
must meet me again. But surely you
have been misrepresented. 1 refuse to
credit you with the lame memory,
broken Judgment, poor taste and entire
untruthfulness which the printed re-
marks alleged to have been made by
you imply. I prefer to think that those
who have entered the ring with me
We're honest, brave and incapable of
the vulgar, lying and cowardly Ian
guage in which the newspaper version
of your remarks was couched. How
ever well know that the great jour
mails try to be and usually are accurate
to the letter in reporting utterances
made by important men upon impor-
tant 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 contempt.
What the public expects from me is
to maintain the manly dignity Of the
ring and not be a braWler nor a shifty
evader of the honest principles which
govern honest men when adjusting their
respective merits. This is all | have to
say.
But this is what propose to do:
'"The day we sign articles l will give
you $1,000 in recognition of your cour-
tesy.
1.-THE moment you enter the ring,
ready to offer me battle, will give you
a second thousand dollars in token OF
my pleasure.
Upon the completion of the tenth
round, if you are still indicated, will
give you q third thousand dollars as a
souvenir Of my surprise.
upon defeating you, no matter in
what round, I will give you two thous-
and dollars more as reminder that |
am not an ungenerous foe.
son the other hand should you again
defeat me, I promise, if still able tc
move, to place my hat upon my head
and then, removing it in your honor, to
proclaim you, in frank and unmistaka-
BILE terms, to be my superior, and state
that 1 then and there quit forever all
possible claim to the championship oil
the world.
'Let further remarks on the subject
be made by you covering one thousand
clean, honestly earned American dol
lars made by me. (Signed)
JAMES J. CORBETT."