The times., 1897-05-18
FITz ON The VITASCOPG
He Denies 1t Shows That He Fouled
C0rbett.
Talks About His Plans for the
Future-Wiil Fight No More
This Year.

Fob Fitzsimmons, the champion pugilist
of the world, who is in Washington for
week, appearing al Kernan's Lyceum, and
giving an accurate reproduction OF the big
ship title, was asked yesterday at the
Riggs House by Times reporter about
the foul alleged 10 be shown i'll the vita
scope
1T was not FOUL replied Fitzsim-
mons. THE only fouls Ihade We're When
Corbett bit me three times on my lower
hip in one round.
II will bet $4,000 the vitascope will
not show in reproduction like the PICTURES
they printed in some OF the newspapers.
The vitaseope will have about twenty five
pictures OF my action, and the picture re-
produced shows the last part OF the motion
where Just stopped my hand without
touching Corbett. Had / struck him the
third blow | would have fouled him, but
didn't / struck binI over the heart and
under the Jaw, and was ON the point of
hitting hm again, but stopped before
doing SO. Had ! struck him as claimed hy
his friends, there would he another pic
one picture from that roll in the vitascupe
is apt to be misleading. Wait till you zee
the machine working, and III bet no such
blow will be shown"
Fitzsimmons then illustrated the knock
out blow and the details of same, and
his interviewer was used to imper senate
the part that Corbett played in that act.
While the champion undoubtedly thought
he was giving but a gentle tap beneath
the ear, il was decidedly not the most
enjoyable sensation in the world To feel
the impact OF those big knuckles, even
In a cordial spirit, and the receiver can
now sympathize deeply with the late
champion.
Continuing, FitZsimmons said: "Corbett
is bloody quitter. When ! Knocked him
down in the last round, he could have
gotten up if he had wanted to, but he
was afraid to get up. / would have
knocked his head off. l broke the knuck-
les OF my right hand in the first round
and after that did not attempt 10 stop
his blows for fear OF further injury 10
my hand. | was never distressed during
the fight. My lower lip was cut early
in the fight and in every clinch he would
rub that cut and it bled profusely, but
he never knocked me down. If he had 1
would say SO. l slipped and fell. The
referee, George Sher. was an honest
man He was with Corbett more than
with me. In fact. he was in Corbett' S
quarters every day and i'll mine only
twice.
'Nill you give COrbett another gO?''
no, VIII mott Why don't he fight
S.k 10 1a rd9
II also ounderstandthat a purse of SO, 900
is offere for me to fight Crecdon ten rounds.
But am taking no risk. l have been in
30G fights. and think | am entitled 10
rest for a while / will finish my "Trip on
the road in two or three weeks. and will
then go to the country or seashore for the
sumner / think the seashore is best for
baby
Asked how the baby was, he answered:
ION. ne is all right. but is teething now"
''Wfl you make a fighter OF him?''
Il don't know. He is too young yet to
know what he Will do y
Again referring TO the possibility of a
fight in the near future, Fitzsrnnons said
II shall fight no more this year. Cor
bett Kept the championship for three years
and fought but once in that time, when he
was supposed to have fought three times
in one year And when he did fight he
fought with a broke n-down pugilist, Char
ley Mitchell
In answer to another question, he said:
II am in first-class condition. l weigh
about 1852 pounds now, and ususally 50
when in condition. l can get myself down
TO ddleweight in two or three days,
and that's what kills Corbett's friends
for a middle weight 10 lick him. But they
should remember that DO matter how good
a man is, there is always one liable to
show up d little better youDgster is
liable TO spring up any time and do US
all up