The times., 1897-05-13
A CHAT WITH Fl9ZSIEMONS
The Champion Is Indifferent as to
Cerbetfs Affairs.
He VIII Not Fight Gentleman Jim,
and Talks About Leaving the
Stage and Settling Down.

Champion Robert Fitzsimmons is some
what nettled at the constant linking Of
his name with that of Corbett, and he does
not like the story telegraphed from Cali
ski Fltzsimmons will give Corbett another
fight.
He said 1T is a matter OF perfect in
difference to me whom Corbett meets or
defeats All that is his business. / have
nothing to do with IL. / am not now re-
garding him as rival 1t would give ne
no additional credit to meet him again.
for l have defeated him, aud that's I'LL
there is about it, l admit it would inter
est rne to see him fight Maher and God
dard Why doesn't he do it?''
Referring TO Wyatt Earp's reported
action in the ring ut Carson, Fitz said:
aYes, that was fact As stood receiv-
ing congratulations OF friends, Corbett
rushed to attack me, and l paid no atteIi-
tion to him. He was dragged away, and
made the second rush, and, by the way,
believe | would have given 1t to him good
and hard that time had the crowd not in
terfered As it was, ! remember saying,
some what angrily: Let him come on.
What was my surprise at this time to
see Wyatt carp, the man who refereed my
fight at San Francisco with Sharkey, in
which was robbed OF 81 600 Referring
to the threatening looks OF men who had
lost their all on the fight, carp said: It's
all right Fitz Remember, IN your friend,
and I'll stand by you. III shoot any man
fun of holes who lays n hand on you This
took my breath away. l didn't want any
OF Wyatt Earp's friendship"
How about settling down and leaving
the stage? Well, intend To do that as
soon as l am aIlo wed to 30 it. or course,
tie present condition of affairs opens op-
portunities that must take advantage of
You see, when, by next season, get the
play that is being written for me, an en-
tireIy new field viii be open have here
tofore been seen by visitors to the vaude
Vile theaters, and next season l shah
show before audiences which in the main
do not fill the variety theaters Then,
with this question of settling down, comes
the other one of selecting some business
that will employ me after take perma-
neut residence | shall have to be occupied
To be contented.
'.No, could not occupy myself with
SpDTpS- i TAKE iIIlie III Sports anu
have no hobby among them | do not
even care for boxing. You seldom hear of
my being present at fights | became
fighter through boxing; when very young
There was some unjust criticism about me
while in Australia, and declared then
that | would fight my way TO the top ana
defeat every man whom ! met in the ring
That meant, OF course. mesi in the class
in which / was then sparring l did not
even dream at that time Of aspiring To
the worlds heavyweight Championship.
This was all rather determination and am
bition than what you might caiienthrsiasm.
or course. after had beaten all the mid
dle weights, I had nothing else to DO but
to take on the heavy weights"
At this point Mr. Martin Julian handed
Fitzsimmons a bundle of mail which in
eiyded several religious periodicals.
DO you subscribe TO these, FitZ?"
Good gracious, no. One of the penal
ties OF the pugilistic champion is that
hundreds Of persons in various parts of
the world are bent on converu,ng ME and
making a church worker out OF ne. These
papers come to me by scores in every
batch OF mail Look at this one The
margins are written full. and the writer
declares that his church is the only trce
one They're nearly all that way. / am
learning a lot about the different faiths of
the world ."