The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-31
NOTE FROM CORBETT
Writes to FitzSimmons like
a Perfect Gentleman
HE OFFERS DOLLARS
WILL GIVE FITZ $1,000 ONLY TO
ACCEPT.
ANOTHER $1,000 ON ENTERING RING.
Another $1,000 at Completion of 10th Round
and So, 600 More if Fitz is Defeated
IAN AII-rOund Guy From the
Pompadour Man.

Pompadour Man.
Cincinnati, Dec 30.-James ]. Cor
bett to-day gave the Times Star for pub
lication his challenge to fight Robert ].
FitzsimmOns, as follows:
Robert J. FitzsimmOns, champion of
the world:
Your published declaration, Mr. Fitz.
simmons, that you intend re-enterlng the
ring, pleases me more than L can at
present express to you, for | know that
! the public esteems ME to be the only
candidate for the hOnors you thus place
within reach.
| II am sorry, however, to note that in
wording this declaration, you give me
! the impression that since we last met
you have become unwisely forgetful.
For instance, you say that before
! can claim a return match with you,
must prove myself to be worthy of it.
You certainly intended this as a joke,
| for no one in the world knows my
| ability better than yourself. You can
not so soon have forgotten your remark
| to me at Carson, just after the battle.
'Jim,' you said, in your simple, earnest
way, III 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
bruise or scratch from head to foot
| which could CONTRADICT You.
is this consistent with your now re-
| quesiug NE to prove to be a worthy
oppoueUtE You VIII find the confidence
of the public in my ability to entertain
| you still mistaken. You viii find that
the public will insist upon your recog-
/ uiZiug my claim that you must meet
me again. but surely you have been
/ misrcpresented. l refuse to credit you
with the lame memory, broken Judgment,
| poor taste ana entire untruthfuness
which the printed remarks alleged to
have been made by you would imply
| prefer to think that those who have
entered the ring with ME were men,
honest, bEve and incapable of the
vulgar, lying and cowardly language in
which the newspaper version of your re-
marks was couched. However, wei
know that the great journals try to be
| and usually are, accurate to the letter
in reporting utterances made by import
1 ant men upon important subjects. l
prefer to believe that in this case grave
error has been made somehow, some
| N4ANANS anu AOA a RhA pO0C IOb WI Lhy VI
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.
',rhis is all have to say.
| "But this is what propose to do:
| "The day we sign articles, will give
you $1,000 in recognition Of your
courtesy.
''The moment you enter the ring,
ready to offer me battle, will give
you q second thousand dollars in token
of my pleasure.
"Upon the completion OF the tenth
round, If you are still undefeated, will
give you a third thousand dollars as q
souvenir Of my surprise.
! "Upon defeating you, no matter in
what round, will give you two thousand
dollars more as a reminder that / am
not an ungenerous foe.
Son the other hand, should you again
defeat me, / promise, If still able to
move, to place my hat upon my head,
and then, removing it in your honor, to
proclaim you in frank and unmistakable
terms to be my superior, and state that
| then and there quit forever all pos
sible claim to the championship OF the
world.
"Let further remarks on this subject
be made by 1000 clean, honest earned
American dollars, given me by the public
that believes in me. / have this day |
forwarded these to Will J. Davis, Of !
Chicago, in testimony that mean every |
word / have herein spoken.
| (Signed) JAMES j. CORBETT,
champion of America"
Cincinnati, Ohio, Iec. 30th."
FITZSIMMONS'S CONDITIONS.
New York, Dec. So.-Tom O'Rourke.
has wired to the Associated Press from
Fort Wayne, Ind, as follows:
"Julian and Fitzsimmons have named |
Joe WOlcott at the middle weight limit
to meet Mccoy, and Peter Maher to
meet Corbett. If Mccoy and Corbett
win from Wolcott and Maher, Fitz-
simmons will meet both of them after
ward These are the only conditions
Fitzsimmons will make with Mccoy and
Corbett."
HUGH M'LAUGHLIN RETIRES.
New York Dec 30-Huph McT au0h.