Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-14

the willy old tiger OF the New Zealand
jungles is not capable Of at least a paroxysm
Of his former fury and the delivery Of at
least one blow that will thoroughly explode
Jim's all too jaunty bauble.
In reply to Sioux City inquirer l
! will say that Fi.zsimmons is OF
unadulterated Celtic origin. He was
tricts of Cornwall, according to my
| pugilistic scrapbook and will be 81 years OF
| age in June next. He was taken to New
Zealand when quite young, and remained
| there until he came to this country in 1880
| Immediately upon his arrival here he shot
up in the fighting world like meteor and
| today Is the punching marvel, in many re-
spects. OF the world. 1t was in New
Zealand, however, where he first bossomed
out in the game of stop hit and get away
He had served his apprenticeship in
blacksmith shop. and was known as an
expert at horseshoeing before he was ever
| heard OF as an exponent Of the manly art.
A specimen Of his handwork at his trade
handsome gilded horseshoe, which he
made for me at Watsons shop
on Harney street during his late visit here
hangs a much-prized souvenir in the office
OF DIR. Lee, to whom | presented IL after
Roberts departure. The complimentary
card, with his autograph in a large. sprawl
ing hand. WI ich serves as an index to his
character, and which accompanied the gitt
Is still pasted upon the wall in front OF
me. Fits first notable fight was with
Herbert Slade the Maori" who came over
here In 1888 to whip the only John L., and
got punched out in three rounds for his
pains-and the fight took place In New
Zealand. Fitz winning In round or two me
fun came thick and fast for Bob after this
Introduction and the way he bowled over
the Antipodean sluggers, big and little, was
a caution to ring-tailed monkeys. Finally
he was matched with Jim Hall and he laid
the statuesque boxer out In five rounds.
Ag thp nNyar Unrp
meal tickets in those days, Fitz and Hall
then entered into job ''to turn an honest
penny" as Fitz told me, and he went out
in four rounds This was in Sydney, N. S.
W., six years ago this month Since then
Hall has claimed that the contest was
bona tide one, but he has never been able
to produce any evidence in substantiation
Of this claim, and Ftz swears he simply
carried out an agreement and that he could
have easily defeated Hall in much less time
than he did in their first meeting At Jem
MaCes boxing tournament In New zealand in
1850 Bob won first honors by knocking out
four good men in one night. AS | said be,
fore, he came to this country in 1890 and
his first collision was with Australian Billy
Mccarthy, whom he put into nod-land in
nine rounds, New Orleans next secured his
services and pitted him against counter
felt yclept Upham, who was but toy in
the lanky fellows hands. His temerity was
laughed at when he consented to meet Jack
Dempsey before the famous old Olympic
CluD, Dut history says tne once famous NON
pareil was little better than Colonel Upham.
Jack fought gamely and pluckly, to be sure,
yet he never had ghost OF show. From
this time on until he met Peter Maher in
New Orleans, March 9 1892, Fitz had no
notable battles, but he knocked out sue.
Holsters as big Abe Congle, the Black Pearl,
Jim Farrell, Joe Godfrey and Jerry Slattery
as fast they could be induced to face him.
In making the fight with the Irish champion,
the Cornishman entered the heavyweight di-
vision and a host Of his fOrmnr followers
felt that that he had made a fatal mistake.
Maher reputed to be hard game for
any man in the world, terrific hitter, fast,
clever and capable of taking an almost un-
limited amount of punishment. l saw this
fight, and the first round for fierceness.
equalled anything l had ever witnessed in
the ring. Fitz suddenly ioored Peter with
a thunderbolt straight from the shoulder,
and thinking he had won the battle made
no pretense at avoiding Mahers succeeding
bull-like rush. and he got smash in the
jaw that all but put him out. In fact, the
gong saved him. and it seemed to me at
the time that the string was pulled with
undue promptitude, but I guess it all
correct Anyway, 1t served as a lesson
for Fitz, and the next round he assumed
the most cautious tactics, and the conse-
quence was that the Irishman was never in
it again. The red boy stood off and jabbed |
Peter round after round until the twelfth |
when he signifed he had an elegant suffi |
cheney by making rank quit. Fits next
notable engagement was his New Orleans |
meeting with Jim Hall-the Crescent City |
Athletic clubs famous 100000 conflict l |
was also spectator of this fight and woe |
betide me- had my sesterces on Hall. The |
fight took place on the evening Of March g. |
1893, and Hall was knocked into kingdom |
come in the fourth round. The battle |
opened up promisingly, and In the third |
round the general impression was that Jim |
had the best of it. but he didn't |
That feeling procreated merely by |
the coin we press boys" had stacked up in |
Lemoth's on Hall 1t was one of Fitz's |
"chance blows" that did the biz After a |
clinch or two. a little rally and some iddlng |
that big right nit came round and across |
like a streak OF creased moonshine and Hall |
never knew-until Charlie Mitchell after |
ward told him-what hit him. His legs went |
up into the air like pair of stills and he |
was unconscious before his head struck the |
padded platform 1t was the most complete |
knockout I ever witnessed. After this event
the New Zealander enjoyed another interval |
of barn storming, until one June evening in
1894 he ran up against my old
opa-wearing friend Joseph Bartlett
of those previously understood affairs.
but in the third round the large and cultured
crowd of spectators were electrified by seeing
Joseph Bartlett reach out and stretch the
long freckled lad at full length on his back
with terrific right hand cross counter on
the Jaw. 1t came within an ace OF being all
day with Robert and he took the full nine
seconds in getting up, and when he once did
get back he was groggy and only saved his
bacon by the most desperate chances. AS
is we'll known, FltZsmmons recuperative
powers are marvellous and when he stepped
into the middle of the stage for the fourth
round he good new and there was
bloody murder in his eye. feint two
and down went Josephus like hod full of
mud He jumped up only to be beaten in
the most savage manner, and was quickly
knocked sprawing again. He like
rat in a terriers jaws and when the gong
sounded too weak to stand. He came
again, though. for the fifth installment and
Fitz was simply haying him alive when the
police lnterfered and the referee made 1t a
draw. No wonder Joe says Corbett will win
Bobs next antagonist of note was Dan
Creedon. In the first round Creedon made
a vicious swing at his tall rival that actually
made him laugh aloud and then to show
Creedon what a presumptive man he was
Ftz went at him in the second for keeps.
He opened up the ball with one of those
right swings on the jaw, They say 1t
knocked Dan clear across the ring. He took
the limit, and, on rising endeavored 10 get
In close on Bob, but Bob simply hit him
a tap square on the top of the head and for
fully ten minutes he as good as dead.
Then the matinee with Corbett opened up |
and has continued with such maelstrom
Of braggadocio, broken pledges bilingsgate
and noXous bluff that at one time Ii bade |
lair TO incontinently destroy all interest in
the game down to the present day, when |