The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-17
FITz WINS.
CONTINUED from First Page.1

hind.
Corbett had a broad grin on his face
and shook hands with Siler. He tried
the ropes. while Fitzsimmons walked
slowly up and down glancing occasion
ally at COrbett.
Billy Madden at Il o'clock said:
while the contest for the worlds
championship is taking place please
keep order, as there are ladies present"
Siler was announced as referee; the
official time-keeper was MuldOOn; sec
onds for Fitzsimmons, Roeber, Hickey,
Julian and Stelzner; timekeeper, Louis
Houseman.
For Corbett: Seconds, Mcvey, White.
Delaney. Woods and Donaldson; time
keeper. Colville.
Fitzsimmons was then introduced and
Corbett next Corbett got the loudest
applause. Fitz then stripped and put
on his gloves of light pea green. Cor
belts were tan colored. Corbett wore
a red, white and blue belt with green
buckle and rOsette. His trunks were
green and he wore white socks rolled
down over the tops of his shoes. F'itz
wore dark blue trunks with small Amer
lean flags.
Siier ordered the men to shake hands,
but Julian prevented it saying, mo,
you refused it once"
Then they walked to- their corners.
The gong sounded at 1907 D. m.
At 1905 the men stepped to the CEN
ter of the ring. Fits face was almost
expressionless. but Corbett stood like
panther ready for the spring darling
a fearful look of hatred on his face. For
a moment the men danced around one
another and then COrbett's face aSsum-
ed its customary fighting grin, and he
settled down to the fight of his life.
The cIinches were frequent and ow-
ing to Ne internseta ton of The rules rules
on the Breakaways. The picture of the
TWO almost naked men, their muscles
straining and cleaning in the brilliant
sunlight was like one from the An
thenium games. The partisans of the
fight yelled frantically at the fall of
| each blow. Corbett's friends were in
the majOrity but Fitzsimmons had
plenty of supporters who We're as wide
| ly enthusiastic as those of the Califor-
MAN.
Corbett landed several blows in the
[ first round, one of which. the cheek,
staggered the auburn haired fighter
while the latter returned the compl-
ment with two hot ones on the head
and a body blow. or so. Corbett all
during the first round smiled at his OPP
pOnent. Both men We're careful during
/ during clinches and made no attempt TO
| strike on breakaways. Fitzsinmons
| held his own during this round Every
| time either man made a motion the
| crowd cheered.
In second round the men grinned at
! each other in a friendly way. Corbett
| landed two lefts on Fits stomach and
| the crowd yelled too low" Corbett
| but none of the blows We're very hard.
When they came up for the third
| COTD6JC IOSI no time, Out got III
a left on the belly. Corbett seemed
| supremely confident. while F'itzsim-
mons was a little bit nervous. The
! crowd howled when Fitz landed his left
| on the jaw. Just as the bell rang
| Corbett was about to hit F'itzsimmons,
| whose arms were down. He recovered
| himself, however. and both men laugh
| ed good naturally.
In the fourth Corbett landed a hard
| right on FitZ's ear during a clinch.
| Fitzsimmons missed a vicious left
| swing that would have ended the bust
| ness had it landed. F'itzsimmons land
| ed a hard left punch on Corbett's face
| and the crowd roared. Both men were
| received with encouraging cries from
| the crowd. The round ended in a
! clinch, with both men laughing.
AS usual in the fifth. Corbett struck
| the first blow. Corbett seemed to be
| able to land whenever he wished, while
! Fftzsimmons was unable to hurt him.
| Fitz seemed tired when the round
| closed and his mouth was bleeding.
For five rounds the battle continued
without much gain for either side Cor
| bett landed oftener than his opponent
| but when FftzsimmonS got in his terri
| BILE right on the head or body it count
| ed heavily. In the fifth Corbett landed
| a staggering blow on the mouth which
| cut FitzsimmOns' lip open and started
his mouth to bleeding badly The blood
which soon spattered over the bare
| breasts and shoulders of the men in
! famed the crowd to the highest pitch
| of excitement and nothing but the
barbed wire and heavy wooden barriers
prevented a rush to the ringside from
| all parts of the stopping floor.
| Before the end of the round Fitzsim-
mons was on his knees and stayed
| there for eight seconds. Julian rushed
frantically around the outside of the
ropes yelling: Get up Bob, get up
quick" and Bob though bloody from
| forehead to waist came to his feet and
went at his work again with renewed
| vigor- When the round ended COrbett
partisans were yelling that it was all
over But the minutes rest demon
| strated the fact that it was not; for the
] red AIDED fighter came to the mark
| apparently as fresh as ever
Corbett tried to finish Fitzsimmons in
| the sixth. FitzsimmOnS was covered
| with blood and was gripning. Finally
| F'itzsimmons slipped and stayed down
seven seconds Fitzsimmons was hor-
| rible looking sight but was on his fight
when the round closed. His mouth and
nose were bleeding and both he and
Corbett were covered with crimson.
| The sixth and seventh were hot
| rounds CorDett hitting twice to F'itz-
simmons once. on the average.
Fitzsimmons missed a desperate
swing and staggered in the seventh
! Corbett was cautious however, and
waited to pick out vulnerab bic spots
| Neither man exerted himself, both need
ing rest. Fitzsimmons continually
| glanced a t his wife who stood on a chain
| anxiously watching him Her face was
pale and she looked worried and FitZ-
| simmons reassuring but bloody smile
| did not seem to comfort her. COrbett
evidently had more partisans among
the spectators every time he landed
which was about twice a minute There
were cries of Knock his head off,
How do you like it, Bob?"
In the eighth F'itzsimmons jolted his
| antagonist heavily. the champion stag
gering several steps backwards. Bu
he came back smiling and raped Eot
= | twice in succession with force.
Fitzsimmons realized that his only
show was at close quarters. for he KEEP
boring in and finally he caught Corbet
under the chin with a left in the ninth
and there was a roar from the crowd.
In the tenth when F'itZsimmOns got il
! a right on the body and a left on th'