The Topeka state journal., 1897-03-15
TRAINING ENDS.
COrbett and FitZ Did Their Last
Training Today
Both Men Said to Be in Perfect
Condition.
FITZ HAS A MASCOT.
1t Is Red White and Blue Silk
Belt
With an American Eagle on the
Front.
FITZ HAS A MASCOT.

Carson, New, March 15.-Corbett did
his last training before the big fight this
afternoon. and when it was finished he
and his trainers expressed the greatest
satisfaction with the result of the hard
work of the last four weeks.
Il never felt so well before, and I
know I could possibly not be in better
condition for fighting" said the cham
pion, as the trainers rubbed him down
after the final boxing bout.
Il am in perfect shape for the battle
and 1 am going to win it. There is some
talk about my Overconfidence, but my
critics will see Wednesday that 1 know
what am talking about, when I say
that 1 will whip Fitzsimmons. I have
been waiting a long time to get crack
a that fellow, and it is a sure thing
that 1 will not lose the opportunity to
stop his talk about his ability to beat
me. I am more than satisfied with the
manner in which my trainers have
handled me, and if lose, it will not
be their fault
"Our man is in perfect condition for
this other battles" said Charley
White. land there is not the faintest
doubt that he will win. He could not
possibly be in better condition. All the
experienced men who have seen him
work today, admit that his condition is
perfect. 1 am entirely satisfied, and SO
are all his friends
The days work was begun at Q o'clock
with a short tramp over the muddy
country road. The wrist machine exer-
else and bag punching were dispensed
with, and but two games of handbau
were played. Three slow rounds were
spared with McVey, Jeffries and
Woods, taking turns with the big fight
er, and the rub down ended the day
The remaining days will be spent very
quietly and the only exercise Corbett
will take will be a couple of half mile
walks
F'itzsimmons was up early this morn
ing and took jaunt around the ranch
yard before breakfast. Afterwards he
walked at good gait to the peniten-
Siary, his usual morning route, and jog
ged back, covering the distance in half
the time occupied in going out He
1Oafed around the house and grounds
until after dinner, and did no more
until the arrival of Al Smith, the stake
holder, who came out by invitation to
see some of his work and inform himself
of FitZsimmOnS' physical condition. His
work at the bag and boxing with Hick-
ey and Roeber did not take as much
time as has been customary to the ex-
ercises.
He simply did enough to show Smith
his methods of work and its character.
When told by Stenzler not to do any
more, he went to his dressing room and
was rubbed down, Smith being present
an order to see in what shape his mus
cles were.
Roeber. Hickey and Stenzler are en-
thusiastic about the condition of their
man and have no doubt of his winning
the fight. Fitzsimmons will probably
fight at not far from 100 pounds, and
the chances are that he will enter the
ring at rather over than under that fig
are. He some time ago abandoned the
idea of getting down to the middle
weight limit, or at least so his trainers
say. and thought that it would hardly
do TO allow Corbett as much advantage
in weight as he would possess if Fitz-
simmons entered the ring Weighing un-
der 100 pounds
The champion will weigh between 1SO
and 1856 pounds and Fitzsimmons
Thought that 25 pounds was a trifie too
snuch To give away in championship
fight. He has been most careful in con-
cealing his weight, but his trainers have
given out the idea that he will not fight
at the middleweight limit.
There's nothing the matter with my
condition" said F'itzsimmons this
morning. ''and all my friends may rest
assured that 1 will give a better ac-
count of myself after [ am in the ring
than Corbett will l know they are
playing him for a favorite in the betting
and it has been said that 1 am not as
confident of winning this fight as I
might be. If 1 were not confident of
winning, 1 would not ever have entered
Into the arrangement to fight Corbett
He is bigger man than I am, and they
say that he is better at long range fight
ing than ] am. Now, l have not the
least doubt in the world of my ability to
keep out of mis- way, and l say now as
I have said before, that when I go after
him, he will not be able to beat me in
a half day. and he will not beat me if 1
do go for him"
Hickey. Stenzler and Martin Julian
were of the same opinion regarding the
chances of their man. There was but
one opinion among them all and that
was that Corbett would be punched in
to just about nothing, and that he would
be punched into it in very short order
Fftzsimmons yesterday swung his col
ors to the breezeS by putting them out
on the clothes line. He will wear
around his waist a belt of red, white
and blue silk, having in the center an
eagle which looks very much like the
eagle on silver dollar. Fitzsimmons
has worn the belt in several of his fights
and he is of the opinion that he will
never be beaten as long as he wears if
he first wore the colors of the United
States in his fight with Hall at New
Orleans, when he defeated Hail. He
ON the day of that fight had made his
appHcation to become an American cit
1zen. and ever since that time he says
he has fought with the national coIors
around his waist.
San Francisco, March 15.-A delega-
tion of boxing enthusiasts left this city
last evening for Carson, and today an
other one will proceed to the scene of
the great fiStic carnival. Last evenings
train carried out Harry Corbett, w. H
Clark, Louis Tayon of ST Louis; Col
Martin Brady, AL Coney the horseman
Peter L. Murphy, Philadelphia's crack
pigeon shot, who is better known as
One barrel Murphy, Dan Needham
Dan Lynch, the manager of Tom Shar-
key, Felix Weiner. Steve O'Brien of
Victoria. B. c.. and other lesser lights
of the sporting world
Tom Sharkey, who will give his YER
sion of the great fight for local pa
per, boarded the train at Port Costa.
From the statements of Dan Stuart's
representatives nearly 5000 people will |
Journey from this city to Carson to
witness the championship battle. Thev
base their conclusion on the fact that |
5000 tickets have already been sold.
here.