The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-05
FAKES ABOUT THE FIGHTERS.
FITz REPRESENTED as DRINKING
AND CORBETT AS SICK.

The Australian EnraGed by the Pub
Iication and Declares Himself in
as Good Condition For the MIL as
He viii BE Two Weeks Hence.
COrbett Takes IA Seven Mile Tramp,
Toys With the Punching Bag and
Plays Hand Ball.
Carson, March According to a San
Francisco paper, which reached Carson
this morning, Fitz is a subject for the
gold cure and Corbett pronounced hos
pital candidate
When Fits attention was called to the
article his eyes snapped and he gritted his
teeth. 80 I've been drinking have II"
he muttered This fellow will have a
nice time making me believe so. l take a
glass; of liquor whenever I feel like it, but
anybody who is acquainted with me
knows I'm not a hard drinker. Ever
since l aspired to meet Corbett I've been
in splendid condition and there's no ne
cessity for me to make a dray horse out
of myself now to get into shape for this
fight.
Il have been fitting myself for this con-
test ever since l met Sharkey and dis
covered the enervating effects of high liv-
ing If the fight took place tomorrow 1
could do no better than this day fort
night. Its contemplate falsehood, it
is; nothing else expresses it,
Dan Stuart, who is affected by the fake,
unburdened himself this afternoon in the
following signed statement to the press
and the public: 1.-The publication of an
article sent from this city to a certain
San Francisco newspaper and retailed
over the country from that point to news
papers in other parts of the United States,
affecting to deal with the illness of one
and the unbridled dissipation of the other
principal in the coming contest between
James J. Corbett and Robert Fitzsim-
mons, calls for some sort of statement
from me. To begin with the story was
built upon a foundation of intentional
and malicious falsehood. There was not
the slightest fundamental fact to the
yarn. 1t was not dgnifed by the most
remote scintilla of truth. Corbett has
been in continuous good health ever since
he arrived Fitzsimmons, naturally of an
abstemious temperament has not touch
ed a drop of liquor other than any pugi-
list in active training with slight cold,
now and then, takes. If there is any one
thing more gratifying than another to me
it is the zeal, sincerity and resolution dis
played by the men under contract to me
! to engage in a battle for the champion
ship of the world here on the 18th of this
mouth.
1.-THE sole annoyance caused by the pub
lication lies in the fact that l should be
called upon publicly to denounce as false
and unproVoked a story printed in
presumably great newspaper, with moth
ing but the insiDid vaporings of an ire
sponsible reporter to Vouch for it.
Dan A. Stuart"
A seven-mile tramp around the foot
hills this morning set Corbett's blood in
circulation and put some color in his
cheeks He toyed with the punching
bag for a few minutes and wound up
with a game of hand ball. Woods, Nc
Vey and Jeffries were excused with the
warning to prepare for a hard drubbing
tomorrow. Jim escorted his wife and
sister to the west-bound train in the
evening and kissed them goodbye.
Tell the folks I'm all right" he en-
Joined them This will be my last bat
tie, and 1 would not go back to Hayes
Valley a loser"
Fftz took full measure of labor, be-
ginning with long walk and tapering off
with the gloves. He seemed bit vicious
when the mits were on mis- hands and
| chased his trainers about more than usual.
Martin Flaherty the conqueror of Frank
| Erne modestly wandered about the va
| rious headquarters to-day making friends.
| He has scored a big hit with the western
| fraternity and promises to be a favorite in
| the betting