The record-union., 1897-12-31
CORBETT'S CHALLENGE.
HIS LETTER SENT TO ROBERT
FITZSIMMONS.
Offers Many Money Presents to the
Champion to Again Meet Him
in the Ring.

CINCINNATI. Dec. 30-James J.
Corbett to-day gave to the "Times-Star'
copy of his challenge to lght Fitzsim-
mons as follows:
robert j. F1tzsimmons, Champion of
the World: Your published declara-
ton, Mr.. Fitzsimmons, that you intend
re-enterlng the ring pleases me more
than L can at present express to you, for
L know that the public esteems me to be
the only candidate for the honors you
thus place within reach. I 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, 1 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 cannot SO soon have forgotten
your remark to me at Carson, just after
the battle, Jim you said in your simple,
earnest way, I'll 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
l, the loser, listened with never bruise
or scratch from head to foot which could
contradict you.
Is this consistent with your now re-
queStlng me to go prove myself to be
worthy? You viii find the confidence of
the public in my ability to entertain
you still. You will find that the public
Will insist upon your recognizing my
claim that you must meet me again.
sented. l refuse to credit you with the
lame memory, the broken judgment, the
poor taste and entire untruthfulness
which the printed remarks alleged to
have been made by you would imply. I
prefer to think that those who have
entered the ring with me We're men.
brave and Incapable of the vulgar, lying
and cowardly language in which the
newspaper version of your remarks was
couched
However well I know that the great
journals try to be and usually are accu-
rate to the letter in reporting utterances
made by important men upon important
subjects, prefer to believe that in this
case a grave error has been made some
how, somewhere and for purpose not
worthy of one who wishes to be con-
What the public expects from me is
to maintain defense of the ring, and not
be a brawler nor shifty evader of the
honest principles which govern honest
men when adjusting their respective
merits.
This is all have to say. But this
is what / propose to do. The day we
sign articles I will give you 81 900 in
recognition of your courtesy The mo-
ment you enter the ring ready to offer
me battle, will give you a second 81 900
in token of my pleasure. Upon the COM
pIetion of the tenth round, if you are
still undefeated, I will give you a third
81 900 as a souvenir of my surprise
Upon defeating you, no matter in what
round. l will give you $1,000 more as q
reminder that / am not an ungenerous
foe.
ION the other hand. should you again
defeat me, / promise, if still able TO
move. to place my hat upon my head.
and then removing 1t in your honor, to
proclaim you in frank and unmistakable
terms my superior, and state that l then
and there quit forever all possible claim
to the championship of the world.
Let further remarks on this subject
be made by 81 900 clean. honest Ameri-
can money, given me by the public that
believes in me. / have this day for
warded these to VIII j. Davis of Chicago
in testimony that / mean every word l
have herein spoken.
JAMES j. CORBETT,
champion Of America.
Cincinnati, December 80, 1897