The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-23
THAT KNOCKOUT BLOW
Champion FitzSimm mons Deliver
ed it Last Night,
And it Knocked the Bag Out
Into the Audience.
Yarrum Creates CONSERVATION in the
Dining Room of the Hotel Throop.

bumpty, bump, bump-bump-
The great gladiator the champion of
all champions, the pugiIistic marvel OF
the nineteenth century, had just deliv-
cred one of his Knockout blows, and his
tortured victim had torn loose from it's
fastenings and after describing a semi
circle through space had settled in the
protecting lap of one of the feminine
auditors about four rows back from the
stage.
1t was a Knockout a knockout into
the audience, and the champion thought
the audience should be satisfied and
walked off the stage. His tortured vic
tim, the punching bag, was returned to
Martin Julian who leaned gracefully
over the fOOtlightS to receive It, and
then Mr.. Julian announced that after
short delay the entertainment would
conclude with a bout between the
champion and his sparring partner,
Mike Conley, the Ithaca giant.
The audience had by that time recov-
cred its cOmpOSuTe. Not that there had
been any special demonstrations of a
loss of cOmpOsure other than head
ducking here and there and a series of
half suppressed eXclamatiOns, but the
fact that a leather punching bag, pro
PEELED by as mighty a force as the arm
that knocked out Gentleman Jim Cor
bett," and p others of the same species
of animal, was attempting to a find a
resting place in the arms of some one,
was to say the least disturbing. So it
was not surprising that When the audi
ence saw the cause of their fright firm
ly held in the grasp of Martin Julian
and carried off the stage there should
by sign of relief distinctly audible.
The closing feature of the punching
bag performance came in the form of a
surprise TO the audience. When the
pugilistic marvel squared himself and
let go at the bag to show the spectators
how he trained his terrible Nemesis, no
one expected to see the leather shoot
out from the stage and cut the air of
the auditorium. But that was exactly
what happened as the stout cord hold
ing the bag in suspension tore loose
with the force of the blow, and the
leather shot out over the heads of the
audience, described a semicircle, struck
one or twice and rebOunded, and at last
softly slid into the lap of one OF the
ladies in the audience, from which posi-
ton it was returned to the manager of
the marvel
Indeed it was no wonder that the
punching bag should tear loose from its
fastenings and seek protection some
where. The treatment it received at
the hands of the awkward looking
champion was something terrible. 1t
danced up and down, backward and for
ward, beat tattOOs and executed two
steps 1t was punched, and re-punched
and punched again, and no matter what
way it attempted escape it was met by
one or both of the brawny fists of the
great gladiator. 1t was the inOffensiVe,
unOffending partner in a scientific and
entertaining exhibition of pUgilistic art.
The audience, or at least that portion
of the audience who remained in the
theater from until II O'Clock. appreci-
ated the work of the champion when he
finally made his appearance on the
stage. It's a good thing not to spring
the best feature of a show at the start,
but Manager Julian is pushing it along
to tiresOme extent. Probably not one
person in the audience at the Crawford
theater last night but went there for
the express purpose of seeing FitzsiIn-
mons, but for three solid hours they
We're compelled to await his appear
ance. People don't care to go to the
ater and sit up until midnight,and Man
ager Julian should correct his perform
ance. It was exactly IL o'clock when
Julian announced the champion last
night, and the pugilist appeared and
made aWkard bow to an audience
that was worn out with waiting.
In the sparring bout between the
champion and his sparring partner,
Mike COnley, the Ithaca giant, Fitzsim-
mons demonstrated that he could hit
his opponent whenever he chose. Dur
ing the three rounds the champion
walked about the stage with a smile on
his face while his big partner was
breathing hard enough to be heard in
the rear of the theater. The audience
enjoyed the bout, and loudly applauded
the champion whenever he executed
particularly clever dodge or planted a
resOunding blow.
The Greco Roman wrestling match
between Ernest ROeber and Carl Beck
formed an entertaining opening to the
athletic portion of the programme. The
men struggled on the padded floor for
10 minutes. and at the end of that time
Manager Julian declared the match
draw.
If there was less vaudeville and more
Fitzsimmons, or at least earlier Fitz-
simmons. Manager Julian's perform
ance would be better appreciated.