The times., 1897-03-20
THE LIFE WORK OF
ROBERT FITZSIMMONS


| tirement from the prize-ring in a statement
| which ought to, and doubtless will. interest
| and instruct about eight Americans out OF
every ten who read newspapers. Mr.. Fitz
| simmons observes
MY determination to retire from the
| priZe-ring forever will not be broken by the
attempt OF several fighters to make me re-
| turn. / am content TO stand upon my
(! record as It exists today and let others do
| battle for the honors relinquish. The salts
faction of having defeated Corbett Is suri-
cient for me, and prefer to be known
hereafter as the retired, undefeated middle
weight and heavy weight champion of the
world
! FitzsiinnoAs account of the great fight
| is superb II recall he remarked on
| Wednesday eyeping, 1.-The color OF Corbetts
! face at the beginning OF the tenth round.
| 1t was never rosy at it's best, and when it
| turned asheht gray and the lips became set
l winked at Martin Julian and nodded my
head with an Ive got-hin air.
| '.In the eleventh round my wife was be
| yond control, apparently, and kept calling
| to ME to whip him, to be careful and not
| let him hit mel have learned since then
that many people believed she was discon-
certing me,a butyevery time l heard her
| voice hit Corbett to show her that l was
| listening. HIS face grew paier and raler
| in the twelfth and he tried to rally HIS
respiration was shorter than mine, and
twice when / exposed myself to invite him
in l found that his most violent snashes
were without force.
Il put my lips close to his cheek when
we clinched and whispered: Well, Jim. L
am going to lick you, now That's what
l am going to do, Jim. l am going to lick
you. l have got to-
Yes, you Will he replied, the words
choking in his throat
when we broke away searched FOR an
opening, but, fearing that | would keep
my word, he was a little cautious. As the
gong sounded at the close l whispered
again: Pretty soon, now. and before a
minute and half expired in the four
teenth l kepe my promise. There.was
never a better coaOher at the ringside t han
l ha d with me on that day. l heard every
word she said, and il nerved ms arm and
strengthened my eye. | don't think VIII
ever forget the expression on Corbett' 3 face
rs he sank slowly TO the floor, just as l
put it on to his chin. The iris OF the eye
completely disappeared, and the white por-
| ton looked like an egg shell against an
aShen skin. L never saw SO much agony
| in a face before. Ii e heard every count as
| ii came slowly from the lips Of the referee,
| md each time he struggled TO rise blsIeft
| ha nd pressed against his side. ciutched his
uuiveriDg flesh convulsively, but the trick
| was done too well, and the last number
found him a helpless and whipped man,
| His recovery, too late for his cause, must
have been sudden for the next moment
| saw him, with arms uplifted and his face
enraged rush upon me. But that was yes
| terday 1t is all over now; the yanqulshed
| has gone to his home, and Will soon go to
| mine.
When / look back over the years of
| hardship and opposition that L have
plowed through, | wonder that | have
| been able to stand ii. Sometimes | am
surprised that 1 find myself fighter
today When was a boy in New Zealand
there were few lads more devoted in
,Iustrious OF more domestic than l. My
mother was all to me that mother
| should be Co her son, and on the Sabbath
/ went TO tile Sunday school, sung from
| the hymn book TO the little church organ,
and knew my catechism. One day, be-
cause had learned my Bible lesson better
than another scholar, he became incensed
at my knowledge and nearly pulled my
ear from IT'S socket. Strange enough, the
only one who failed to give me protection
was the superintendent, and / left the
class.
Through force of habit when the sew
enth da y came round, no matter how weary
was through having worked atthe forge
the previous six, walked over to the
little chapel alone and hid myself in a
convenient place outside where / could
hear the chant OF the choir and say my
prayers l knew the service by heart, my
lips moved when the Epistles were said,
and added my voice to the Lord Prayer.
One day they found me and asked me To
come back but felt myself driven away,
felt myself an ou1cast from the congrega-
tion and my ear still tingled With the as
sault OF weeks before. l had sll the mod
esty and retiCcnce OF a boy still at his
mothers apron strings, but my broad
back my wonderful constitution and pow
erful arms cTayed something more than
the inactivity of the town where l lived
and the humdrum life l misleading How
it all came about is difficult for me to
say. Just what took me into my first
fight do not know, but remember that
l won. AT that time it was a trivial af-
fair, but the passion grew. L became more
successful and ran the gantlet to the
championship Of the world, where l find
myself today.
mo one knows better than myself how
much harder the battle to preserve honor
was than the war at arms. Had not the
incident in the Sunday school occurred,
| might today be the rector of that parish,
or L might have followed in that path laid
down by early teachings and become con-
servative business man and a respected
resident of the town. think more of those
days than l can tell in words, but for one
thing L shall ever feel grateful, and that
is my ability to determine the difference
between right and wrong. The prizefiglit-
ing epoch of uy lie has been fiaught with
ups and downs No, on thinking it over, l
have never been down"
Fitz laughed at this joke and pinched
his wifes cheek.
Anyhow" he continued, sit was a
tough game. l need not recall to the pub
Of, for the things / have passed through
are not yet forgotten. Since the fight 1
have had many kilograms of oongIatli-
latory character that have made me feel
deeply the necessity for carrying myself
the same as l have done before. If there
is o change in the Bob Fitzsinmons of old
l am not aware oft. The only difference
l can discern in the exuberance whic nat
urally rises from success and removes all
doubt 1 want to be thought of by my