The age-herald., 1898-11-23
FITZ SAYS THE
 FIGHT WAS FAKE Mill Pay No Attention to Challenge
 from Either. ONLY ONE HONEST SCRAPPER And He Known to the World as Rob- ert FitZSimmOnS.
ONLY ONEHONEST SCRAPPER
M'vEY's JUMPING INTO THE RING
Was Pre-arranged Scheme to Bring the Contest to a Close Sharkey and Corbett Make State
 ments to the Press.

Chicago, November 22-Robert Fitzsim- mons, the champion pugilist is now in this city. He has all along declared that the fight between Corbett and Sharkey would be fake" and when seen tonight after the result was known he exclaimed:
 "What did tell you? I said it was go- ing to be a fake and it was nothing but fake McVey jumped into the ring on pur- pose to stop the fight, and it was all fixed for him to do 1t. You can bet, too, that there were men right at the ringside- to hold him. The whole thing was a put up job, and I tell you it never was on the square,"
 "Vvhat will you do in regard to any chal- lenge that sharkey or Corbett may send in your direction?"
 "I,', said Fitzsimmons, with great scorn, 'T1i pay no attention to either one of them. They have put themselves further away from any attention than ever. Let them go and get a reputation. There Is Peter Maher-why don't they take him on a little? won't pay any attention to them. Let them go like somebody and get repu- tatlon.
 This kind of fighting makes me tired, anyway" went on the champion. Tt am or the square There's only one honest fighter in the world anyhow, and his name is Robert F1tzsimmons."
 Fitzsimmons was full of disgust over the end of the fight, and declared over and over that it was job and mot on the level
 Jimmy Barry merely remarked: Its too bad The big fellows are killing the game.'
 Referee Kelly's Statement
 New York, November 22.-John Kelly, the referee, made the following statement:
 q stopped the bout and gave the decision to Sharkey because McVey, one of Corbett's seconds, in violation of all rules jumped into the ring.
 q called all bets off because I believe the action of McVey was paid for by some body who had bet on Sharkey, and l did not propose to decide public money on palpab1e fake. I would not be party to fraud. .a ~ . 'sNo one can tell me that McVey lost his head He has been behind fighters for years, and there were some fraudulent deals behind his movements. So far as I can sec the fighters were about on even terms when I stopped the bout in the ninth round.''
 Mcvey said; When I jumped into the
 
 almost every clinch, and sometimes so low that anybody ought to have been able to see it. l called out to the referee time after time in the last round and then I could stand it no longer and stuck my head through the ropes but Kelly did not see me. Then I saw Sharkey hit Jim in an- other clinch. I guess I lost my head and put my foot over the ropes and they gave the fight to Sharkey
 q am sorry that am the cause of the decision being given against Corbett. He would have won with a certainty. He had Sharkey whipped but could not stand see- ing Jim get fouled without making a pro- test"
 Corbett said: "I think those who saw the fight will agree that I had Sharlxey whipped and would have had the decision in another round or two. I did not want to win fight on a foul and it was misfor- tune that Mcvey jumped into the ring to call the referees attention to Sharkey's fouling
 'He did fight foul He hit me low once in the second round and again in the seventh. I did not see McVey jump into the ring. My back was turned to him, and 
 meant me, because I had away the best of it.
 After realized that the decision was against me I offered to fight it out with him then and there, but he walked away. I did too much drawing out. I ought to have gone right after my man and whipped him in four rounds.
 "Well, I can't kick, only hope next time the other mans second will jump into the saw the fight"
 Tom Sharkey: "I regret that Corbett's second got into the ring. for in few more rounds, perhaps the next, I would have put him out. l fought fair Corbett struck too low once or twice, and I am little sore below the belt now. | Not a blow that was delivered hurt me. | am just out of the bath tub and, as you see. have not scratch or mark on me. "I believe I can whip Corbett or anyone else. and stand ready to fight him or any hodv in the world, Fitzsimmons preferred agreed to his articles. and I obeyed inn plictly O'Rourkes instructions. Corbetts cleverness counted for nothing. "They say that am not clever, and that I fight foul, and lose my head but here I stand tonight without having lost a fight on a foul and having just stood Corbett off with all of his much vaunted cleverness for eight rounds without a scratch on me. I | can best any man in the world, and will make good my word whenever I get into | the ring"