The herald., 1898-08-08

old adage about a pitcher going once too
coward some people have claimed. The
often to the we'll generally is more striking
ly illustrated with fighters than with any
other line of sports. Fitzsimmons has taken
excellent care Of himself, however, and 1t is
probable that he will prove an exception
to this general rule. The following letter
from Mrs. Fitzsimmons was addressed to
the New York Journal Of recent date:
ITO the Editor: Robert Fitzsimmons, my
husband. may enter the prize ring again
and fight one more fight. He shall fight
the bes. man that lives and show the world
that he is not a coward He shall prove
for all time that he can whip the best fight
er that the prize ring can produce and then
hope he will be let alone to enjoy quiet
home life with our babies and me.
"Mr. Fitzsimmons' solemn promise to me
never again to enter the ring has. brought
down upon him the sneers and jeers and
cries of coward have felt the shame until
I now release him from his promise. He
quit the ring for me; he will now go in and
prove that he Is all that know him to be.
MRS. ROBERT FITZSIMMONS."
Bob Thompson and Ben Lewis, the col
ored light-weights who are to meet before
the Los Angeles Athletic club next Friday
night, are training earnestly and will put up
splendid contest. They are thought to be
we'll matched, and Lewis is said by some Of
the best judges of boxing to be just the sort
Of fighter to give Thompson a hard battle.
He is left handed and knows how to use
that arm In all ways. Bob Thompson is
probably stronger than Lewis, but not
enough to give him any great advantage
over the other man. Both are quick, and
their fight ought not to last the Is rounds
| it is scheduled. 1t will be lively while in
progress, however. Lewis Is training az
| the Athletic club, while Thompson still
sticks to the Manhattan club. prelim-
| mary arranged for the same evening is
1o-round go between Billy de Coursey and
young Thurman of San Francisco. De
| Coursey was the boxing instructor at the
Athletic club and is a clever man. Thur
| man Is in his class, and the pair are ex-
pected 10 furnish some excitement. An
other preliminary which is looked forward
| to with much interest is a four-round go
| between Joe Cotton and Billy Gallagher.
| Both men have met before, and, though
| Gallagher had the better of the fight in one
instance, they are so evenly matched as
| to make any meeting between them a
| splendid bout.
After his unfortunate fight with Bob
| Armstrong Friday night Jim Jeffries the
Los Angeles giant, wired the Examiner an
| follows:
NEW YORK, August ST. acknowledge
| that I am after the championship. am
In this profession to get to the top.
| mean to as quick as 1 can and in the most
| manly and straightforward manner. re-
gret the accident tonight exceedingly. On
account of 1t do not want to say tooimuch
Of the future or of challenging and accept
| ing challenges. The accident, 1 realize
| will not help me with the public; and as
1 do not wish to lose the estimation in
which they may hold me at present,
prefer not to say anything. except that
am sincere in stating that I am after the
championship, and am confident that
| with clean and hard work 1t will come to
| me.
| AS regards to-night's accident, 1t has
| pened in the first round. landed hard on
Armstrong; head with my left, but his
| head was harder than a rock. felt some-
| thing snap, but I hardly realized what 1t
was until landed with the left again and
| felt the thrill of pain. Then knew what
| was the matter and that 1t would be almost
| a miracle If I put my first man out. ]
cannot say 1 exerted myself over him at
| any stage. I had the utmost confidence
In my ability to knock out both Armstrong
| and ODonnell inside the ten rounds al
| lotted to each. That Is one reason why !
| went easy with Armstrong. 1 had no
thought while fighting with him that
| would not be able to go on with the second
bout, but after we got to the dressing room
Delaney looked at my arm and insisted or
sending for a doctor. The latter declared
| positively that must not risk using the
hand again for, perhaps, several weeks
! and there you are
BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
There was an excellent attendance yes