The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-10
M'COY-RUHLIN ARTICLES
THE PUGILISTs SIGN FOR HEAVY
WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT.
The .'I&id" Withdravs His $4,000 For
felt. Which FitzsimmOns
Failed to Cover.

kid" Mccoy last night signed articles
for finish fight for the championship of
the world with Gus Rubin, and issued q
statement claiming for himself the middle
weight and heavyweight championship CT
the world.
On Jan. Is Mccoy posted $1,000 with Rich
ard K Fox, of New York. as a forfeit to
fight Fftzsimmons or Corbett. The six
weeks limit having expired yesterday, Nc
Coy wired Fox to withdraw the forfeit, and
last night he met Rubin and closed the
preliminaries for fight with him.
At $3.50 o'clock Mccoy and his manager,
Homer Selby met Rubin and his manager,
Billy Madden, in McCoy's room at the
Grand Hotel. There were also present rep
resentatives of various papers. After con-
siderable argument about small matters Of
wording, the following articles were drawn,
signed and witnessed:
Articles Of agreement entered into this,
the 9th day of March, 1898, by and between
Charles kid Mccoy, party OF the first part,
whereby the said party of the first part
agrees to box the said party of the second
part twenty rounds for a decision, or to a
finish with five-ounce gloves, under Mar
quis of Queensbury rules, at catch weights,
in a twenty-four-foot ring for the heavy
weight championship of the world the
match to take place inside cg three months
before the club offering the best purse or
percentage, said purse or percentage to be
agreeable to the contestants; and 1T is FUR
Their agreed between the party of the first
part and the party of the second part that
the value of the purse or peT eT sna t
to the winner and 80 per cent to the loser,
the referee to be mutually agreed upon two
weeks before the date of the contest; and
it is further agreed by and between said
parties that neither of them shall engage
in other pugilistic contests, exceeding four
rounds, after the month of March, $685. until
the date hereafter to be fixed for this con-
test. Both men shall be allowed to BAN
dage their hands with soft bandages. When
the place of the contest is agreed upon, for
feits shall be posted for appearance by said
parties, the club before which the contest is
to occur to post an amount equal to that
posted by each of said parties.
I'm the event of any question arising
which may not be provided for in these arti-
cles, the stakeholder. Harry Weldon, shall
have full power and authority to decide
such questions his decision to be final. IL
either party to these articles shall fail to
live by the agreements herein contained the
other party shall be entitled to the forfeit
money now posted in the hands of Harry
Weldon, the said Weldon to be sole judge
of such failure"
These articles were signed by Homer
Selby for Mccoy and by Billy Madden for
Rubin and witnessed by A. O. Royse and
James Daily While it is not specified in
the articles it is expected that the fight
May. The Olympic Club of that city is
anxious to get the mill and will probably
make the best bid for it.
McCOY'S STATEMENT.
Following the signing of the articles, Nc
Coy was asked for a statement of his posi-
ton in claiming the worlds championship
and said: According to the rules of the
prize ring, 1 have this day claimed the
championship of the world in the middle
and heavy weight classes. My grounds for
so doing as follows: For six weeks /
had $1,000 posted in the hands of Richard
K. Fox in support of my challenge t. Rob-
ert titzsimmons, the then champion of the
world According to the rules and reguia-
lions of the prize ring, l am now the rec
ognlZeu champion. Every article of the
prize ring rules, relative to the posting of
forfeits, / have carried out. / have left
nothing u1done. l personally notified Rob-
ert Fitzsimmons of my intention of claiming
the championship and of the forfeit being
posted in support of my claim thereof
EiurtnerinoIe, my cnaIlenge mas been pub
lished throughout the world and is recog-
nized bonafde. 1 therefore claim the
middle weight and heavy weight champion
snip of the world and will defend them ac-
cording to the rules of the prize ring
While Mccoy was preparing this state
ment messages We're received from the New
York Journal and New York World asking
for statements. He was preparing one for
the Journal when some one suggested that
he insert remark that if Fitzsimmons
wanted TO retain the championship he would
have to fight for it with the winner Of the
coming match between Mccoy and Rubin
No said Mccoy, Il will keep away
from talk L intend to confine my talking
to statements of fact and let the people,
and the fighters as WELL draw their own
conclusions"
1t is likely that the coming fight between
Mccoy and Rubin will be for the Police
Gazette championship belt. 1t is now held
by Fitzsimmons, but is controlled by Rich
ard X. Fox and public opinion. If Fitzsim-
mons has retired, he is no longer entitled to
it. He says he has retired his actions show
that he has retired, and the rules of the
prize ring have already retired him as the
champion. Amy pugilists who have COM
piled with the requirements of the ring
rules as have Mccoy, Rubin. Choyinski,
Sharkey and Maher are entitled to battle
for the belt, and if Fitzsimmons wants 1t
again, he will have to whip the winner
and whip a man, if challenged. once every
six months as long as he retains 1t.
Mccoy and his manager will leave here
tomorrow for Fort Wayne, wnere they give
an exhibition. Mccoy will then spend a
week at West Baden, where he will prepare
himself for HIS coming mill at New Or
leans with Jack Bonner.